How can I become a mother if I don´t have partner?
In recent years, motherhood has been seen in a more liberal way and has also been breaking old taboos, a question that many women ask themselves is «How can I become a mother if I don´t have partner?» It is undoubtedly one of the most important changes in the growing number of women who decide to become mothers without a partner.
As time goes by, women have a higher social positioning and better financial independence, two things which help many females decide to become single mothers with the help of assisted reproduction techniques. It’s not an easy decision, but there is an increasing number of women who make their dreams of motherhood come true without a partner.
At URE Centro Gutenberg we can say that we are very proud to see that this trend is continuing to grow, and each year we see a greater number of women who wish to enter into motherhood without the need for a partner. You can read the story of one of our courageous patients here.
What treatment options do I have to become a mother if I don’t have a partner?
There are different assisted reproduction techniques that make it possible for single women to conceive.
First of all, an initial evaluation is always performed by a specialist at the first fertility consultation. At this first appointment, the specialist advises the patient regarding the best technique in their particular case once the patient’s age, ovarian reserve, etc. have been assessed. We should point out that this initial evaluation is completely cost-free at our clinic.
The law on assisted reproduction that has been in effect in Spain since 2006 allows the use of these techniques on any female aged 18 or older who has the full capacity to act and to give her written consent freely and expressly.
We’re going to talk about the different treatment options here:
Artificial Insemination
Artificial insemination is a simple technique that involves depositing donor sperm inside the patient’s uterus around the time of ovulation.
This is a valid technique for young women who have regular cycles and a good ovarian reserve.
In Vitro Fertilization
In vitro fertilisation requires carrying out the process of ovarian stimulation with the help of hormone treatment; after this, egg collection is performed using a simple technique called ovarian puncture or egg retrieval process. Following egg retrieval the patient’s eggs will be fertilised in the laboratory with donor sperm to obtain embryos; the top quality embryo will be selected for transfer to the uterus.
This is the most highly recommended treatment and is a valid technique for women who are not suitable candidates for artificial insemination due to their age and/or ovarian reserve.
Double Donor IVF
This treatment consists in using donor eggs and donor sperm.
It is the best alternative for patients who cannot use their own eggs due to advanced maternal age or prior surgeries involving the ovaries, among other reasons.
Embryo donation
This treatment involves the transfer of an embryo that has come from a couple who already achieved a pregnancy and does not wish to have any more children, so they decided to donate their remaining embryos to other women and couples with fertility issues. This is an alternative to double donor IVF.
How are the sperm donors selected?
Sperm donors are young, anonymous volunteers who undergo rigorous medical testing and a selection process.
The donor selection process is very strict and mainly focuses on sperm quality to achieve good pregnancy rates, on the absence of sexually transmitted diseases and on the absence of hereditary genetic abnormalities.
Selection of the sperm sample to be used in each case will be decided in accordance with the patient’s physical and immune characteristics so that the baby will have features that are very similar to the mother’s.
