Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi Ready For a Baby?

  Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi out at the Brentwood Glen Market Place in Los Angeles, CA 04-15-07 Los Angeles, CA

Are Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi ready for a baby?

Sources claim after four years of marriage, Portia has persuaded talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres to start a family.

“Portia put the baby issue on the back burner for years knowing Ellen wasn’t altogeth­er receptive,” the friend says.

“I think Ellen has had mis­givings about chasing after a young one when she’ll be into her 60s. But Portia turns 40 in January, and in the end, Ellen loves Portia with all her heart. If a baby is that important to Portia, Ellen can’t say no to her.”

The couple considered in vitro fertilization, with “Arrested Development” star Portia carrying their child, but ultimately decided to go with a surrogate with Portia’s eggs being used, sources say.

“Now the biggest question is who the male donor will be,” said the friend. “But once they clear all the hurdles, next year is going to be the year for them.”

Portia will be a stay-at-home mom, sources say.

“Portia has assured Ellen she doesn’t need to slow down one bit,” the friend says. “Portia loves her acting career, but it’s a small part of her life. What she wants most is happiness with Ellen and sharing their love with a child.”

New Server LEMP