Even after tracking data, and staying healthy, and doing everything right, some couples still have trouble conceiving.
Other options to consider if you can’t get pregnant naturally
Fertility medications, surgeries, and Assisted Reproductive Technologies may be able to help many women who struggle with infertility to conceive, but some couples, for whatever reason, may continue to experience difficulty getting pregnant. But even if you and your partner haven’t conceived naturally or through IVF, there are still plenty of options left to explore to help you move forward in expanding your family.
Surrogacy
Even if you and your partner are unable to get pregnant on your own, you may be able to use a surrogate (a person who carries and delivers your baby) to have a child. Depending on the specific issue of infertility that is precluding you from naturally conceiving, and the arrangement you make with the surrogate, you can combine either your egg, the surrogate mother’s egg, or a donor egg with either your partner’s sperm, or donor sperm to conceive your child. The two main forms of surrogacy are called “Traditional Surrogacy”, and “Gestational Surrogacy”.
- Traditional Surrogacy: This arrangement uses the surrogate’s eggs, as well as either your partner’s sperm, or donor sperm, to conceive. Traditional surrogacy is used most often when a woman is unable to produce viable eggs of her own.
- Gestational Surrogacy: This arrangement involves the surrogate being implanted with an embryo not grown from her own eggs, but rather fertilized outside of the womb. Most often in a gestational surrogacy, the eggs will be yours, as most gestational surrogacies happen not because of a woman’s inability to produce viable eggs, but a decreased likelihood or ability to carry a baby to term. However, donor eggs are also entirely possible. The sperm used can likewise be extracted from your partner if his sperm quality is good, or provided by a donor.
Adoption
If surrogacy doesn’t sound right for you and your partner, adoption might be the best bet. Adoption doesn’t require any well-timed intercourses, surgeries, or even any sperm and eggs in laboratories. The only thing you’ll need to adopt a child is a big, open heart. Whether down the street or across the world, there are millions of children out there looking for moms or dads and loving homes.
Just because you and your partner can’t conceive naturally, or after medication, surgeries, or Artificial Reproductive Technologies, there are still plenty of ways that you can have a baby. Whether through surrogacy or adoption, you can make your dream of becoming a parent a reality.
