Read our report 

Over the past decade changes in UK legislation have altered the ways in which LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people can become parents. Evidence suggests that more openly LGBTQ+ people are having children each year, yet little is known about their needs or experiences.

Using funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Best Beginnings, in partnership with LGBT Mummies and the University of Huddersfield, commissioned research to find out about the needs of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people who had become parents in the last two years.

Separate pieces of research are also currently underway to investigate the needs and experiences of GBTQ+ men in their journey to becoming a parent.  

The findings from this research show that LGBTQ+ women and non-binary parents had mixed experiences of services when trying to conceive, during pregnancy and birth, and in the early postnatal period. It suggests that changes to practice may not have kept pace with changes in legal and policy frameworks, but also highlights examples of excellent practice and support. There is significant room to improve the formal and informal perinatal support for LGBTQ+ women and non-binary parents, and we will be working to produce resources and support for this community through our Baby Buddy app.  

Please read the full report here or the summary report here.

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