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Men Having Babies

@menhavingbabies

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International nonprofit Men Having Babies (MHB) provides educational & financial support for #gay men who want to become dads through #surrogacy.

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WE ARE EVERYWHERE 🌎 SECOND VIDEO
At the beginning of the month we released the first WE ARE EVERYWHERE video with dads from 15 states wishing Happy Pride.

The message in clear: we are not only saying to all the haters that they can't erase us, and that families with gay dads DO exist - we are also sending out a message to all gay men who still dream of becoming fathers, no matter where you live in the U.S., your dream can be real and possible.

Today, dads from 11 more states are joining this message: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia & Wisconsin.

We would like to thank all of these amazing dads. Please show them love!
@arcology @mikezemlko @s10dercuster @addy_papa_and_the_boys @cam_lloyd_mdwst @hubbin_out_with_kids @bryan.wood @thejamieo @levilawry

Go to our page to view the first video too!
Happy Pride y'all! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy #pridemonth #gaypride by @menhavingbabies

WE ARE EVERYWHERE! 🏳️‍🌈 👨‍👨‍👦 GAY PRIDE 2023

While we take pride in our families throughout the year, Pride Month presents a wonderful opportunity to showcase the visibility of gay dad families, particularly those formed through surrogacy. As the organization has grown and the community expands, by now we have had men participating in our programs from all 50 states and from many countries beyond. Despite the perception that families with gay parents are only prevalent in 'liberal' states, the truth is that WE ARE EVERYWHERE. Regardless of your location, if you are a gay man with dreams of fatherhood, it is attainable.

To launch our campaign, we invited dads from all 50 states who had their kids through egg donation and surrogacy to submit videos introducing themselves and extending Happy Pride greetings. Today, we are thrilled to release the first video, featuring a diverse group of dads from 15 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Texas.

We invite additional gay surrogacy dads to join us during the month of June by sending us a video of YOUR family. Please introduce yourselves, state your location, offer Happy Pride Month wishes, and finish with "We Are Everywhere." Please note in your email where you are from (city and state).

#menhavingbabie #gaydads #pride2023 #weareeverywhere #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

Photo dump from our Social Night Out at @sidetrackbar 😍
It was great to get to know everyone who came to our conference in Chicago, and as we usually say - the person you say 'hi' to could be the dad of your future child's BFF 😉

Thank you to all those who should up, and especially to those who stayed there until they threw us out 😂 (it's you guys in the group picture!!!). See y'all online!

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

THANK YOU, CHICAGO!!! 🎉
We just wrapped up our annual Midwest conference, and for the first time it was an expanded, three-day event! It was amazing to meet so many intended parents in person, the next generation of gay dads, and to talk about ethical surrogacy as they take their first steptoward parenthood.

A huge thank you to our super volunteers, Ben and Mark. We couldn’t have made this conference so great without you! ❤💯

🙏To our dad and surrogate speakers: thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your stories with us.

🙏Thank you to all the professionals who give their time and expertise to support our community.

And last but not least, thank you to our sponsors. Without you, our conferences, financial assistance, and advocacy work wouldn’t be possible: [Platinum Sponsor] IARC Surrogacy [Gold Sponsors] Illume Fertility , Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists , Northeastern Reproductive Medicine , Family Formers Inc , Creative Family Connections , Simple Surrogacy , Circle Surrogacy Agency, San Diego Fertility Center, Victory Reproductive Care, Same Love Surrogacy , All Families Surrogacy , Create Fertility Centre , Ivy Fertility [Silver Sponsors] CCRM Fertility , Desai & Miller: A Family Building Law Firm, The Law Office of Ryan C. Ferrante , Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago

See you in November, Europe! 🌍 menhavingbabies.org/eu

#menhavingbabies #nonprofit #gaydads #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈Dads you'll meet next weekend at the Men Having Babies conference in Chicago (October 16-18): Meet Sherman (the dad on the left).

Sherman, Board Chair at Men Having Babies, and his husband, Andy, live in Ohio, and they first became dads through surrogacy in 2013 after a long journey. "Our biggest challenge was starting over after a 2nd-term pregnancy loss, and then finding an agency and surrogate that we could trust to create our family," Sherman says.

"When we were in the process of having our first child, we didn't know what resources were available," Sherman recalls, adding that this was his main reason for joining the Men Having Babies board. "I wanted people to have a smoother, faster, less expensive journey to having biological children than we had experienced."
"People don't know what they don't know [about the surrogacy journey], and it's such a complex, intricate, expensive process for gay men to have children that people need a guide, an experienced individual, to aid them through their journey."

Hearing the experiences of other surrogacy dads is essential to understanding how the process works in real life. Learning from both their challenges and successes can help you make informed decisions and navigate your own journey with greater confidence.

Sherman will speak at the Planning Your Surrogacy Journey (Friday, October 16, at 5 p.m.) and Foundations for a Successful Journey (Saturday, October 18, at 12:30 p.m.) sessions.

Men Having Babies Midwest next weekend: menhavingbabies.org/chicago

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 Dads you're going to meet next weekend at the Men Having Babies conference in Chicago (October 16-18): Meet Yan (the dad on the right)!

Yan is on the MHB team and is also a dad through surrogacy. He and his husband, Alex, co-host the popular podcast @daddysqr.

"Our biggest challenge was the cost of the whole process, especially because we felt we didn't know enough about it, and the agency kept charging us for things that we later realized we could have avoided," Yan says.

"One of the reasons I got involved with Men Having Babies is my passion for helping our community better understand the process, because knowledge leads to smarter decisions, including financial ones."

