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Lesbian couple preparing for motherhood with PCOS, odds of pregnancy?
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Lesbian couple preparing for motherhood with PCOS, odds of pregnancy?

  1. <span  class="bbp-author-name">spencer thorne</span>
    spencer thorne

    Hi there, we are two women wishing to have a baby. We’ve been together for 2 years, my girlfriend is 28 and I’m 30… We would like to have our baby already by next year. But there is some trouble with us, because I’ve been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), something that could affect my fertility, you know. I fall pregnant once when I was 18, but I induced an abortion because it was too early to be on motherhood and by that time I wasn’t sure whether I was a lesbian woman or not.

    Will I be able to have a baby through donor insemination? I would prefer to bear the pregnancy instead of my girlfriend, of possible. Will I be able to get pregnant even though I have PCOS or is there any special treatment I have to take? If not, we’ve thought of an at-home artificial insemination buying donor sperm online, is it possible for us? Don’t forget that I would be the one getting pregnant.

    Thank you, I look forward to your reply as soon as possible

    01/22/2016 at 12:39 pm
    Reply
  2. Dear spencer,

    There are several options for lesbian couples worldwide. However, not each one of them is allowed in every country, so you will have to check your options in your area or consider traveling abroad to undergo a fertility treatment. The following is a list of the general options for lesbian couples wanting a baby:

    • 1. Artificial insemination by donor (AID): Both of you are still young, so there is no reason why you couldn’t achieve pregnancy. As for PCOS, depending on your symptoms and its severity, you could get pregnant anyway. You will have to attempt ovulation induction with the following drugs: clomid (clomiphene citrate), metformin, clomid and metformin together, femara, letrozole, and injectable gonadotropins. AID is the simplest and least expensive way to conceive for lesbian couples.
    • 2. In vitro fertilization (IVF) with donor sperm: IVF is the chosen technique in case IUI doesn’t work, and especially in cases of women suffering from PCOS. Given that you are under 40 years old, your odds of achieving pregnancy through IVF are higher than those of artificial insemination. However, it requires more medical intervention, which makes it more expensive.
    • 3. Reciprocal IVF: This treatment is especially aimed at lesbian couples and stands for the reception of oocytes from partner. In this type of IVF, one of the partners hands her eggs over to the other woman, who will be the recipient of the embryo transfer. It is a way for both women to get involved in the treatment. However, your should keep in mind that this treatment is not allowed in every country.
    • 4. Surrogacy for lesbian couples: If your partner does not want to carry the pregnancy and in case you had problems to get pregnant, gestational surrogacy may be a good option. This way, one woman can contribute her egg to the gestational carrier.

    On the other hand, as I said earlier, in principle there is no reason why PCOS may hinder you from achieving pregnancy. Nevertheless, problems may arise in case you develop severe problems with ovulation. To clear your doubts, the most advisable would be doing a fertility test to determine whether you ovulate normally or not.

    When undergoing a fertility treatment, the woman has to administer a series of ovulation induction medications: this is the reason why PCOS may not have an impact on your pregnancy. That’s also why women with PCOS can donate their eggs if they wish to. Fertility problems with PCOS arise when trying to conceive naturally.

    As for at-home artificial insemination, it is also a good option as long as the fertility of the woman who is going to be inseminated is normal. However, you should bear in mind that success rates of at-home AI are exactly the same as those obtained via natural conception. You can find detailed info about this technique in the following post: At-home artificial insemination.

    In case you consider traveling abroad for any of the above mentioned treatments, I recommend you to visit our Clinic Directory.

    Hope this helps,

    Best wishes

    01/27/2016 at 1:22 pm
    Reply
  3. I think you have every chance of this. You have support and a common goal. I’ll cheer for you.

    01/17/2018 at 1:40 pm
    Reply