There are many paths to parenthood, and for some individuals and couples that involves using a “third party” via donated eggs or sperm and/or a gestational carrier. The reasons someone might choose to grow their family with the help of third-party reproduction vary, though the most common reasons include being in a same-sex relationship, deciding to have a child later in life, infertility due to cancer treatment, and not being able to safely carry a pregnancy.
Awareness about third-party reproduction is growing, largely thanks to A-listers like Kim Kardashian, Anderson Cooper, and Gabrielle Union speaking out about their own experiences. As a result, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about what it is (and isn’t) and how it works.
Join Monica Nitschmann, M.A, donor program, and development manager at FCI, as she answers the most common questions we receive about third-party reproduction.
The ‘Growing Your Family Using a “Third Party” episode discusses questions such as:
- What is third-party reproduction?
- Who is a good candidate for third-party reproduction?
- What can couples and individuals expect at a first appointment?
- What is the process for a known donor, such as a friend or family member?
- What if you haven’t identified a donor yet? What is the process for finding a donor?
- What is the screening process like for donors?
- What are the different types of surrogacy?
- How does a couple find a gestational carrier?
- How are gestational carrier candidates evaluated?
- What is the process like if a gestational carrier has already been identified?
- What legal components are involved with a gestational carrier?
- What legal components are involved with a known donor?
The Time to Talk Fertility Podcast releases new episodes monthly and is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Tune In, and Spotify.
