I.V.F. without a partner shouldn't be so hard.
 | By Indrani Sen Culture Editor, Opinion |
In its crushing portrayal of a woman trying to have a baby, the latest season of Netflix's "Master of None" captures the hope, desperation, fear, doubt and wild optimism that so many parents and would-be parents feel. The British actor Naomi Ackie's portrayal of Alicia will strike a chord for many — it certainly did for my husband and me. |
But there's another layer to the challenge that Alicia faces. As a single, lesbian woman undergoing in vitro fertilization, she must take on additional emotional, medical and financial burdens just to conceive. We watch the character overcome her aversion to injecting herself with fertility drugs, her wrenching decision to put plans for a new business on hold, and her lonely anguish at setbacks in the process. |
The story rings so true, I found out recently, for a simple reason: It is true. At least, it's based upon the true story of another Alicia, Alicia Lombardini. |
When he was devising the story arc, Aziz Ansari, who co-created the show with Alan Yang and co-wrote this season with Lena Waithe, consulted Lombardini, a friend who herself went through I.V.F. as a single woman. |
In a guest essay today, Lombardini chronicles her uphill battle to become a mother, as well as the validation of seeing her struggles and triumphs portrayed onscreen. |
"I know others are feeling seen as well," Lombardini writes. "Single or queer, regardless of our age and demographics, we all deserve the chance to become parents." |
Opinion staff editor Joanna Pearlstein will be speaking with Lombardini about her experience with I.V.F. on Instagram Live Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Please join our conversation at @nytopinion. |
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