With IVF, we are able to precisely fertilize a woman’s own eggs with donor sperm and then allow the fertilized egg or embryo to develop to the blastocyst stage (day 5, 6, or 7 embryo). The process of donor sperm IVF is similar to a conventional IVF stimulation cycle except that the sperm has come from a donor that has been “FDA-cleared” and already has gone through rigorous medical, genetic, infectious disease, psychological, and legal clearances. During IVF the ovaries are stimulated and many more eggs are matured, retrieved and fertilized as compared with IUI. The remaining embryos are cryo-preserved until needed at a later date.

Lesbian couples may choose to conceive through reciprocal IVF, using one partner’s eggs and the other partner’s uterus to carry the pregnancy. This way, both future moms are genetically connected in part to the child (one contributing the egg’s DNA and the other by contributing a healthy uterine environment that will impact their baby’s epigenetics or risk of future disease). If both future moms would like to have a child with their own eggs, it is important to have enough donor sperm available in the future. Consult with your reproductive endocrinologist to determine what number of vials may be right for you.omething more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Starting with a natural cycle with donor sperm intrauterine insemination (IUI) may be a reasonable option for younger women with regular, ovulatory periods who have good ovarian function. It’s important to (1) make sure that your fallopian tubes are open and (2) to check one’s ovarian reserve with an antral follicle count and an AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) level. Remember that some lesbian or gay women also have fertility issues (such as PCOS, endometriosis, or borderline ovarian reserve) that need to be cared for.

Using Clomid (clomiphene) or Femara (letrozole) in conjunction with an HCG trigger often helps a woman to ovulate better while assisting in the exact timing of the IUI. Many providers including myself like to perform two donor sperm IUIs during the fertile window to slightly increase the chance of pregnancy. In those women wanting to start with natural cycle IUI’s it’s important to know that the clinic that you’re working with is open daily and can coordinate care on the weekends. Success rates with IUI’s tend to be between 8 to 12% depending upon the protocol that is used and it’s important to select good candidates for these more basic treatments.

The number of donor sperm vials needed depends on the fertility techniques used and also if the patient(s) would like to have a future sibling(s) using the same sperm source. Usually when starting with IUI’s it is best to secure more vials of sperm compared with those patients going directly to IVF because of the large differences in success rates.