Around the world, an increasing number of gay couples are achieving their dream of becoming parents. Through in vitro fertilization or IVF, they can have their own biological children and start and raise a family.
Do you and your same-sex partner want the same thing? Can IVF really help make your desire to be parents a reality? What happens during IVF treatment? What should you expect if you decide to go through it?
What is IVF?
IVF is a series of medical and surgical procedures done to conceive a child. It is a type of assisted reproductive technology in which an egg is fertilized with sperm in a laboratory and the fertilized egg, or embryo, is implanted into a uterus. It involves several steps, and the entire process takes many months to complete. In some cases, it works on the first attempt. In others, more attempts are needed for a successful pregnancy.
There are various reasons why some people use IVF to have a baby. Usually, those who undergo IVF treatment:
- Have a medical issue that makes pregnancy impossible or difficult
- Have problems with the quality or quantity of their eggs or sperm
- Are past their peak reproductive years
IVF is also a fertility option recommended for gay couples who want to start a family.
What is the IVF process for gay parents like?
The IVF process is made up of many different steps that can directly or indirectly involve the intended parents. If you and your partner are looking into IVF to help you have a baby, the following are the steps involved:
Initial consultation
You should consult a medical professional to get your IVF treatment journey started. Expect to talk about your goals and expectations. You will also discuss the step-by-step process, costs, and risks. If you are planning to use a surrogate, you will get important information about how the surrogacy process works too. You will discuss finding an egg donor, surrogate mother, and so on.
To find IVF doctors in your area, you can use the internet or ask for recommendations from your general practitioner. You can also ask your family members or friends who have gone through IVF treatment before. Contact the IVF doctor and schedule a consultation.
Choosing an egg donor and surrogate mother
As the intended parents, you can consider different options on how you would like your surrogacy process to proceed. You can select your egg or sperm donor and a surrogate using a surrogacy service like Joy of Life Surrogacy. We can help find you an ideal match from our surrogate mother database and assist you with the process of finding a sperm or egg donor. From start to finish, you can rely on us to be there for you and to educate you about each of the steps involved. We can also help you understand the egg donor and surrogate mother cost, consultation fees, medical expenses, and legal matters.
Another way you can go about this is by using a donor and surrogate that you know personally and also using Joy of Life Surrogacy as an intermediary. Even if you already have selected a donor and surrogate, such as a family member or a close friend, you can still work with Joy of Life Surrogacy. You can expect us to provide the same quality of guidance and assistance — explaining how surrogacy works, what the surrogate mother cost is, what your legal contract will look like, and other essential surrogacy information — throughout the surrogacy process.
To learn more about our services at Joy of Life Surrogacy, you can visit our website to get information about what we do, what we can do for you, and everything that you want to know about surrogacy.
Embryo creation
After choosing your donor, the next step is to create your embryos. If you are using an egg donor, they will start the egg donation cycle so that donor eggs can be retrieved for the IVF treatment. Depending on your sex, you and your partner may also have to decide whether one of you will be the sperm donor, or if you will use a third party. Once the eggs are retrieved and the sperm is prepared, the embryo creation process is done in a laboratory. Embryos are made by fertilizing eggs with sperm. They are then tested and frozen in preparation for embryo transfer to your surrogate.
Embryo transfer
Your surrogate will get her body ready for the frozen embryo transfer. Around the time of her menstrual period, she will start taking fertility medications and go through close monitoring to make sure that she is in the best condition for the procedure. Until she has been cleared by medical professionals as ready for the embryo transfer, the embryos will remain frozen and stored safely.
Pregnancy monitoring
Just like other pregnant women, surrogates need to go to prenatal appointments for the necessary prenatal care. During her first trimester, she will need to visit the IVF clinic for blood testing and routine monitoring. After that, she will have to see an OBGYN for more checkups until she gives birth.
Birth and delivery
Once the big day comes, Joy of Life Surrogacy will ensure that everything goes smoothly with your surrogate and the surrogacy experience. We will see to it that your baby is delivered to you and make certain that your legal contract is followed and your rights as the intended parents are protected.
What are some important tips to remember if you and your partner want to use IVF treatment?
Do a lot of research on IVF.
IVF involves many complex steps and processes that are expensive and come with some risks. Before jumping into it, you have to know and understand what it entails. You can start by reading as much as you can about it. Learn what the IVF steps are and how surrogacy works. Consult medical professionals that have performed IVF treatment. Contact us to get information about the surrogacy process. You can also talk to other couples who have gone through it by joining related discussion groups or message boards.
Consider doctors with high IVF success rates.
To get the results that you want, you should look at IVF doctors who have done many successful IVF treatments. Working with the best medical professionals in the field increases your chances of fulfilling your dreams of becoming a parent. While there is no guarantee that your first IVF attempt will be successful, IVF doctors that have achieved success in most of their IVF attempts can give you hope that you will be their next IVF success story.
Choose one that has worked with gay couples.
It is easier to trust IVF doctors who have delivered healthy babies for gay couples. Because they have already performed the procedures many times successfully, they have gained more skills, experience, and expertise. You can be more at ease with them as they know what gay couples go through during this very important moment in their lives.
