Because no two paths to parenthood look the same, “How I Got This Baby” is a series that invites parents to share their stories.
Every other week, the Cut posts an in-depth account of one person’s experience of early parenthood and the sometimes winding, often surprising journey that led to it. Below are the ten stories that resonated most with readers this year, from a man who set out to be a single father to a restaurant worker who didn’t realize she was pregnant to a mom of two who promised her third baby to her cousin — and then changed her mind. All of these deeply personal stories were reported by Kristen Mascia and Yolanda Wikiel and feature original illustrations by Palesa Monareng.
10. The Mom Who Moved in With Her Sperm Donor
“Once he met the baby, he told me, ‘I just held him and I fell in love with him.’” Read the story ➼
9. The Mom Who Had 3 Babies With Cystic Fibrosis
“We were at my parents’ house when we got the call. I lost it.” Read the story ➼
8. The Single Dad Who Had a Baby Via Surrogate
“I always say I’m doing this solo, not alone. Alone sounds sad. Solo sounds like more of an adventure.” Read the story ➼
7. The Mom Who Got Pregnant While on Birth Control at Age 46
“I didn’t think about how much work it was going to be until I was all up in it. And then, suddenly, I was like, What did I do?” Read the story ➼
6. The Mom Whose Husband Died in a Car Wreck When She Was 9 Months Pregnant
“I looked up from my phone and saw that we were crossing the double yellow lines of the two-way highway.” Read the story ➼
5. The Mom Who Lost Her Home the Day Before She Gave Birth
“When I returned to my apartment later that afternoon, my key didn’t work. They had changed the locks while I was gone.” Read the story ➼
4. The Mom Who Didn’t Know She Was Pregnant Until She Was in Labor
“A wave of pain hit me so badly that I catapulted up from the recliner, landing with my back arched like a cat ready to attack.” Read the story ➼
3. The Mom Who Expected Her Baby’s Father to Leave His Wife
“He was planting seeds in my head that we could be together one day.” Read the story ➼
2. The Mom Who Left Her Husband at 20 Weeks Pregnant
“He had been lying about being in a master’s program for a year and a half. I had thought he was going to be graduating in June.” Read the story ➼
1. The Mom Who Told Her Cousin She Could Adopt Her Next Baby
“I wrote explaining my reasons for not wanting to do it anymore — later, she saw me in a parking lot and tried to hit me with her car.” Read the story ➼
Want to submit your own story to How I Got This Baby? Email thisbaby@nymag.com and tell us a little about how you became a parent (and read our submission terms here).
