For men and women who are not able to have a biologic child, or for women who are not able to carry a pregnancy, there are still options for building a family. These include:
- Donor sperm or eggs
- Donor embryos
- Gestational carrier or surrogate (another woman carries a pregnancy with your embryos)
- Adoption
The resources below can provide you with additional information on alternative family building options.
External Resources on All Aspects of Fertility and Family Building
Search within each site for specific topics.
- American Fertility Association
- American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Reproductive Facts
- InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination (INCIID)
- RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
- Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology
Donor eggs
Gestational Carriers
- Organization of Parents through Surrogacy
- Surrogate Mothers Online
- A web article written by a parent of a child born using a gestational carrier
Adoption
- Adoption.com
- Adoption.org
- Adoptive Families
- Adoptive Parents Committee
Local chapters hold monthly meetings that enable you to learn about adoption and speak with adoptive parents; organization also sponsors an annual adoption conference. - Child Welfare Information Gateway
- Joint Council on International Children's Services
Posts news and information about international adoption. - Yahoo Groups: Adoption after Cancer
Search “Adoption after Cancer.”
Finding an adoption attorney or agency
- American Academy of Adoption Attorneys
Things to consider in selecting an attorney include experience, state licensure, other services provided (for example, helping you find a birth mother), and how services are charged (flat fee or by the hour.) - National Foster Care and Adoption Directory
Select your state and the type of agency you are looking for (i.e., public, private domestic, private intercountry.) - Intercountry Adoption
Financial assistance for adoption
- Ask your accountant if you are eligible for Federal Adoption Expense Tax Credit.
- Some employers provide adoption benefits to help with costs.
- Help Us Adopt
- National Adoption Foundation
