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Your ultimate source for LGBTQ+ fertility and family-building information, including guides to surrogacy, IVF, IUI, affording treatment, LGBTQ+ parenting and much more.

Sierra Dehmler

Sierra Dehmler is the Content Marketing Manager for Gay Parents To Be and its partner clinic, Illume Fertility. She is also a fertility patient herself. Combining empathy gained on her personal journey with her professional experience in marketing and content creation, she aims to empower and support other hopeful parents by providing family-building resources that educate, inspire and encourage.

IVF | Patient Stories

By: Sierra Dehmler
April 28th, 2023

Moms Taylor and Holly open up to share their LGBTQ+ fertility journey, which included both IUI and reciprocal IVF, as well as how they navigated the ups and downs, their advice for other two mom families, and what life looks like as a family of four.

IVF | Patient Stories | Mental Health | Fertility Treatment | Adoption

By: Sierra Dehmler
April 25th, 2023

After 693 injections, two years of genetic testing, financial obstacles, pregnancy losses and unsuccessful IVF cycles, hopeful moms Emily and Staci make the difficult choice to stop pursuing IVF and begin to reimagine their future family.

Egg Donors | Patient Stories | Surrogacy

By: Sierra Dehmler
April 24th, 2023

After two Episcopal priests decide to begin their journey to parenthood, they encounter unexpected roadblocks, including financial hurdles and a global pandemic. This is the story of how they navigated surrogacy, what they learned along the way, and what life looks like as a family of three - in their own words.

Family Building | IVF | Sperm Donors | Patient Stories | Twins

By: Sierra Dehmler
October 11th, 2022

Megan and Nicole dreamt of becoming mothers one day, but nothing could have prepared them for how their journey to parenthood unfolded. From initial discussions with an OB/GYN to working with a fertility clinic, exploring their family-building options, a surprising pregnancy, and welcoming their little ones, they took one step at a time and kept moving forward. This is their story, told in Megan's own words. Enjoy!

Gay Parenting | Gay Surrogacy | Patient Stories

By: Sierra Dehmler
September 21st, 2022

After four long years, Bret and Stephen's difficult surrogacy journey finally came to an end with the birth of their first child. Read on to hear about everything that happened on their challenging path to parenthood, what they learned about LGBTQ+ family building, and what's next for their little family of three!

Family Building | IVF | Sperm Donors | Patient Stories | Mental Health | Fertility Treatment

By: Sierra Dehmler
August 30th, 2022

In the world of LGBTQ+ family building, there are no accidents. The decision to become a parent is an intentional act, one that requires a high level of commitment and patience. Hopeful moms Emily and Staci know that better than most. In this blog, they share their story of loss, perseverance, and hope as they continue navigating their tumultuous path to parenthood.

Family Building | Gay Surrogacy | IVF

By: Sierra Dehmler
July 25th, 2022

Happy World Embryologist Day! We’re celebrating the fascinating, important work that our embryologists must do every single day in order to make things like IVF and cryopreservation possible. Keep reading to learn more about IVF and embryology! Skip to a section: LGBTQ+ Parents-to-Be & Fertility Treatment What do embryologists do? My embryo was abnormal…why did you still freeze it? How do you grade embryos and what does the grade mean? How long does it take to transfer in samples from another facility? How long do cryopreserved embryos last? If you used frozen sperm for my IUI/IVF procedure, why am I still receiving a storage bill? Honoring Our Embryologists More Family-Building Resources

Family Building | IVF | Patient Stories | IUI

By: Sierra Dehmler
February 9th, 2022

When hopeful LGBTQ+ moms-to-be decide they are ready to grow their family, the first step is often finding a fertility clinic that can help them make their dreams come true. For moms Taylor and Mary Kate, the journey to bringing home their first daughter was challenging, eventually leading them from IUI to IVF. This is their story.

Family Building | IVF | Patient Stories

By: Sierra Dehmler
January 19th, 2022

Although the COVID-19 pandemic altered LGBTQ+ moms Yessenia and Millie's wedding and family-building plans, they still found a way to make their dreams of having a baby come true. Read all about their IVF journey and the advice they offer to other LGBTQ+ parents-to-be in this heartwarming story.

Family Building | IVF | Sperm Donors | Patient Stories

By: Sierra Dehmler
December 3rd, 2021

Through multiple disappointing failed IUI and IVF cycles and the emotional roller coaster of fertility treatment, Malorie and Holli learned a lot about what it's really like to go through this process as an LGBTQ+ couple. In this blog, they share what they learned, how they navigated their journey and where they turned for support.

Family Building | IVF | Patient Stories

By: Sierra Dehmler
November 11th, 2021

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage...right? Well, not always! In this blog, parents-to-be Rosa and Jackie share their unique story, including their fertility journey and path to parenthood, as they await the arrival of their first baby together.

Family Building | Gay Surrogacy | LGBTQ Parenting | Patient Stories

By: Sierra Dehmler
October 13th, 2021

Navigating any surrogacy journey is challenging, but what does it look like to embark on one during a global pandemic? In this blog, new dads Robbie and Mackenzy share what it was like to become parents during the COVID-19 crisis, how they maintained a connection with their gestational carrier long-distance and everything else they learned along the way.