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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.

Lisa Schuman

Lisa Schuman, LCSW is a psychotherapist who has been counseling individuals, couples and groups on a variety of issues and has specialized in reproductive medicine for over a decade.

Egg Donors | Gay Adoption | Gay Parenting

How Do I Talk to My Child About Their Donor Conception?

By: Lisa Schuman
February 27th, 2020

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?

Family Building | IVF

Ask The Expert: Choosing between an Anonymous v. Known Sperm Donor

By: Lisa Schuman
January 30th, 2020

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.