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“Knowing your donor also gives everyone the opportunity to talk about the future arrangements once the child is born and what, if any, involvement the donor will have in the child’s life, which may or may not be important to you.” For example, she says, it may be important to the birth parent that the child is able to contact the donor at any age while the donor may prefer for this to be more managed. It is important, she stresses, when planning a known donor arrangement, to have “early and honest discussions to help ensure everyone is aligned at the outset”. She also highlights the importance of recording any and every agreement in writing.

No type of arrangement is ‘wrong’, whether the known donor ends up co-parenting or takes more of a peripheral role. Only the parent(s) and known donor will know what’s right for them. It’s just important that conversations about the arrangement are had as early as possible. “For example,” says Jade, “what will the donor be known as to the child? How often will the donor spend time with the child? What happens if someone has a new partner or wants to relocate with the child? How will any dispute be worked through and resolved?” Considering these options in advance should help to reduce the risk of things going wrong and Jade always recommends putting a legal donor agreement in place. “There’s a lot to consider but preparation, professional support and research will help.”