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Let's be honest - surrogacy can feel very intimidating. As much as you may long to grow your family, the process is often quite overwhelming. For LGBTQ+ dads-to-be, there's so much to think about (like how to choose a surrogacy agency, egg donor, gestational carrier, fertility practice, and attorney), that it's sometimes hard to even know where to start.

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!

Becoming first-time parents in "normal" times is challenging enough, can you imagine becoming a parent during a global crisis? New dads Tyler and Eric share their winding journey through surrogacy during the COVID-19 pandemic, how it affected their timeline, and what it's been like to learn to see the world through their baby girl's eyes.

LGBTQIA+ family building is alive and well. Booming, in fact. According to an extensive LGBTQIA+ family building survey conducted by Family Equality, "63% of LGBTQ millennials are considering expanding their families, either by becoming parents for the first time, or by having more children."

So, you’ve decided that being a parent is in your future - congratulations! This is a major life-decision, and personally, as a parent of two young children, I can say whole-heartedly that being a parent is the most rewarding and hardest job you’ll ever have.

Starting a family isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you’re going this journey alone or hope to add a child with your same-sex partner, the road to achieving a family can be both daunting and confusing. First, you need to decide whether you’d like to adopt or build a biological (i.e. genetically linked) family.

September 30th is National Podcast Day, and in preparation we rounded up the best podcasts on gay family and fertility.

During this year’s virtual version of Pride month, many companies are expanding webinars, info sessions, and discussions to allow the public to continue learning about the LGBTQ community. As many of you know, Gay Parents To Be was founded by Dr. Mark Leondires after he went through his own family building journey. While he and his husband are now proud parents of two children through the IVF & surrogacy process, Dr. Leondires spends his spare time advocating for LGBTQ inclusivity and fertility benefits for all.

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 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.

If you’re considering building your family, or starting to have that conversation with either your partner, your family, your friends, or a fertility provider, you may be consumed with questions such as, where to start? Do we pursue adoption, or biological family building? What legal concerns do I need to consider in order to protect my future child?