Reciprocal IVF
What is Reciprocal IVF?
Reciprocal IVF is a fertility option for female/female couples or couples including trans men that allows both partners to participate in the conception process. With reciprocal IVF, one partner provides, or donates, the eggs to be used to create embryos and the other partner carries the pregnancy. The partner providing the eggs starts the IVF process by stimulating their ovaries with fertility medications to produce many egg follicles. Once the follicles are mature, they are extracted from the ovaries during a short egg retrieval procedure. The mature eggs are then fertilized in the lab using donor sperm to create embryos.
In reciprocal IVF the partner serving as gestational carrier takes medications to mimic the naturally occurring hormones that are needed to prepare the uterus for implantation and carrying a pregnancy. The lab monitors the embryo development and then one embryo is transferred into the uterus where it will hopefully implant and be carried to term.
why choose Reciprocal IVF?
- Shared Parental Involvement: Reciprocal IVF allows both partners in a same-sex female couple to be physically involved in the pregnancy. One partner provides the eggs to be fertilized, and the other carries the pregnancy, fostering a deep, shared connection to the child from the start.
- High Success Rates: Like traditional IVF, Reciprocal IVF boasts high success rates, making it an effective option for same-sex female couples desiring a biological connection with their child.
- Genetic Screening Options: Reciprocal IVF includes the option for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), which helps in selecting healthy embryos and reduces the risk of genetic disorders, ensuring a healthy pregnancy.
- Customized Family Building: This method offers a unique and personalized approach to family building, allowing couples to decide how they want to contribute to their future child’s genetics and pregnancy journey.
- Emotional and Psychological Benefits: Reciprocal IVF can enhance the emotional bond between partners, as both individuals are directly involved in the conception process. This shared experience can strengthen the couple's relationship and their connection to their child.
The Full Reciprocal IVF Journey
Fertility Testing and Diagnosis
You and your partner will meet with a fertility specialist to discuss your medical histories, fertility goals, and the details of the reciprocal IVF process.
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Care Coordination and Financial Consultation
You'll meet with a care coordinator who will outline your treatment timeline, cost, and what to expect.
Pre-IVF Hormonal Preparation
To prepare the body for egg retrieval, one or both partners may need to begin taking birth control pills. This helps ensure that the ovaries are ready for stimulation and the uterus is ready to support a pregnancy.
Stimulating Egg Production
Next, the person providing eggs for the pregnancy will take daily hormone injections that stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, increasing the chances of successful fertilization. The response to these hormones is closely monitored through regular blood tests and ultrasound scans.
Ovulation & Egg Retrieval
Once enough eggs have matured, a hormone injection will be administered that induces ovulation (releasing the mature eggs). After about 36 hours, the outpatient egg retrieval procedure will be performed.
IVF Process & Monitoring
Fertilization occurs in our state-of-the-art laboratory using sperm from your selected sperm donor. To complete the insemination process, we use a process called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), during which a single sperm is injected into each egg. Our lab specialists then closely monitor the embryos as they develop and will give you updates on their progression.
Embryo Transfer
Once you and your doctor agree on a plan, we’ll perform the embryo transfer, during which your doctor will place the embryo into the uterus of the partner carrying the pregnancy. This outpatient procedure doesn’t require sedation - it’s quick and is often compared to the sensation of a pap smear.
Pregnancy Testing & Monitoring
After about 2 weeks, a pregnancy test will be done at your clinic to find out if the treatment was successful.
Embryo Vitrification
Any additional viable embryos can be frozen using a method called vitrification, allowing you to attempt future pregnancies without undergoing another full cycle of IVF.
Real Stories, Real Success: Our Patients Speak
We can't thank you all enough for making our IVF journey such a positive experience. Your team's expertise and warmth meant the world to us. You made our dreams come true, and we're forever thankful.
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THEY ARE AMAZING!!! I absolutely love this clinic and everyone who works here! Being a lesbian couple, we were nervous trying to find a fertility clinic for us.. they made us feel so comfortable right away! They are so caring and sweet! I definitely recommend this place!! && Dr. Z is the man!! Nicest doctor I have ever met! I would give them a 100 stars if I could!
Thanks to Dr. Dudley, we achieved a successful pregnancy, a dream that once seemed unattainable. His expertise and empathy made him not just a doctor but a beacon of hope in our most challenging times. We are profoundly grateful to Dr. Dudley and highly recommend him to any couple facing fertility issues!
We've worked with RGI twice now, and have had an excellent experience both times. Dr. Maseelall and her team have been amazing to work with. This time around, we were introduced to the "navigators" who essentially act as a liaison between us and the doctors, which was a change from the last time we were there. We found having access to a dedicated resource - even by text message - was a huge plus.
I highly recommend Dr. Dudley! He is one of the only doctors who explained things clearly, realistically, and positively. His bedside manner is outstanding. A defining moment (without disclosing my medical history) was when I explained something to him and he responded with "I believe in a women's intuition." He believed me, ran a quick test, and pivoted the plan. I can't recommend him enough.
My husband I went to Dominion after struggling with some fertility issues and multiple miscarriages. We couldn't have made a better choice! You can tell that the staff really care about their patients and make you feel at ease. At the beginning of the process, we were feeling a bit overwhelmed, but the doctors were understanding and great at explaining each step to us along the way. We now have a healthy baby boy and we could not be more happy and grateful to Dominion Fertility!!
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