This study explores the negotiations taking place in LGBTQ families before a child is born or added to the family. It asks who takes part in the negotiations and what issues are negotiated about. An online questionnaire answered by LGBTQ parents (n = 74) was analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The chain of phases leading to having a child can be referred to as a family forming process with various negotiation topics. The four phases are identified as parental desires, consideration of practices, reflecting on the decision, and concrete actions toward having a child. Besides the LGBTQ parents-to-be, significant others such as friends and the family of origin and external others such as donors and fertility clinics took part in the negotiations. Future parents needed to think about their desires in advance to enable fair and equal negotiations.

This study explores how LGBTQ parents in Finland account for the role of financial resources in their family-forming process before the child is born or otherwise joins the family. Semi-structured, thematic, face-to-face interviews (n=18) were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. The study expands our understanding of financial resources in the family-forming processes of prospective LGBTQ parents and identifies the diversity of the meanings of financial resources experienced by the informants. It can be stated that the role of financial resources appears not only as a concrete need for money to have children but also as a resource that influences decision making and legal aspects during LGBTQ family-forming processes. However, it is not enough to look only at resources; it is equally important to consider the capabilities of individuals. The reconfigurations of family relations were connected to financial decisions and the importance of society’s support in terms of financial resources was essential.