If you’re in a loving relationship with your partner, you might be thinking about having children. Although the obvious route might be adoption, many people want to experience pregnancy and have a biological child. But how do lesbian couples get pregnant? What are the options? There are in fact many treatment options and genetic tests available for same-sex couples who want to get pregnant. In this article, we introduce some of the options available to lesbian couples who want to start a family.
So how do Lesbian Couples get Pregnant? Introducing the Medical Options
There are three main medical options for lesbian couples who want to have a baby. All three options have pros and cons depending on your medical history, financial security, age, to name but a few. For example, an older person might have fewer viable eggs, so IVF may be the best route to go down. Or, to give another example, someone who suffers from endometriosis might struggle with insemination. Equally, IVF is likely to be a more successful option. Either way, your doctor should discuss all your options. So – how do lesbian couples get pregnant? Below we cover three options in more detail.
Fertility Treatment Options for Lesbian Couples
Donor insemination is when a syringe is used to insert semen into the vagina. Finding a sperm donor is perhaps the most obvious solution to the question “how do lesbian couples get pregnant?” However, there is more than one way to approach sperm donation. For instance, the sperm can come from someone you know or an anonymous donor. Whichever you decide, a medical professional will help you decide on the best way to find a sperm donor. Some couples are concerned that this could lead to disputes over parentage in the future. However, there are legal structures in place to help ensure this doesn’t become an issue later down the line.
Intrauterine insemination is similar to donor insemination, except that it involves the injection of sperm into the uterus by means of a catheter. This procedure is relatively inexpensive and not as invasive compared to IVF. However, success rates are typically lower.
In vitro fertilization or IVF, is where doctors use fertility medicine to encourage the development of multiple eggs in your ovaries. During egg retrieval, a physician extracts the eggs and fertilizes each mature egg with sperm from a donor. Once embryos are created, an embryo can be transferred into a uterus while any remaining embryos can be frozen for future transfers. Often, lesbian couples opt for IVF so both partners can participate in the pregnancy. For example, the couple may choose to harvest eggs from one partner for the other to carry.
What to Look for in a Good Clinic
Before beginning your pregnancy journey, it is important to research the right fertility clinic for you. Furthermore, it’s important to bear in mind that IVF, particularly, is a significant financial commitment – so you want to ensure you choose the best possible healthcare provider. Couples should make sure they go with a clinic with a good reputation and high success rates. However, be wary of self-published success stories; sometimes they can be exaggerated. Other things to look for is whether or not the clinic has experience with cases like yours. For instance, does the clinic help a lot of same-sex couples? Often asking advice from your circle of friends for recommendations is a good place to start.
