Help?

CMHM3215CMHM3215 Posts: 3
in LGBTQ+ Couples
Hello everyone.

My wife and I have been married for over a year now and we have decided it's time to start researching our options on expanding our family. I was hoping yall would be able to give me a little insight on this exciting option. How much does donor sperms usually cost? How many vials should we purchase? Is insemination generally successful? Does insurance cover this type of care? Sorry for the overload of silly questions. We are just extremely excited and eager to get the ball rolling and it seems we keep hitting brick walls when it comes to information because of our "situation." We live in Alabama and sadly still even medical providers are bias and reluctant to accept and inform us on anything because we are a lesbian couple. Anyways thanks in advance.

-The Massey's
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Comments

  • 2mamas2b2mamas2b Posts: 50
    Hi the Masseys! Your questions aren't silly at all. My wife and I had hundreds of questions when we first started this process. You can view the price per vial for the donor(s) you are interested in. The ICI (typically used at home) vials are cheaper than IUI vials because IUI is washed. IUI procedures are done by a doctor. The number of vials to purchase is tricky. My wife and I purchased 10 thinking it would be plenty for both of us to each get pregnant. Buying ten is a plus because of the three year storage so I would suggest that if you're planning on having more than one child with the same donor. Unfortunately for us, ten won't be enough. We use two vials per cycle but some people only use one. I would recommend you read The New Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth. It's so imformative! Success rates of insemination aren't that great but do increase when paired with fertility drugs like Clomid or Femara. Timing is everything when it comes to inseminations. As far as insurance coverage, you'll need to check with your carrier but I will say that ours does not cover it. We live in the Florida panhandle and were so surprised and disappointed to hear that the fertility specialists in our area refused to see patients who were not married straight women. Fortunately for us, we have a great gyno who has helped us every step of the way. So, I totally get what you are saying about providers not wanting to help you. Have you started with your gyno?
  • CMHM3215CMHM3215 Posts: 3
    How cool I am actually from the panhandle as well. We have started things with our gyno. Unfortunately, we are looking at another year to year and a half before we can even consider insemination due to fertility issues. I have severe endometriosis with a complete blockage on one side and a 90% blockage on the other and my wife had surgery in August to remove a tumor on her right ovary and they sadly had to remove the whole ovary. So she has to be on birth control for at least a year before we can start the insemination process. I on the other hand have been deemed infertile. So she is our only option of having our own children. If it doesn't work I have no idea what we will do. Thank you so much for your help.
  • 2mamas2b2mamas2b Posts: 50
    It's good that you're starting early in getting information about all of this. If I were you, I would absolutely read that book in the next year. It will give you girls tons of tips and ideas to increase your chances of conception. Best of luck to you next year!
  • CMHM3215CMHM3215 Posts: 3
    Thank you. I'm definitely going to read that book. We are very excited and can't wait to start this new chapter of our lives in the next year or so. Hopefully everything will fall into place and we will be able to make our family complete.
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