At our New Jersey fertility center lesbian couples, or single women, may use donor sperm from directed or anonymous donors.
Directed donors are known to the women seeking to become pregnant. They may be friends or, in rare cases, relatives who have volunteered to contribute to the family – making project. Sperm from anonymous donors is purchased from one of a number of accredited sperm banks. If this option is chosen the staff at North Hudson IVF guides patients through the web – based processes of investigating donor choices and selecting and shipping frozen sperm to our office. Fertility doctor Jane Miller discusses the pros and cons of the two sperm sources with all lesbian patients so that they can make the choice that is best for them.
Now That We Have the Sperm…
Donor sperm can be used for either IUI (intrauterine insemination) or IVF (in vitro fertilization). Although it is not assumed that the woman wishing to conceive has a fertility problem, fertility doctor Jane Miller will recommend several simple tests to help her decide which treatment is most likely to be safest and successful in the shortest length of time.
IUI With Donor Sperm
If a patient opts for this simple treatment she is instructed to use an over – the – counter ovulation predictor kit and to call the office (or page if it is after hours!) when the kit shows that she is having an LH surge. The IUI is done the next day. A thin flexible catheter attached to a syringe containing the processed sperm is inserted through the cervix and into the uterine cavity. Between 0.3 and 0.5 ml of sperm suspension is slowly injected into the uterus. Once there the “good sperm” – those that have good forward motility – will swim towards the tube next to the ovary that is nearing ovulation. If a healthy egg is ovulated and fertilized by one of the inseminated sperm it will develop for 5 days in the patient’s tube before moving into the uterus to implant. The chance of taking home a baby with this treatment is between 6 and 10% per cycle.
IUI can also be coupled with augmentation of a patient’s cycle with medication. With tiny gonadotropin injections more than one egg can be stimulated to develop and ovulate; hence more “targets” for the sperm. This can improve the chance of success to between 15 and 25% per cycle.
IVF With Donor Sperm
IVF entails the use of gonadotropin injections to develop multiple eggs. The eggs are then “retrieved” in the office while the patient is made comfortable with light sedation. The eggs are then fertilized with the donor sperm and the resulting embryos are cultured, or grown, for 5 days. At the end of the 5 days 1 or 2 embryos are transferred to the uterus of the intended parent. Additional good – quality remaining embryos can be frozen for later use if desired. At our New Jersey fertility center North Hudson IVF lesbian couples often choose to “mix and match”. Eggs from one partner can be fertilized with donor sperm and resulting embryos can subsequently be transferred to the uterus of the other partner. Alternately eggs from an anonymous egg donor can be fertilized with donor sperm and resulting embryos can be transferred to either partner’s uterus.
Contact North Hudson IVF and let us walk you through the steps to realize your dreams of a family.