Hearing the experiences of other surrogacy dads is essential to understanding how the process works in real life. Learning from both their challenges and successes can help you make informed decisions and navigate your own journey with greater confidence.

Yan will moderate the Personal Stories Panel (Saturday, October 17, at 6:45 p.m.) and will lead the Single Fathers Workshop (Saturday, October 17, at 12:45 p.m.).
Men Having Babies in Chicago this weekend:
menhavingbabies.org/chicago

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈Dads you'll meet at MHB's upcoming conference in Chicago:

Michael (the dad on the right) and his husband Angel had their fair share of setbacks, and you're going to hear all about it at the Perspectives and Personal Stories Panel at our upcoming Chicago conference. "I would say the biggest challenge was our two failed embryo transfers," Angel told us. "They were pretty devastating emotionally (not to mention the expense)."

"Other than that, there were many little challenges that seemed huge at the time, but looking back were minor setbacks."

"Our surrogate wanted to continue following the two failed transfers, and we were so thankful to her. Third time was a charm, and finally the successful transfer happened with her. She was amazing."

Their child was born in November 2023. "We started our journey in May 2021, and needless to say, it was all worth it!!"

Join us at the MHB Midwest Conference in Chicago, October 16-18 at the Center on Halsted, to hear more from Michael and other dads about the highs and lows of their journeys. Check out the conference itinerary: menhavingbabies.org/chicago

🙏 @angeldsquaredboi @mikekeut

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

New dads Kyle and Jove say that uncertainty is a big part of the surrogacy journey.

"Each day, we waited to find out whether our embryos had made it through the next stage, and we were terrified we might end up with none," Kyle told us. "When our first transfer didn't take, that fear became even more real. The whole process is also incredibly expensive, with no guarantee of how it will turn out. Carrying all of that hope and fear at the same time was really hard."

The couple says that finding community can be very valuable, especially during setbacks.

"We were there for each other, and we also leaned on the incredible people who guided us along the way," Kyle said. "We're especially grateful for the community and support we found through Men Having Babies, and for the care we received from our agency and clinic team. They helped us through all the uncertainty."

🙏 @kyletorrence @jovemeyer

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

Photos from our Social Night Out at The Dickens Nyc last week! 😍 Thank you to all the intended parents and the dads that showed up! We have such a great community! See you in Boys Town, Chicago on October 17!

Men Having Babies is a nonprofit providing education and resources for gay men pursuing surrogacy as their path to parenthood. We are also a community of dads and surrogates who've been through the journey. Learn more at menhavingbabies.org

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogate #surrogacy #nonprofit by @menhavingbabies

A father, two continents, and a war in between.

Gonzalo, a single gay dad who received financial assistance through Men Having Babies' Gay Parenting Assistance Program (GPAP), built his family from thousands of miles away.

"One of the hardest moments happened around five months into the pregnancy. I got a call at about two in the morning telling me there was a possibility we could lose the pregnancy," Gonzalo told us.

"Being thousands of miles away made that moment especially hard. There was very little I could physically do — all I could do was wait, communicate from a distance, and hope everything would be okay. It was one of those moments that reminds you how vulnerable the entire process can be. Fortunately, we made it through, but I've never forgotten the fear I felt that night."

Read Gonzalo's full story on our GPAP blog at menhavingbabies.org

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy by @menhavingbabies

Meet single dad, Rick, who will speak in the Single Fathers Workshop at the Men Having Babies conference in Chicago on October 16-18.

Rick started his journey at the MHB conference in Chicago in 2022. Following a long road that included four failed transfers and a switch in surrogates, he says persistence and stubbornness, along with support from family and friends, helped him get through the hardship. "Learn the process of the journey inside and out so you can advocate for yourself to your providers," he says.

Rick will speak in the Single Dads Workshop, Sat. 10/17 at 3:45pm. Learn more: menhavingbabies.org/chicago

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy #gaychicago by @menhavingbabies

Despite the weather, we were thrilled to see a full house again this weekend. Dozens of dads-to-be joined us to learn about their surrogacy options, explore what ethical surrogacy looks like, and clear up the myths, misconceptions, and horror stories that too often shape how surrogacy is portrayed in the media.

We were proud to show you the responsible, ethical side of surrogacy, and we're confident that the future dads we met this weekend will go on to build wonderful, loving families. All weekend long, we heard how much this community of future dads means to you. We hope you stay connected with one another as you continue your journeys.

A huge thank-you to our amazing volunteers: David, Conrad, Arbel, Levi, Leigh, Tomer, Kendall and Taylor. We couldn't have done it without you ❤. We're also grateful to our speakers, who shared their wisdom and experience with all of us.

And finally, thank you to our sponsors. Without you, none of this would be possible: [Platinum Sponsors] Circle Surrogacy Agency , San Diego Fertility Center [Gold Sponsor] Creative Family Connections , Family Formers Inc , Fertility Specialists of Texas , Victory Reproductive Care , Hatch Fertility - Surrogacy & Egg Donation, Pinnacle Fertility , Simple Surrogacy, Global Fertility & Genetics, Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists , Northeastern Reproductive Medicine , Illume Fertility , Gestacy Surrogacy Agency , My Surrogacy Journey , Spring Fertility , ACRC Global - Fertility & Surrogacy Services, New England Fertility, NewGen Families, Golden Egg Donation , Main Line Fertility , Same Love Surrogacy Utah Fertility Center , Create Fertility Centre

See you next year, New York, and see you in 3 weeks, Chicago! 🎉

#menhavingbabies #gaydads #surrogacy #newyork by @menhavingbabies