Fertility workup
Once you have found a fertility clinic, you need a basic fertility workup to ensure that nothing indicates that you have a medical condition that may complicate conceiving. For men, they should have a semen analysis, and for women, they should have their female hormones checked and have a pelvic ultrasound. These tests will give a good overview of your fertility before starting fertility treatment.
Fertility treatment options for men
The path to parenthood looks different for single men and women. For males, it will involve seeking an egg donor and gestational carrier. Some men may know someone willing to donate their eggs (known donor) and carry the pregnancy (known carrier). Others will need to go through an egg donor agency and surrogate agency to secure these. In vitro fertilization (IVF) will be used to create an embryo with your sperm and the donor egg. Once an embryo is created, it is implanted into the gestational carrier’s uterus in hopes that it will grow into a viable pregnancy.
Fertility treatment options for women
Women can pursue parenthood through intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. The first step with either is choosing a sperm donor obtained through a sperm bank.
IUI is usually the preferred treatment option since it is a less invasive procedure and less costly. We inject the sperm inside the woman’s uterus during an IUI to facilitate fertilization. If you are unsuccessful after numerous IUI attempts, you may need to move on to donor sperm with IVF.
IVF is a more involved process where we take the woman’s eggs and mix them with the man’s sperm in the lab to create embryos. The embryo is then transferred back into the female’s uterus and will hopefully develop into a viable pregnancy. If IVF is unsuccessful or the female is advanced maternal age, there are options of donor egg or donor embryo.
Fertility treatment cost considerations
Fertility treatment can be expensive, and it is important to make sure you have taken into account the cost of treatment. Unfortunately, you cannot predict if you will be successful on your first attempt with fertility treatment. When planning for the price of fertility treatment, it is good to anticipate needing more than one round of treatment. There are several ways to pay for fertility treatment, including loans and grants, so research your options. If you are seeking treatments in Michigan, visit the fertility treatment cost page or the cost of IVF blog page.
Self-care during the fertility treatment process
Since you do not have a partner to help with this process, it is essential that you take care of yourself. Here are a few tips:
Make sure you have a reliable support system. Just because you don’t have a partner doesn’t mean you don’t have family, friends, and co-workers wanting to be there for you. Having someone to talk to during the fertility treatment process can be beneficial. Several online and local support groups are available if you need additional support.
- Stay organized. Fertility treatment can be a lot. Keep track of all appointments and paperwork related to your treatment so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
- Take care of yourself physically. Make sure you get enough sleep, be active, and eat a balanced diet.
- Take care of yourself mentally. Do things for your mental health, like yoga, meditation, or anything you enjoy.
- Stay positive. Choosing to become a single parent can be stressful. Still, it is essential to stay positive and know that your dream of having a child is attainable.
Pursuing fertility treatment as a single parent by choice can be intimidating. However, our team at RMA of Michigan, known as one of the premier fertility clinics in Michigan, is here to help guide you through the process. If you want to schedule a consultation with RMA of Michigan, don’t hesitate to contact our office at (248) 294-0190.
