LGBT Families: Family Building Options for Gay and Lesbian Couples

Building a family is a dream that all couples should be able to realize. Now, thanks to advances in reproductive technology, building a family is more possible than ever before for lesbian and gay couples. With the help of donors, gestational surrogates, and reproductive technology, you can build the family of your dreams. But what are the options available to you? In honor of Pride Month, the fertility experts of IVF FLORIDA are here to go over the various family building options available to gay and lesbian couples.

Building a Family for Lesbian Couples

For many lesbian couples, one of the easiest and most common ways to achieve a pregnancy is through Intrauterine Insemination using donor sperm. This is a simple procedure in which sperm is injected into the uterine cavity during ovulation. For lesbian women who have no fertility issues, this is often the most common course of treatment.  The couple simply has to decide which partner will carry the pregnancy and select a sperm donor in order to achieve pregnancy.

Another option for lesbian couples is In Vitro Fertilization. This is the option often used when both partners have difficulty conceiving using Intrauterine Insemination, or when both partners want to have a role in conceiving and carrying a child using reciprocal IVF. In this process, it is important to decide which partner will provide the eggs, and if different, which partner will carry the pregnancy to term. The partner providing the eggs will take fertility medications to encourage the production of multiple eggs, which will then be retrieved using a simple outpatient procedure. The eggs will then be fertilized with donor sperm in the lab to create embryos. The best embryo(s) will then be transferred to the partner who will be carrying the pregnancy.

Many lesbian couples who choose to use reciprocal IVF enjoy the fact that both partners can have a role in creating their child, with one providing the genetic material and the other being able to carry them to term. To learn more about which options would be best for you, contact us today at 866-770-2168.

Family Building for Gay Couples

For gay men and their partners, building a family is generally accomplished through donor egg IVF and the use of a surrogate. For this, the partners select an egg donor and decide which partner will be the biological father. That partner will provide a sperm sample which will be used to fertilize the donor eggs and create embryos. Once the embryos have been created, the couple can concentrate on finding a gestational surrogate who can carry the pregnancy to term. Once the surrogate has been selected, the best embryo(s) can then be transferred into her uterus to be carried to term.

Some couples would prefer not to know which one is the biological father of the child. In these cases, it is possible to combine the sperm of both partners and use that to fertilize the eggs.

There are many ways to build a family, and for couples who would like children who are biologically related to them, advanced reproductive technologies like IUIs and IVF can help them build the family of their dreams. If you would like to learn more about the family building options available to lesbian or gay couples, contact us today to schedule an appointment.