Exploring Solutions to Infertility
When a couple is faced with unexplained infertility, the first step is often to research their choices. While some may try to conceive naturally or pursue adoption, infertility IVF remains one of the more popular medical options.
Anyone who has explored these infertility alternatives, however, is often left with just as many questions as when they started. There is a plethora of information available about unexplained infertility, IVF success rates and other options like egg donation and surrogacy – it’s enough to leave any hopeful parent feeling overwhelmed.
IVF 101
Perhaps it’s best to go back to basics: what is IVF? It stands for in vitro fertilization, a medical procedure in which an egg and sperm are fertilized outside the womb to create an embryo. And while it is as complex as it sounds, it is an accessible – and often very successful – reproductive alternative for couples experiencing infertility. Women with a high chance of IVF success have per-cycle success rates of at least 40%. To put that in perspective, women trying to conceive naturally have per-cycle success rates of closer to 20-35%.
Surrogacy vs. Traditional Pregnancy
When adding a surrogacy component to an infertility solution, there are far higher success rates compared to egg freezing and other types of IVF alone. A few things to remember when considering IVF and surrogacy versus a traditional pregnancy:
- Gestational surrogacy allows for infertile parents to have a child who is genetically related to one or both of them.
- Gestational surrogates carry the embryo created with the mother or donor’s egg and father or donor’s sperm. Traditional surrogacy uses the surrogate’s egg, making her the biological mother. This often creates emotional and legal challenges, and many clinics will not facilitate the arrangement.
- There is a significant cost associated with surrogacy, including medical care and insurance.
- It requires a great deal of trust between the surrogate and the parents-to-be.
Public awareness, along with greater understanding and support of the process, has made it a viable infertility alternative. Even with its complexities, gestational surrogacy is a rewarding journey for everyone involved. To learn more about growing your family through surrogacy, contact our experts or visit conceiveabilities.com.