by Chetana Mrunalini
Bangalore, India
 
As a young child, when I came to know that families come in different varieties and that adoption was an option to build a family, it struck a chord in my heart. When I saw families with adopted children, though very rare, I would often daydream of being a part of a similar family.

Jia Xin Tian
Hualien City, Taiwan

When I was pregnant, I decided that I wanted to exclusively breastfeed my baby. It made practical sense since I had applied for unpaid maternity leave, and I knew breastfeeding would save me a lot of money while I wasn’t earning. I was also aware that it would be best for my baby’s health. ​My mother encouraged me to breastfeed, saying she had breastfed both me and my brother, and that my baby would suck naturally when he was put to my breast. Little did I know what lay ahead.

Shannon Gill
LLL Guangzhou - English Group

Last July, my husband and I were dreading the 7,000 mile flight with our 17-month-old son from Hong Kong to Seattle. It wasn’t the flight itself we were dreading (although flying with an active toddler is never a treat), it was what lay ahead of us once we arrived in the US.

by Bridget Muir
LLL Bondi Group
 
I am going to be very honest here and describe my first couple of years of parenthood as “hell on earth”. Using those words makes me feel pretty sad, but they accurately sum up my memories of that time. ​With hindsight, I now know that I was suffering from undiagnosed post-natal depression, which could have easily been prevented with the right support.