Our Story
Hi, my name is Dr. Yzette Lanier, and I am the founder of Fully. I am a developmental psychologist, a professor, and a community-engaged, adolescent health researcher. I am also a woman whose motherhood journey unfolded differently than expected.
Since I was a young child, I always envisioned myself being a mother. But that dream has not been fulfilled yet—and it might not, at least in the way that I once imagined.
This is an area of my life that I never intended to talk about publicly. But that changed in 2024 when I was selected to join The OpEd Project's Public Voices Fellowship—a program designed to elevate the voices and ideas of underrepresented thinkers and ensure they help shape the conversations of our time. During this same time period, a national conversation was unfolding about women and motherhood. Women were speaking openly about consciously choosing not to have children, about living full and meaningful lives without them, and about the many ways women mother. These conversations added important contribution to the idea of motherhood. But I felt that something was missing—I didn’t see me.
I didn’t see a woman who had always imagined being a mother but whose life had unfolded differently. A woman who deeply believed that women without children live full and meaningful lives—but still desired to birth her own children. A woman who was silently grieving the prospect that her road to motherhood would not unfold as intended. A woman who was wondering what else motherhood could look like. A woman who felt really alone on her journey.
I began talking to other women about my own journey. The more women I spoke to, the more I realized that I was not alone in my experience—many women were navigating a similar motherhood journey, often in silence and isolation.
That absence sparked a desire to write a piece that centered the fullness of these women’s experiences—the complexity, nuance, and humanity.
What started as an opinion piece to address a void in our conversations about women who desire children has evolved into a space dedicated to honoring women who desire children.
There are countless stories about motherhood. But where are the conversations about what happens when a woman’s path to biological motherhood unfolds differently than expected
Our Name
ful·ly: adverb
Completely; entirely; to the greatest extent or degree
Fully is a purpose-driven platform dedicated to honoring and supporting women whose journeys to biological motherhood has unfolded differently than expected or hoped.
The name Fully was born from the belief that women on this path deserve to be portrayed and spoken about in their fullness, in both the light and the dark of their humanity. The name reflects our belief that women on this path — in whatever form that takes — deserve to be FULLY seen: in their joy, pain, uncertainty, resilience, and everything in between. It comes from a knowing that these women are FULLY whole, regardless of whether children are part of their story. And it comes from a commitment to these women that they will be FULLY supported as they navigate this journey.
“I know my people. I see my people. I want to be able to talk about them fully.
And in the spectrum of our humanity there is light and dark.”
– Mara Brock Akil
Our Mission
To educate, empower, and encourage women on their motherhood journey by sharing stories that highlight different facets of the journey, providing information and resources that are evidence-based, and creating opportunities for connection and community within a nurturing and supportive environment.
Who We Serve
Fully is a space for all women whose path to biological motherhood unfolded differently than expected It is for the woman who always imagined becoming a mother but hasn't yet. For the woman navigating infertility or other health challenges. For the woman who is single and still hopes to build a family. For the woman grieving the children she thought she would have. For the woman exploring adoption, fostering, or other paths to motherhood. And for the woman who is learning to embrace a life that looks different than she once imagined.
Fully is also for the people who love and support these women—partners, family members, friends, clinicians, researchers, and anyone who wants to better understand these often unseen experiences.
No matter where you are on your journey, our hope is that you feel fully seen, fully supported, and reminded that your worth has never been defined by whether or how you become a mother.