Failed lesbian IVF and do-it-yourself IUI

Hey, we’re a same sex couple of girls. We decided to become mothers through lesbian IVF. My wife was unable to donate her eggs to due to her age and low ovarian reserve, so finally I did it. But I’ve ended up being a poor responder, I’ve produced poor quality eggs and just a few… After 3 failed IVF cycles, now our physician says we should change the method, to try with other options. The truth is we’ve already burnt a hole in our pockets, let alone our emotional state, which has hit rock-bottom. DIY IUI seems to be the most inexpensive option, could it work for us???

Hello girls,

as a woman gets older, her ovarian reserve keeps on diminishing over time, as well as the quality of the eggs she produces. This has a negative impact on pregnancy, even if you resort to fertility treatments and controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). Given this situation, the most recommendable is moving to a fertility treatment via donor conception.

Intrauterine insemination at home is not indicated in your case, since pregnancy success rates are almost non-existent. It may become a good choice in cases of lesbian couples or single women who don’t present any fertility problem; also heterosexual couples with ejaculation problems or vaginismus are indicated to undergo this method. Conversely, it is not adequate in cases of low ovarian reserve.

An option that may fit your needs and is also cost-affordable is embryo donation and adoption. You are given the unused embryos of other couples who have already undergone IVF. Such embryos present good morphological quality and implantation potential.

I hope I have been able to help,

Regards