When you start your family-building journey as member of the LGBTQ+ community, you will find that medical insurance coverage is often lacking, and that there are still laws in some states that prohibit gestational surrogacy and other practices that may benefit you. You probably know from experience that laws and regulations are not necessarily geared for your convenience or your protection. Let that be the end of negative thoughts. Happily, plenty of people have found the path to biological family building. You can, too.

“So when are you going to have a baby?” “When am I going to have a grandchild?” “Tick tock, it’s your biological clock!” If you identify as a female over the age of 25, whether you’re single, partnered, or in a committed relationship with your pet (*cough* soul mate), you’ve probably heard some version of the questions above. Between close relatives, not-so-close relatives, and well-meaning friends, it might seem like the entire world is concerned with your future family - even if it’s not on your radar yet.

The IVF portion of your surrogacy journey can take longer than you expect, and here at Gay Parents To Be we know that waiting and wishing can be the hardest part of this process. After years of helping dads-to-be build families, we understand that doing your research and preparing for your next step can help you feel more in control throughout your journey.

The matching process is one of the most exciting points of any surrogacy journey. You’ve spent months working with your agency and getting to know each other, and when you receive your first surrogate profile, it’s an incredibly meaningful moment.

The surrogate matching process is incredibly intricate. Every successful surrogacy journey starts with a solid, right-fit match, so surrogacy agencies will take all the time they need to make sure they get to know both the surrogates and Intended Parents they’re working with.

When I was first asked to write this piece about donor sperm insemination and to discuss whether or not inseminations should be done at home or at a medical clinic, my initial reaction was “definitely at a medical clinic” for the best possible legal protection.

The schoolyard saying goes, “first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby carriage” - but we live in a society where that progression is largely outdated. Some singles and couples choose to start their families without considering marriage, while others wonder if children are even part of their future plan. But for Stef, she knew a year or so before she and her wife, Denise, got married.

For many LGBTQ moms to be, questions about how you’re going to build your family, either by yourself or with a partner, revolve around logistics. What are my options? Can my partner and I both be involved? How much is this going to cost? Will my insurance cover this? Here at Gay Parents To Be we have the team and the tools available to get you answers to those questions, but we also want you to feel empowered and in-the-know about your personal fertility.

One of the biggest questions that we receive from LGBTQ couples and single parents-to-be using biological family methods is that of donor choice. Should I ask a friend to be my egg or sperm donor? How do I talk to my future child about their conception story, when it involves a donor? Each individual or couple who is hoping to use a donor as part of their family building should meet with a counselor, to discuss the ins and outs of the decision. We're lucky to have a team of experts in our Gay Parents To Be network, including two social workers who meet regularly with both intended parents and also potential donors! In the blog below, Lisa Schuman, licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), answers a question about whether a same-sex female couple should use an anonymous or known sperm donor.

Looking for an LGBTQ-friendly doctor can feel like a daunting part of the gay family-building process. Between choosing a path to parenthood, your egg/sperm donor choice, and any additional agency that you may need, we know that the choices involved in LGBTQ family building can seem overwhelming.

Here at Gay Parents To Be we’ve helped countless LGBTQ individuals and couples become parents through IVF and surrogacy. In fact, one of my favorite parts of my job is helping prospective parents understand the process. I know that it can be complicated, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed with information that you find online or hear from second-hand sources.

Here at Gay Parents To Be we know the intricacies of LGBTQ family building can be hard to understand, and we want to demystify the process for all. One resource that we offer here for LGBTQ moms- or dads-to-be is access to in house genetic counseling. Why may you need a genetic counselor? What can this person help you understand about your family building journey?