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How To Start A Family When You Can’t Have Children

Finding out that you are unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy to term can be devastating news, and all individuals and couples will need to take some time to take this in.

If you have been told that there are health complications that will impact your chance of getting pregnant or giving birth safely, it’s important to remember that there are a variety of other options available if you still want to have a family.

How To Start A Family When You Can’t Have Children

While it might not be the route that you had planned to take to start a family, the following options are all worth considering.

IVF

IVF is an option for those who are struggling to conceive from intrauterine insemination.

In these circumstances, IVF can be an effective treatment that will also give you the chance of experiencing the pregnancy if this is something that you want.

As part of this procedure, the egg will be fertilized with the sperm outside of the uterus, and then will be transferred to the uterus.

IVF has worked wonders for a lot of people, but it doesn’t always work and it is expensive.

Donors

If there is a health concern with either you or your partner that means the egg/sperm isn’t viable, using a donor is another option.

Many single parents who want to get pregnant use donors, as do same-sex couples, or anyone who is having difficulty using their sperm or eggs to get pregnant.

You can either have the fertilized egg placed in your womb, or you could use a surrogate.

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a wonderful option for those who can’t carry a pregnancy to term, or perhaps have had a traumatic experience previously and don’t want to risk that experience again.

This is also a common choice for same-sex couples if neither of them can or wants to carry the child.

You can either choose to have traditional surrogacy where the surrogate’s egg is fertilized by the father’s sperm, or you can choose to go with gestational surrogacy, where the child will be the biological child of both parents, not the surrogate.

You can find more information on surrogacy here.

How To Start A Family When You Can’t Have Children

Foster Care and Adoption

If none of the above are the right fit for you, there is always the option of foster care or adoption.

Becoming a foster parent is an incredible thing to do, and it could change your life and the life of a child for the better.

You will become a registered foster carer and a child or teen who needs a home will be placed with you via social services.

You will be responsible for their care, supporting their emotional needs, advocating for them, helping them with school, everything that a parent is responsible for.

You can see more about this process at Foster Care Associates.

It is slightly different from adoption, as you will not legally be that child’s parent.

If you do adopt a child, that will end the legal relationship and obligations of their birth family and you will take on sole responsibility.

Both of these options are brilliant and not only allow you to start your family but create one for these children who need one just as much as you.

Discovering that you can’t have children via IUI can be a very difficult thing to process, but it certainly doesn’t take away your chance to have a beautiful, happy family.

If you or someone you love finds themselves in that position, consider the options above and find one that is right for you.

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