Being given the opportunity to walk down the aisle and express your love for your partner in front of your family and friends can be wonderful. Up until a few years ago, members of the LGBT community were forbidden from marrying in a majority of states. Now, with regulations changing all the time, it has become easier than ever before for same-sex couples to join in wedded bliss. Once the wedding is over, and you’ve returned from your honeymoon, it stands to reason you are going to be looking for ways to begin your new lives together.

For many couples, the next milestone after marriage is the birth of a child. LGBT couples are not able to conceive in the same manner that a majority of heterosexual couples can. They usually have to go to more extreme lengths to begin their families. In many cases, these moves come with high price tags. If you plan on starting a family, you should familiarize yourself with some expenses associated with the idea.

Reproductive Struggles

LGBT couples tend to face many struggles when attempting to start families. One of the biggest issues that comes up is conception. For lesbian couples who wish to have children, there are a few choices to consider. Artificial insemination is very popular with women in same-sex relationships. It is possible to have this treatment done at a clinic, where a donor can be chosen from a list. Some couples also find that it is easier to ask a close male friend if he would like to donate his sperm to the equation.

Male couples have more of a challenge when it comes to beginning a family after marriage. Without a uterus for a baby to grow, male same-sex couples have more limited options. This is why a vast number of gay couples will explore adoption. Some couples also explore the option of a surrogate, though this move requires finding a trustworthy individual to carry the baby and relinquish parental rights once the baby is born.

The Cost of Starting a Family

While there are several options for same-sex couples to explore when starting a family, there are plenty of setbacks that can come along. For many, the costs associated with having children can be an obstacle. Having a child is expensive to begin with. For same-sex couples, there are the added fees associated with fertility and adoption. In fact, recent statistics show that the average costs related to adoption are close to $40,000.

This number does not include any of the essentials, either. On top of these astronomical costs, couples must also be able to afford food, shelter, clothing, medical visits, and every other cost related to having kids. These numbers show couples looking to adopt need wealth in order to provide a loving home to a child.

Future Sight

There are many additional issues same-sex couples encounter when looking to start families. Bigotry is always a problem. All it takes is the wrong person behind the counter at a legal office or medical facility, and a couple could experience far more setbacks than needed. Though it should be a thing of the past, homophobia is still very much alive in the world. It causes a host of issues for same-sex couples who are looking to simply live their lives and start families.

Settling down with your partner and starting a family might be your goal after marriage, but it is important to think over what obstacles you will be facing. Examining the costs now might be able to help you stay on the right track with your finances, so you can begin your next step in life.