Shared Motherhood Treatment
Shared Motherhood (Reciprocal IVF) is a treatment option for same-sex female couples. This unique treatment involves both partners. The first partner undergoes IVF to create embryos with her eggs and donor sperm, which can then be transferred to her partner’s uterus to carry the pregnancy. The partner who undergoes IVF is the genetic parent, and the partner who carries the pregnancy is the birth parent. Both partners, of course, are included on the baby’s birth certificate.
The Process
Step by Step
Ovarian Stimulation (Partner 1): The main goal of the stimulation phase is to help the ovaries grow and develop eggs in the follicles. You will take hormone injections for 8-14 days to stimulate the follicles, and the progress will be monitored with ultrasound scans.
Egg Collection Procedure (Partner 1): When the follicles reach the right size, it will be time to collect the eggs from the ovaries. This procedure takes place under light sedation.
Embryo Development: The eggs are fertilised in the laboratory with sperm from your chosen donor. In the days following, the embryologists carefully monitor the embryos’ development.
Embryo Transfer (Partner 2): Partner 2 will take a low level of medication to prepare her uterus for the embryo transfer and have a few monitoring ultrasound scans. The embryo transfer is a simple and quick procedure to place the embryo into the uterus, and two weeks later, you can take a pregnancy test.
The Donor Sperm Process
We have a dedicated Donor Sperm Team at Waterstone Clinic. The team will coordinate the process and guide you through each step. Once you have met with a doctor and created your treatment plans, you will meet with the Donor Sperm Coordinator, who will explain the process of choosing a donor and how to use the donor bank databases. You will also meet with our fertility counsellor for an implications counselling session to discuss the process of using a donor to build your family and navigate the legal requirements around using donor gametes.
What are the First Steps?
The first steps towards embarking on Shared Motherhood treatment are for both partners to have fertility assessments and to meet one of our fertility specialists to discuss your plans. They will review your results and guide you as to whether this treatment would be a viable option for you both and help you build your family in the way that you want.
Our Shared Motherhood Treatment Coordination Package (combined care with both Donation Teams): €1,950
Includes cycle pre-work and administration from both the donor egg and donor sperm teams, implications counselling, consultations with the donor egg coordinator for Shared Motherhood and donor sperm coordinator, support from the specialised nursing team and clinical administration, assistance with regulatory requirements, laboratory administration, and Dept of Health reporting.
Complete Shared Motherhood Treatment Package: €6,795
Treatment Package where the first partner undergoes egg collection and the second partner has an embryo transfer. Includes a consultant-led management plan, issue of prescriptions for both partners, ultrasound scans for both partners, egg collection procedure and IV sedation for Partner 1, IVF or ICSI procedure, embryo development (including Embryoscope+ incubation and monitoring, and blastocyst culturing), embryo transfer procedure for Partner 2, early pregnancy test, and pregnancy scans or a follow-up consultation as required.