Family Building for Lesbian Females
For lesbian females, the options for conception include:
- Sperm donation and intrauterine insemination using sperm from a bank, or from a known sperm donor, with or without the use of fertility-enhancing medications
- IVF with donor sperm with one partner providing the eggs and gestating the pregnancy
- IVF with donor sperm with one partner providing the eggs and the other partner gestating the pregnancy, sometimes referred to as reciprocal IVF or co-IVF.
If a sperm donor is required, we can provide referrals to reliable sperm banks. Depending on the age of our patients and other possible fertility factors, we may or may not recommend adjunctive treatment with fertility medications.
If the patient wishes to use a known sperm donor, there are several requirements, including compliance with all infectious disease testing as required by the FDA, a physical exam and a psychoeducational consultation for the donor and recipient couple. Additionally, we require freezing the sperm specimen in advance of the treatment cycle. We also strongly recommend a legal agreement when possible co-parenting relationships are expected or when using an identified donor (historically "known donor"). Learn more about using an identified donor.
If one thinks they might be a candidate for IVF, please see our IVF Tour.
For lesbian patients interested in reciprocal IVF, we will stimulate one partner to produce the eggs as per standard IVF treatment protocols. The final event for the egg-providing partner is the egg retrieval. While the egg-providing partner is undergoing treatment with the egg-stimulating medications, the other partner will take Lupron, estrogen injections and progesterone injections to shut off ovulation and prepare the uterus for receipt of an embryo. The recipient will then undergo the embryo transfer procedure 3-5 days after their partner has had the egg retrieval procedure. The baby will have the genetic make-up of the egg providing partner and the sperm donor and the gestating partner will carry the pregnancy, give birth and breast/chest feed the infant. We do recommend legal agreements so that both parents can be listed on the birth certificate.