When you seek treatment at Wilcox Fertility, we aim to make every option, possibility and avenue available to you. Below, we provide some of the most common options when it comes to family building for same-sex female couples. Please take a moment to explore them and come in to discuss with Dr. Wilcox and your clinical team to learn more.
Depending on how you would like to build your family, Dr. Wilcox would recommend a fertility assessment of the partner and/or partners that are intending on being involved either in family building or in pursuing any reproductive health matters.
This would include blood tests to look at your hormones such as your FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and your AMH (anti-mullerian hormone). These two hormones among others can provide an overview into your ovulation regularity, egg supply, and egg quality. An ultrasound will also be performed to make sure you do not have any cysts, polyps or any detectable issues.
If you are interested in transitioning, Dr. Wilcox can discuss with you egg freezing, which you can explore by reading our ‘Egg Freezing’ page.
If you are looking to building a family, here are the two most common options for same-sex female couples:
Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) with Donor Sperm: Commonly known as, “Artificial Insemination”, this is when one partner is inseminated using sperm (either from a known source or from a donor) that has been washed and concentrated down to maximize the chances of conception. The sperm is directly inserted through a thin catheter into a woman’s uterus in the hopes that the sperm will fertilize an egg.
Reciprocal In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): Some couples prefer Reciprocal IVF because both partners participate. One partner provides the genetic makeup of the egg and the partner carries the pregnancy and delivers the baby. In summary, the eggs are retrieved from one partner and fertilized with donor sperm, and any resulting embryos are transferred to the second partner for the intended pregnancy.
If there are any fertility concerns, such as Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Endometriosis, which is when the tissue that lines the uterus (the endometrium) grows outside of the uterus blocking the tubes, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) or Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL), please know there are options. Dr. Wilcox and your clinical team can discuss genetic testing, donor eggs, surrogacy and more to help you every step of the way.
For more information on the numerous fertility treatments and family building options offered at Wilcox Fertility, please continue to review other areas of our site or to inquire about financial information, please don’t hesitate to contact us via our online form or call us at 626.657.9327.