Brian’s note to readers: I’m thrilled to co-author this post with Joey Guzman-Kuffel, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of Counseling with
Listen to the Out Loud & Laughing podcast, where GWK Academy’s Executive Director & Head Coach, Brian Rosenberg, joins hosts Bryan and Jon Ruiz for a heartfelt and hilarious conversation about LGBTQ+ family building, fatherhood, and creating more inclusive paths to parenthood.
All the ways we “mom”—a joyful, inclusive reflection on caregiving, chosen family, and the real, complex paths that shape how we show up.
We knew we’d been spoiled with our first journey. From finding an agency, clinic, donor, and carrier, to the medical screenings, contract negotiations, transfer, pregnancy,
The more you understand what can go wrong in a surrogacy journey, the better equipped you are to navigate it with clarity and confidence.
During our stint in L.A., we had a tiered system to determine the extent of physical contact with Leila, not unlike Australia’s koala experience. Entry-level
One of the biggest misconceptions about adoption is that the many paths are variations of the same experience. They’re not. When LGBTQ+ people tell me
Sara had boasted about her milk supply, and she didn’t disappoint. She was a prolific pumper, producing 60 to 90 ounces a day. To put
Originally published on LGBTQ Nation Adoption vs. biological family building: What LGBTQ+ couples should consider For many LGBTQ+ people, starting to think about family-building can
The next day, Sara came by our room every few hours with freshly pumped colostrum. The amounts were so small and the liquid so viscous
Here’s the backstory behind why we created GWK Academy to support LGBTQ family building.
With just a few days to go, Circle emailed us a document entitled 6–Delivery.pdf that inspired me to search for numbers one through five. I
Wondering how much it costs to build an LGBTQ+ family? Compare surrogacy & IVF, infant adoption, and foster care adoption in one clear blog post.
We arrived in Wausau (population: 40,000) on December 26th, 2018. Sara’s OB-GYN, Dr. Stevens, was going to be away on our original due date, so
The landscape of fertility, surrogacy, adoption, and foster care is evolving rapidly, shaped by cultural shifts, policy changes, and the lived experiences of queer families across the country.
The landscape of fertility, surrogacy, adoption, and foster care is evolving rapidly, shaped by cultural shifts, policy changes, and the lived experiences of queer families across the country.
We originally planned to visit Sara at the 6-month mark, but she dropped not-so-subtle hints that the 20-week anatomy scan was a special occasion. It’s
I’m a child of the 1990s, and this essay was years in the making. I was born during the AIDS crisis and raised by gay parents, which means I have a unique and formative identity, and one that is rare in multiple ways.
In this webinar recording, Dr. Daniel Skora of Fertility Specialists of Texas break down the main medical paths to parenthood, and what you can expect from each.
When Barry Levey’s father passed away in 2023, the loss stirred something within him, a reminder that life is fragile — and that waiting for the “perfect” time to pursue your dreams can mean missing them altogether. This realization became the push he needed to start the journey toward something he’d always known he wanted: parenthood.
While Little Miss Straw 1 waited on ice, Dr. Sahakian sent Sara prenatal vitamins, estrogen hormones, and steroids to trick her body into thinking it
Amid the AIDS crisis and anti-LGBTQ backlash, two couples dared to imagine family when few thought it possible.
If finding an egg donor works like Tinder, finding a carrier works like an arranged marriage. Donor: swipe, swipe, Skype, select. Carrier: put your best
Our monthly tip for your parenting toolbox from our friend Sam Leeson of babyREADY. The holidays don’t have to be about the stress of juggling
It’s our favorite time of year again — when families from across the LGBTQ+ community share their incredible, creative, and downright fang-tastic Halloween costumes with
With the legal box ticked, Rose began a one-week regimen to prepare for the retrieval, also known as the extraction, collection, and harvest, but those
In honor of National Adoption Month, we’re celebrating LGBTQ+ parents who’ve built their families through adoption — parents like Canadian couple Nathan and John.
At GWK Academy, we’re committed to helping LGBTQ+ people navigate every path to parenthood — from surrogacy and IVF to adoption and foster care — by
When it comes to surrogacy, the escrow company is the quiet backbone of your entire journey. They’re responsible for holding and distributing the funds that
Semen analysis—check. Sperm samples—check. Paolo and I had it easy. Our jobs were nothing more than hand jobs. This is when things got more complicated.
As one of the most sought-after IVF doctors in the world, Dr. Vicken Sahakian had the tricky task of making prospective clients feel special in
Before we could invite women to the party, Paolo and I had to confirm that our manly parts were up to snuff with a semen
Message from Brian Rosenberg: As fall settles in and we turn toward the season of gathering and family, it’s the perfect time to spotlight the growing
I should clarify that when I say surrogacy, I’m referring to gestational surrogacy, not the old-school turkey baster method of insemination. Modern IVF technology is
A friend recently asked me when Paolo and I knew we wanted kids, so I tried to remember any big talks we had. I tried
The room for orientation was way too small—only 30 chairs for 80 students—so even though I arrived on time the first day of my master’s,
