I am Writing a Book about IVF and Surrogacy for Queer Men

I want to write a book about IVF and surrogacy for queer men.  No such book exists, and with a growing number of queer intended fathers pursuing this path to parenthood, it will be increasingly needed.

My husband and I have been on our first journey for about 1 year, and I have been researching and writing about this topic through BabyMoon Family for over 6 months.  

To commemorate my 35th article, I wanted to go through the exercise of drafting a Table of Contents for my future book.  I figured this could serve two purposes:

• Highlight what I have already written in case any readers wanted to have topics and links to any previous articles.

• See what gaps in content I may have for a future book that can lead to future research and articles.

Chapter 1:  An Overview of Surrogacy

• Surrogacy and Its Ancient History

• ChatGPT Wrote an Article on Gestational Surrogacy

• Discussing the Primal Wound Theory and Surrogacy

• Gay Celebrities and Surrogacy

Chapter 2:  Surrogacy in a Global Landscape

• Denmark’s New Surrogacy Laws are a Breath of Fresh Reality

• Ireland is Taking a Modern Regulatory Approach to International Surrogacy and the European Union Should Take Note

• Thailand is Reopening for International Surrogacy and Could Set a Precedent for Other Countries

• The Surrogacy Crisis in Greece and How the World Should Respond

• Why Every LGBTQ+ Person — Especially Intended Parents (IPs) — Should be Furious at Italy Right Now

• Science Says: International Gestational Surrogacy in the United States is Increasing

Chapter 3:  The Process of Surrogacy

• Psychological ‘Labor’ for Queer Dads-to-Be

• What is it Like to Undergo Egg Donation?

• Why Do Women Become Gestational Carriers?

• A Gestational Carrier is the Healthy, Perfect Needle in a Haystack

• Science Says: Being a GC During the Pandemic was Very Hard

Chapter 4:  Science of Queer Parenthood

• Science Says: Gay Parents are Better than Straight Parents

• Gender Roles, Gay Parents, and the Impact on Children

• Queer Future Science: Same Sex Couples Could Have a Child Genetically Related to Both Parents

• Lesbian Moms Can Each Carry Their Baby: New Frontiers in LGBTQ+ Reproduction

• How Close are We to Becoming ‘The Pod Generation’ and How Would This Affect Queer Intended Dads?

Chapter 5:  Society and Queer Parenthood

• From Stonewall to Surrogacy: The LGBTQ+ Community and Family Planning

• Will More Queer Parents and Their Children Make the World a Better Place?

• The ‘People’s Pontiff’ is Out of Touch with the People Regarding Surrogacy

• Netflix’s ‘The Surrogacy:’ A Terrible Portrayal of Surrogacy That Comes at a Bad Time

Chapter 6:  Our Personal Journey

• The Beginning of Our Surrogacy Journey

• Masturbating in a Clinic as a Queer Dad-to-Be

• How to Navigate Picking an Egg Donor

• As Alabama Essentially Bans IVF, My Husband and I Write a Thank You Letter to Our Egg Donor

• Why and How I am Working to Extend Fertility Benefits at My Company and Across the Globe

Chapter 7:  How to Have and Enjoy Your Own Surrogacy Journey

• 10 Questions to Discuss Before Pursuing Surrogacy (Part 1)

• 10 Questions to Discuss Before Pursuing Surrogacy (Part 2)

• Not Every Income Situation Has U.S. Surrogacy as an Option 

• Navigating and Negotiating a U.S. Hospital Bill for International Intended Parents

At first glance, there is a lot here in terms of the background, science, sociology, regulatory, legal, personal, and advice regarding IVF and surrogacy for queer men.

It does seem like I need more in Chapter 1 in terms of general introductory i.e. traditional vs. gestational surrogacy, IUI vs. IVF, etc.  As a physician, I may have glanced over these introductory topics, but from the perspective of a book, I believe they could be useful as an introduction.

Chapter 3 seems to require more information on logistics around surrogacy, such as choosing a clinic, agency, lawyer etc.  While Chapter 6 will continue to expand naturally as my husband and I continue on our own journey.  We will be making embryos shortly, so I will have more to discuss in terms of choosing an embryo, matching with a gestational carrier (GC), and discussing the all important time of being pregnant.

Finally, Chapter 7 seems to need more in terms of other advice and perspectives around how to make this journey personal and enjoyable.  That is, after all, one of the guiding principles of BabyMoon Family, as the website states:  This company is called BabyMoon Family because we want to help men who are having children through surrogacy to really enjoy the process and time before their child is born.

Otherwise, I am excited to see the content I have put together start to come together in a cohesive story and potential future book to help more queer men realize their dreams of becoming a father through IVF and surrogacy.

If you have any suggestions or topics you think should also be included in the Table of Contents above, please feel free to email me at bryan@babymoonfamily.com.