Conceivable: A Guide to Making 2SLGBTQ+ Family- A Book Review
This book came in the mail over a year ago - I’m ashamed to say I am just getting to the review now. As you can imagine, with 3 kids and a busy life supporting other families, time slips on by.
This book is worth the time, though, and while the review is coming late, I did read it a year ago. It’s been a reference point in my mind, over that time too.
Here are three top reasons why I think you should check out this book:
✔️It’s important, relevant and reflective of varying family structures.
Of course, as the title clear expresses, this is not a book for everyone, which is great. The standard books on pregnancy and birth are written with a hetero-normative population in mind. This is not that book and that is fantastic. We need more books that represent and speak to the many ways that babies are created, born and the different family structures that raise little humans.
“This book is for you. This book is for people who are trying to build families in a world that often doesn’t make space for them. Some of us are queer, some are trans, some are asexual, so are co-parenting, some some are single parents by choice.”
✔️It’s evidence based and consults with experts and real lived experience.
There are 7 contributors included in this book, reflective of a variety of backgrounds. They are PhD candidates and professors, birth workers/doulas, activists, a lawyer and a nurse, all who have lived experience the the 2SLGBTQ+ sphere. These consultations offer insight into so many important aspects and layers of conceiving and family building, within a system that is built for “traditional” families.
✔️It is well laid out and contains incredibly useful and practical information.
There are 9 sections to this book, categorized in a general chronological order from conception to birth. It’s easy to flip back and forth between sections, based on what is pertinent and what needs to be re-referenced. The information is evidence based and in depth but it’s also easy to digest and understand.
Alongside the information, there are also some reflective exercises and written exercises, which speaks to different learning styles and are helpful to organizing thoughts, feelings and information.
I think one of my favourite themes, that re-emerges through this book, is the suggestion and tips on community building. That’s really how we thrive as humans, in all our stages of life.
And lastly - the illustrations are also beautiful - Kelsey Vivash is listed as the illustrator. I particularly love the squiggles, that weave through the cover page and throughout the book. It perfectly encapsulates the non-linearity of life and parenting. 👏
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