ADOPTION & ART ATTORNEYS IN MARYLAND, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA & VIRGINIA
Family Formation Blog
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
In the journey of family-building, assisted reproduction technology (ART) offers a beacon of hope for many intended parents.
When they want to grow their family, many aspiring parents use a surrogate. A surrogate carries a baby to term on behalf of the parents. Upon birth, paperwork is filed to transfer all rights to the parents.
When you are using the help of a surrogate to grow your family, having a good relationship is key. Most surrogates are retained through a private service that makes introductions between surrogates and the prospective parents. There may be several rounds of interviews to get to know each other.
A surrogacy arrangement describes any legal arrangement where a surrogate mother carries a pregnancy on behalf of an intended parent or parents. Surrogacy can take many different forms.
A known sperm donor agreement (“KspDA”) is used when prospective parents want to make an agreement with a person known to them for sperm donation services. Sperm donation helps parents conceive in any case where the male partner is infertile or among same-sex female couples.
Even if you know someone who has agreed to serve as a surrogate mother for your future child – and even if that person doesn’t reside in your state – it’s still essential to find an attorney you can trust to help you through the process in your home state.
Egg donation happens when a donor gives her eggs to another person(s) to allow the recipient to become pregnant or to use with a surrogate. An egg donor may be someone known to the recipient or could be connected through the IVF clinic or an Egg Donor Program. To donate, the donor must be given medication to develop multiple eggs over a single cycle.
Surrogacy is a long journey for both the Intended Parents and the surrogate mother. It takes much longer than nine months – many Intended Parents work toward the dream of growing their family for years.
Every surrogacy process needs to include a surrogacy contract. The contract lays out the responsibilities and rights of all the parties to the surrogacy. While the idea of a contract can sometimes be intimidating, it is for the best when everyone knows exactly what to expect!
Wondering about the egg donation process? Here are some common questions and answers.
Although conceiving a child becomes more challenging with age, women of any age or background can experience fertility issues. Infertility may be a problem even when there are no other underlying health conditions. Genetic factors might be at play if a close female relative has had similar concerns.Infertility can be an intimidating problem to face. That said, millions of women all over the United States have successfully conceived after appropriate fertility treatments. Which fertility healthcare approach is right for you will depend on your current health status and goals. Let’s look at the key steps involved in treating infertility: 1. Talk to Your OB/GYN Almost all discussions about fertility start with the OB/GYN. If you currently wish to get pregnant, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends trying for a full year if you are under age 35 and for at least six months if you are over 35.Your OB/GYN will discuss your medical history and any known genetic factors or contributing conditions that may affect conception and pregnancy. Generally, this results in a referral to a fertility specialist. You may see a specialist sooner if you or your partner experience any of the following: ● Problems with sperm quality or motility ● Endometriosis● Uterine, tubal, or peritoneal disease ● Infrequent or absent periods 2. Fertility Specialist Consultation and Screening Before fertility treatments, most patients should undergo a series of screening tests to ensure that no undiagnosed conditions are interfering with conception. Tests will generally be used to rule out PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), uterine fibroids, endocrine imbalances, or metabolic issues. Treatment recommendations focus on the findings of these tests and any other known factors. Some of the above conditions are treatable with medication. Others may require surgery. Patients can receive guidance on timing their attempts to conceive so they fall within the maximum fertility window. 3. Infertility Treatment Options In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most common and successful fertility treatments in the U.S. today. However, it is not always the first option explored. Many women opt for intrauterine insemination, or IUI. This involves inserting sperm directly into the uterus at the appropriate time in the woman’s cycle. IUI has a success rate as high as 20% per cycle. However, IUI is much less likely to be effective after the third cycle. At this stage, many women look to IVF. During IVF, medication is used to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The eggs are then retrieved and fertilized in the lab. Finally, the fertilized embryos are re-implanted. When using the patient’s own egg, IVF has an extremely high success rate: ● 35 and under: 48.5% ● 35-37: 47% ● 38-40: 35.8% ● Over 40: 20.1% The likelihood of success continues to grow with multiple cycles of IVF. In a recent study involving 157,000 women with a median age of 35, nearly a third of the participants became pregnant as a result of their first IVF cycle. The success rate was nearly 70% for women who had six IVF cycles. 4. Other Family-Building Options While IVF is the best fertility treatment available for many patients, it is not right for everyone. Some women may not wish to undergo surgical procedures. If this describes you, you might wish to consider other family-building approaches, such as adoption. Every year, thousands of families grow by bringing a child in need of a loving home into their lives. If desired, you can also explore surrogacy. Gestational surrogates may use the father’s sperm, mother’s egg, or both.
Are you considering pregnancy with help from a sperm donor you know? This can be one of the simplest and most affordable options to assist you in growing your family. With a known sperm donor, you do not need to pay fees associated with donor matching to a fertility clinic or sperm bank. You won’t face delays waiting for a donor match, either. A sperm donor you know is referred to as a “directed” or “known” donor. A sperm donor is used in a wide variety of situations: ● Sperm abnormality (such as low sperm count) in a heterosexual partnership ● Desire to avoid passing on a health condition in a heterosexual partnership ● Desire to become pregnant after vasectomy or prostate cancer treatment ● Lesbian couples who wish to use a donor they know personally ● Single women who wish to become parents without a partner Making the Right Decision About a Known Donor With a known donor, you don’t need to worry about being matched up with an anonymous sperm donor through a cryobank or fertility clinic. That said, it is still important to take steps to protect each of you: Yourself, your future child, and the donor. When a known donor agrees to be a part of your fertility journey, it is a wise idea to get in touch with an assisted reproductive law attorney. A known donor agreement (KDA) spells out the rights and expectations of each party – such as whether the donor will be known to the child, get updates, and so on. There may be other issues you want to discuss with your donor and get in writing: ● Whether you will expect him to get a check-up or take any genetic screening tests ● How you will receive, maintain, and ultimately destroy any of his health records ● The process you’ll undertake for paying fees or expenses related to his donation Once you are sure you are on the same page, you can move forward with your fertility plan! Known Sperm Donors and Intrauterine Insemination To donate sperm, a man will need to work with a fertility clinic. It may take more than one visit, as the clinic must evaluate the samples provided to ensure sperm health and motility. If any issues are found, the donor will follow up to learn more about the situation and the options for treatment. Once a sperm sample is provided, it can be frozen for future use. Many men freeze their sperm so they can use it for a later pregnancy – this is often done in the twenties. Under appropriate conditions, the sperm can be safely stored for many years, although some loss may occur over time. Since sperm samples must be carefully preserved using cryogenic technology, a sample from a known donor is not usually taken until you are within a few days of weeks of beginning your pregnancy journey. After the sample is collected, the next step is typically intrauterine insemination (IUI). Intrauterine insemination is a much faster and less invasive procedure than in vitro fertilization. It works by placing sperm cells directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation. This ensures that the sperm have a shorter distance to travel to reach and fertilize an egg cell, resulting in conception. From there, the pregnancy continues as normal. The bond between an expectant mother and a known donor is often a special one. No matter how long you’ve known each other, however, it’s important to set out everything in writing.