Growing a Family: Same-Sex Family Planning and Fertility Treatment Options for Women
For LGBTQ+ couples who are beginning to plan for a future family or actively starting to grow their own, it can feel like there are so many paths to choose from. Researching and consulting with your doctor is the best way to understand the options are available and what would be the right fit for your family. From IVF, surrogacy and donor insemination, it can be difficult to understand what options are best for you and your partner.
For lesbian/same-sex female couples, there are many options depending upon which partners wish to be biologically or physically involved. Having a conversation with your partner before you seek fertility options will assist in aiding what options would work best for your partnership. Some couples decide to have two or more children, with each partner carrying a pregnancy with the same donor sperm and other couples decide that only one partner is interested in donor insemination and pregnancy. Whichever path you chose it is important to remember you have choices and there is no right or wrong way to be a parent, only what you feel is the best option for your family.
Other options include IVF. IVF is used in situations where a patient is reciprocal In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). IVF is when one partner’s egg is inseminated with donor sperm and then implanted into the other partner’s uterus. Couples who are both looking to have a physical and genetic connection to their child often sneak this option in their fertility journey.
When sifting through research and exploring options, it can become stressful emotionally and economically. Costs associated with donor insemination are much lower than the costs associated with reciprocal IVF, and more companies are opening their insurance policies to allow same-sex couples access to fertility benefit. As more coverage opens up, this alleviates a lot of the financial stress put on same-sex couples during fertility treatments.
The road to parenthood for same-sex couples can be complicated and, at times, difficult – but at the Center for Reproductive Care, it is our goal to ensure that patients understand their options and make the right choice for their family. Whichever journey you choose, CRC is here to provide a supportive, informational and receptive environment for LGBTQ+ families to learn and explore options for their future or current family.