Decision‐making in planned lesbian parenting: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Although lesbian parenting has attracted much research attention within psychology in the US and the UK, the processes by which lesbian couples make the various decisions associated with parenting have been largely overlooked as an explicit research focus. This article presents findings from a qualitative study with nine lesbian couples in Britain who had had children within their current relationships. Interview transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Resultant themes focused on factors internal and external to the partners and the couple which led them to decide to have children; decision‐making about using known or anonymous sperm donors (including reflections on experiences of negotiating the nature and extent of the biological father's involvement with the child); and the perceived impact of biological links with the child on decisions about parenting roles (including reflections on the relationship between the non‐biological lesbian parent and the child). The study may be seen as expanding the knowledge base on lesbian parenting (specifically by adding new British, qualitative data that are attentive to decision processes) and informing professionals who might assist lesbian couples in decision‐making about parenthood.