What DCP want parents to know with Hayley & Emma.

This episode of the Redefining Parenthood Podcast has been released to coincide with International Donor Conception Awareness Day (ICDAD), where this year the focus is on "talking, listening and learning". As part of this series I wanted to focus on the important perspective of Donor Conceived People (DCP). Social media can be a brilliant tool for opening up discussions, but can often become heated in rapid-fire comment threads, which is why I wanted to host a discussion with two donor conceived adults to bring to life through conversation "What DCP want parents to know". I'm grateful to be joined by Hayley @dcp_journey_2_rp and Emma @donorconceivedaoteroa who in this episode share six things they believe would be helpful for recipient parents to know. We cover lots within a short space of time, with some heavy topics discussed. Although some of these may lead to some discomfort in listening as a parent, my hope is that through being presented in this way, it will spark reflection and provoke thoughts. We talk about the perception of the 'angry' DCP, curiosity about genetic origins, being truthful and authentic with your child, embracing differences, being on the journey with our child and the importance of counselling. In concluding this chat with a message to parents, both Emma and Hayley share a really important point in that "just by listening to this podcast you are already doing so much and benefiting your child". I hope you find this insightful and helpful at whatever stage of the journey you're at.