Fertility Options for Lesbian Couples

Lesbian couples have many different options to build their family. An important part of treatment involves the selection of a sperm donor. You can either select someone you know or work with a donor sperm agency to select an anonymous donor.

• Anonymous donor: Donor sperm agencies prescreen sperm donors and compile their profiles so that you can go through them and pick a donor that meets the characteristics you desire.
• Known donor: Using someone you know can be a very special and meaningful decision; you’ll just want to make sure that he is not a biological relative of the partner contributing her egg. Before deciding on this option, it is important to carefully consider the relationship you have with your potential donor, whether your (and his) family would be supportive, and the type of relationship you want him to have with the child. Will the child know? How will he feel or react if he disagrees with a parenting decision? These are just a couple of the conflicts that may come up later on.

Lesbian couples can use insemination or IVF for their treatment. The best option is usually determined after a consultation with the provider and some routine diagnostic testing.

• Insemination: The donor sperm is placed into the uterus of the woman carrying the pregnancy around the time she is ovulating.
• Traditional IVF: The IVF cycle would proceed in the traditional manner, with the partner carrying the pregnancy undergoing the cycle using donor sperm for fertilization.
• Two Partner IVF: This is similar to traditional IVF, but both partners get to be involved in the conception. In this process, one partner undergoes the early part of the IVF cycle to retrieve her eggs. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the uterus of the second partner. Essentially, one partner contributes her genetics and the other carries the pregnancy.

However you wish to proceed, the team at Aspire is here to help you make your dreams a reality. Schedule a consult to learn more!

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