Gift of Parenthood
The Journal
Evidence-based reporting and reflection on fertility, adoption, surrogacy, LGBTQ+ family building, and the financial reality of growing a family.
September 7, 2026 · 40 stories · 6 topics
The Lead Story
Open Enrollment Is Your Leverage Moment: A Fertility Benefits Checklist
Before your employer locks in 2027 coverage, here's what to ask — and what counts as a real answer.
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You don't have to carry the cost alone.
Gift of Parenthood awards a $20,000 Family Fund grant each cycle and helps families fundraise for IVF, surrogacy, and adoption. If this is your journey, there's a place to start.
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Open Enrollment Is Coming. Here's What to Ask About Fertility Coverage.
Most fertility benefits get auto-renewed without real review. Here's how to push your employer for coverage that actually fits your life.
When the Nearest OB-GYN Is Two Hours Away
If your town lost its OB-GYN, your fertility timeline just changed. Here's how to plan treatment around a care gap you didn't create.
Why Your Story Might Be the Most Powerful Lobbying Tool You Have
Awareness weeks come and go. Bills don't pass because we posted — they pass when we show up. Here's how to do that.
The Quiet Window Where Fertility Benefits Get Decided
Your employer is choosing 2027 benefits right now. Here's how to make the case for fertility coverage — and exactly what to ask HR.
Advocacy Doesn't End in April: How to Show Up Right Now
Infertility advocacy is having a moment. Here's what's actually on the table — and how your voice fits in, even if you've never done this before.
Allie and Jen: The Family They've Never Stopped Fighting For
After three years, three IUIs, three egg retrievals, and a loss they are still carrying, Allie and Jen are still holding onto one dream: becoming moms.
When Infertility Becomes the Long Haul
Most fertility coverage is written for first-timers. Here's what nobody tells you about year three, year five, year eight.
When the Algorithm Reads Your Chart Before Your Doctor Does
AI is quietly entering fertility clinics and benefits portals. Here's where it genuinely helps you — and where it can't replace a human who knows your history.
Advocacy Works, But It's Exhausting. Here's How to Stay In It.
The Minnesota mandate failed. The movement didn't. What to do with the grief, and how to keep showing up without burning out.
When Your Kid Has to Explain Your Family at School
Your child shouldn't have to defend your family at recess. Here's how LGBTQ+ parents are preparing kids — without handing them fear.
Before You Click 'Renew' on Your Health Plan, Read This
Open enrollment is your one shot to shape what your next cycle costs. Here's how to actually evaluate fertility benefits before you sign.
The Quiet Months When Your Fertility Coverage Gets Decided
Your company's benefits get locked in months before open enrollment. Here's how to make your case while the decision is still open.
When Your State Votes No on Fertility Coverage
Minnesota's fertility insurance mandate failed in May. If you've been waiting on your state to make IVF affordable, here's what to do now.
How to Afford IVF: The Full Financial Playbook
The average IVF cycle costs more than most people have saved, and nobody hands you the full list of ways to pay for it. Here is every lever, in the order to pull them, with honest math on what financing actually costs you.
From Patient to Advocate: A Practical Guide to Fertility Policy Action
A step-by-step playbook for turning your fertility experience into political pressure — even if you've never contacted a legislator before.
Infertility and Mental Health: What Nobody Prepares You For
The injections are rarely the hardest part. A gentle, concrete look at what infertility does to your mind, your marriage, and your calendar, and how to find help that fits.
Why Telling Your Infertility Story Is a Political Act
Your story isn't just catharsis. It's the raw material lawmakers actually respond to — and the reason coverage either passes or dies.
How to Fundraise for IVF When Asking Feels Impossible
Most crowdfunding advice is written for strangers who are never coming. Here is what actually raises money for fertility treatment, and how to ask without losing yourself in the process.
Your Fertility Benefits Probably Don't Cover What You Think
Open enrollment is the one window where your fertility coverage can change. Here's how to read it, question it, and push for more.
How to Choose a Fertility Clinic Without Being Misled
The number on a clinic's homepage is usually the least useful thing on it. Here's how to read success-rate data honestly, what to ask at a first consult, and which cost disclosures separate a real quote from a sales pitch.
Lacey and Jake Felder Are Ready to Become Parents
A heart transplant at 18 months. A kidney from her brother. A career spent advocating for organ donation. Now Lacey and Jake Felder are hoping to become parents through surrogacy.
Your Story Is Policy Evidence: A Practical Guide to Fertility Advocacy
Minnesota's mandate just died. Federal employer rules are shifting. Here's how to actually use your voice — without being a policy expert.
LGBTQ+ Family Building: Every Option, What It Costs, and the Legal Step People Skip
Most guides list methods as if the question were a menu. The real questions are who carries, whose gametes, what you can afford, and what your state requires before you are both legally the parent. Here is all four, honestly.
Your Story Is the Lobbying Tool Lawmakers Actually Remember
Policy doesn't move on data alone. Here's how to turn what you've lived through into pressure that actually reaches lawmakers.
Ten Years of Fertility Benefits at Work, and Why Your Coverage Still Isn't Guaranteed
Employer fertility coverage went from niche to expected in ten years. Here's what that means for you — and where the cracks still are.
Turning Your Story Into State Policy: A Practical Advocacy Guide
A step-by-step guide to advocating for fertility coverage in your state — what to say, who to say it to, and why your story matters now.
Your Fertility Benefits Could Shift. Here's What to Watch.
A new federal proposal could reshape how employers offer fertility benefits. Here's what it means if your IVF or IUI plan runs through work.
The Mental Load of Fertility Treatment Nobody Budgets For
Fertility benefits have expanded. The mental health support to survive them hasn't. Here's what to ask for — and why it matters.
Your Fertility Benefit Covers the Shots. What About the Rest of You?
Your employer covers IVF but not the therapist who could help you survive it. Here's why — and what to ask HR to change.
Minnesota's Fertility Mandate Just Failed. Now What?
Minnesota's fertility insurance bill died in the Senate. If you're paying out of pocket, here's what that loss means — and what to do next.
Rob and Liz: Bridging Oceans for a Baby
Rob and Liz have been dreaming of a child since 2019. Through diagnosis, recovery, and heartbreak, they are pursuing fertility care in Portugal, and asking their village to walk with them.
Browse by topic
Every story we publish is filed under one of these areas. Tap a topic to see all of its articles.
Adoption
Coming soonDomestic, international, and foster-to-adopt pathways.
Finding Care
1 storyHow to find and choose the right fertility clinic — what to look for, questions to ask, and how to read success rates — with vetted providers in our directory.
Grants & Financing
12 storiesGrants, loans, insurance, and employer benefits.
IVF & Fertility
3 storiesAssisted reproduction, IVF, IUI, and fertility treatment.
LGBTQ+ Family Building
2 storiesResources for LGBTQ+ parents-to-be.
Mental Health
4 storiesFertility-related mental health and postpartum care.
Podcast
Coming soonThe Gift of Parenthood Podcast — short conversations with our community on fertility, adoption, surrogacy, and family building.
Policy & Research
18 storiesNew studies, guidelines, and policy updates.
Pregnancy & Infant Loss
Coming soonSupport and information after loss.
Surrogacy
Coming soonGestational carriers, legal considerations, and clinical care.