Last updated June 16, 2026 At a Glance → Gay Parents To Be is an educational and community resource hub for LGBTQ+ family building, not a separate clinic or treatment service. → Connecticut-based Illume Fertility is the clinical practice behind Gay Parents To Be, delivering every aspect of fertility and family-building care for LGBTQ+ patients across the Northeast and beyond → Gay Parents To Be was launched in 2012 by Dr. Mark Leondires, Illume's Founder and Medical Director, after he navigated his own personal family-building journey as a gay dad. → The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has named Illume a Healthcare Equality Leader for eight consecutive years, making us the only freestanding fertility center in the Northeast to hold the designation. If you've landed here, you're probably wondering about the connection between Illume Fertility and Gay Parents To Be. You may have noticed that the two share a lot of overlap, from team members to patient stories. Learn why Gay Parents To Be was created, and how both can support and empower your LGBTQ+ family-building journey.

Christa and Aland always knew they wanted to have two children, but they never expected to have both of them at the same time! They share their challenging fertility journey, how they ended up with identical twins through IVF, and what it's like to be parents to twin girls.

According to a study published in Contraceptive and Reproductive Medicine, 15% of white women between ages 25 and 44 seek treatment for infertility, but only 8% of Black women in the same age range seek the help they need to grow their families. In the following story, Shiraine shares her journey to parenthood and opens up about why infertility is so difficult for many in the Black community to talk about.

Finding ways to stay connected with loved ones while navigating the stress of fertility treatment can be incredibly difficult - but here's why making the effort is so important.

When you are trying to conceive with the help of a fertility specialist, your doctor needs to closely track your body's response to any medications. Regular check-ins, often referred to as "morning monitoring" appointments, help track your progress.

How do I choose the best fertility clinic for me? Which factors should I pay attention to as I evaluate my options? Here are the most important aspects of a fertility practice and how they relate to your journey to parenthood.

For those struggling to conceive, fertility testing is an essential first step of the process. A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is one of the diagnostic procedures that helps evaluate the uterus and fallopian tubes for any abnormalities that might impede conception.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) may be the most well-known fertility treatment method, but it's not your only option. Depending on your situation, you may want to consider other family-building pathways, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI).