Fertility Options for Same-Sex Female Couples

When you begin your fertility journey, one of the first decisions to make is which partner will carry the pregnancy. The best first step is for you both to have your fertility assessments and make a plan with the specialist during a double consultation.

We have helped hundreds of same-sex couples become mothers. Following your fertility investigations and considering your situation and preferences, the clinician will recommend a treatment. Usually, this is either IUI treatment, IVF treatment or you may wish to pursue Shared Motherhood treatment using donor sperm.

 

Choosing a Sperm Donor

 The first step before treatment is to choose a sperm donor. As part of the Donor Sperm programme, couples work with the Donor Sperm Coordinator to use the sperm banks’ databases to choose a donor. Waterstone Clinic uses sperm from identifiable donors from Cyros International Sperm Bank, the European Sperm Bank and American sperm banks. The donor databases offer profiles of the donors, including demographics (i.e., hair colour, height, race, etc.) and extended profiles provided by the donor.

 

Treatment Options with Donor Sperm

  • Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
    • IUI is a simple treatment where fast-moving sperm is placed into the uterus close to the time of ovulation.
  • In-vitro fertilisation (IVF)
    • IVF involves fertilising eggs in our laboratory with the donor sperm. A resulting embryo is transferred back into the womb.
  • Shared Motherhood / Reciprocal IVF (Egg Donation IVF treatment)
    • Shared Motherhood, sometimes referred to as Reciprocal IVF, is an IVF treatment where embryos created with the eggs of one partner (the genetic parent) are transferred to the uterus of the second partner (who will be the birth parent).

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