5 Options That Support You Starting a Family
This is a collaborative post
So you’ve decided you’re ready to start a family. Congratulations! This is an amazing time in your life, and there are a lot of options available to you to make your dream of becoming a parent a reality. But when you’ve only just started thinking about it, you may not know where to start. And that’s natural—there are a full range of options available to you. In this blog post, we’ll explore five of those options in detail. Read on to learn more about tracking your cycle, IVF, egg donation, sperm donation, and adoption.
1. Tracking Your Cycle
One of the most important things you can do when you’re trying to conceive is to track your cycle. This will help you know when you ovulate, which is the best time to have sex if you want to get pregnant. There are lots of ways to track your cycle, including using a fertility app, charting your basal body temperature (BBT), or monitoring your cervical mucus. However, if you try this and struggle to conceive, there are still other options for you.
2. IVF
IVF stands for in vitro fertilisation. It’s a process where eggs are fertilised by sperm outside of the body, and then the embryos are implanted into the uterus. IVF is often used when couples have been trying to conceive for at least a year without success, or when the woman has blocked fallopian tubes or is dealing with male factor infertility. This could be the next step for you.
3. Egg Donation
Egg donation is another option for couples who are having trouble conceiving. In this process, the woman takes medication to stimulate egg production, and then healthy eggs are retrieved from her ovaries and fertilised with the man’s sperm before being implanted into the uterus. Or, you can look to get egg donation from another woman. Your partner’s (or a donor’s) sperm is then used, despite the egg not being yours—but the embryo itself will be yours.
4. Sperm Donation
Sperm donation is an option for both single women and couples who are struggling to conceive. In this process, sperm from a donor is used to fertilise the woman’s eggs (either through IVF or IUI). Again, like egg donation, even if the sperm isn’t yours and it isn’t from your partner, the embryo will still belong to you.
5. Adoption
Adoption is another great option for starting a family. There are lots of children out there who need homes, and there are many different types of adoption to choose from (including international adoption, foster-to-adopt, and private adoption). If you want to be able to house a child without the IVF or donation route, this could be perfect for you.
Bringing Your Dream Family to Life
There are so many amazing ways to start a family these days! No matter what your situation is, there’s likely an option out there that’s perfect for you. We hope this blog post has given you some food for thought as you embark on your journey towards parenthood!
