Writer

I write about my experiences of pregnancy loss, primary and secondary infertility, donor egg IVF, high-risk pregnancy, birth trauma, what it means to be a non-genetic parent, and how I talk to my kiddos (and other people) about egg donation. I also promote the concept that having a baby cures childlessness—not infertility.

Books

Motherhood Determined (forthcoming)Let's Talk About Egg Donation (content editor)

Anthologies

href="#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shaking the Tree (forthcoming)
Year in Ink, Vol. 13
Year in Ink, Vol. 11
Three Minus One

Bylines

On grieving during a pandemic for the San Diego Decameron Project
On parenting during a pandemic for the San Diego Union Tribune
Interview with artist Lily Ludlow for Tokion
Interview with artist Neilah Myers in Tokion
Various boutique and bar reviews for Paper

Select Publications

The ART of Infertility
The Daily Parent
Donor Conception Network (members newsletter + social media)
PVED
Seleni

Newsletter

Lauren X Words is where I combine my words and others' into a digital love letter for parents and parents-in-waiting.

VIDEO: VAMP – Coyote Thursday

Lauren performs an essay about the last time she saw her dad at So Say We All’s VAMP night.

Shaking the Tree, Vol. 5

Love and Peace is an essay that explores grieving my dad when the usual mourning rituals are denied during a pandemic.

Shaking the Tree, Vol. 4

In January 2023, an excerpt from my memoir will be published in the anthology, Shaking the Tree, volume 4. ‘Flings’…
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The San Diego Decameron Project

The San Diego Decameron Project was inspired by a book written shortly after the Black Death overtook Florence in 1348,…
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San Diego Union-Tribune // Parenting, Coronavirus, Tortilla Española

My essay on parenting during the early days of the pandemic was published by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Recipe follows…
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RESOLVE // Having a Baby Cures Childlessness—Not Infertility

Essay published on Resolve’s blog for National Infertility Awareness Week 2020.

“Lauren holds herself and her work to high standards — she’s a great member of any creative team.”

Lauren is not only talented but very client-focused. She's organized, patient, and an excellent communicator. I love her modern aesthetic, and her knowledge of Wordpress. Lauren holds herself and her work to high standards - she's a great member of any creative team.

Evelyn Shoop
End Child Poverty in CA

With tenderness and honesty Lauren critiqued my work, offered insight, and directed me toward more self exploration and honesty.

Lauren Cross has been in my writer’s group for many years. Her insights, suggestions and edits of my work have been invaluable to me as a writer. When I also asked her to beta-read my memoir I was not disappointed. With tenderness and honesty Lauren critiqued my work, offered insight, and directed me toward more self exploration and honesty. Most of all, she encouraged me, as an author, to continue to write. I am honored to call myself Lauren’s “Writeous Sister”, and most of all, her friend.

Kathleen McCabe

“Lauren is truly a renaissance woman.”

Lauren is truly a renaissance woman. Her diverse skills touch the artistic in her graphic designs and the linguistic in her extraordinary writing ability. She can articulate what others feel and describe the process of infertility and pregnancy loss so poetically that it touches the reader’s heart. I look forward to any blog, book, journal or article or design that Lauren creates.

Carole LieberWilkins, M.A., M.F.T.
Co-Author, Let's Talk About Egg Donation

“Lauren is unbelievably talented and will exceed your expectations!”

Lauren is unbelievably talented and will exceed your expectations! She almost intuitively knew what we were looking for in a business logo without us being able to verbalize it. The logo she came up with is stunning, her turnaround time was quick, and her communication excellent. Our company will use this beautiful logo for years to come and we can’t recommend her enough. Thank you, Lauren!

“A person of many talents who is smart, funny, and encouraging!”

Over the course of several years working together, Lauren helped us re-design and manage our website, designed logos, posters, and other graphics. She helped draft and edit various grant proposals, info sheets and anything else we were working on, and was always a great ear for batting around ideas, helping make and keep timelines, listening to jokes—in short, just what any small non-profit desperately needs: a person of many talents who is smart and funny and encouraging!

Robert Shampain
BAYFEST

“She has a high level of creativity with a mathematical, orderly mind.”

Lauren combines the two best qualities in a graphic designer: a high level of creativity with a mathematical, orderly mind for attending to details and getting the tech stuff right. She was patient and receptive enough to deal with my many requests for changes on AmritAunty.com. And I was happy to feature her unique graphic art on Subscription Site Central—an industry blog read by executives from sites like The Financial Times, The Boston Globe, and Scholastic. I plan to use Lauren’s services for a long time to come and recommend her work with no hesitation whatsoever.

VIDEO: VAMP – Coyote Thursday

Shaking the Tree, Vol. 5

Shaking the Tree, Vol. 4

The San Diego Decameron Project

San Diego Union-Tribune // Parenting, Coronavirus, Tortilla Española

RESOLVE // Having a Baby Cures Childlessness—Not Infertility

WORK WITH ME

Not all writers can design;
not all designers can write.
I do both.

“Lauren holds herself and her work to high standards — she’s a great member of any creative team.”

With tenderness and honesty Lauren critiqued my work, offered insight, and directed me toward more self exploration and honesty.

“Lauren is truly a renaissance woman.”

“Lauren is unbelievably talented and will exceed your expectations!”

“A person of many talents who is smart, funny, and encouraging!”

“She has a high level of creativity with a mathematical, orderly mind.”

Writer

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WORK WITH ME

Not all writers can design; not all designers can write. I do both.

“Lauren holds herself and her work to high standards — she’s a great member of any creative team.”

With tenderness and honesty Lauren critiqued my work, offered insight, and directed me toward more self exploration and honesty.

“Lauren is truly a renaissance woman.”

“Lauren is unbelievably talented and will exceed your expectations!”

“A person of many talents who is smart, funny, and encouraging!”

“She has a high level of creativity with a mathematical, orderly mind.”

Not all writers can design;
not all designers can write.
I do both.