“My emotions on the backseat”. Heterosexually partnered men’s experiences of becoming fathers through surrogacy

Surrogacy is a family building option for people unable to conceive or carry pregnancy. In heterosexual couples seeking surrogacy, woman who not the intended father’s partner, facilitates this Whilst normative discourses reinforced by contemporary healthcare policies highlight importance of involving fathers throughout pregnancy, little known about heterosexually partnered men’s experiences surrogacy. This qualitative study explores how surrogacy shapes construction their father identity and parenting expectations. Drawing on interviews with ten men (nine self-identifying as white one white-Asian; all employed in professional occupations) during after arrangement, we explore transition fatherhood, interactions relationship surrogate intimate partner. first explicitly focusing heterosexually-partnered The findings provide new insights into unique form building, expanding understanding role preference level involvement triad relationship.