# Advice and guidance for same sex couple wanting to start a family!



## Amynjanine (Apr 14, 2012)

Hello 😊
I'm Amy, I'm 24 and live in manchester, my partner of 3 and a half years and myself are desperate to start a family and need as much help and advice as we can get on where and how to begin the process. We have decided that I would carry and would prefer IUI using donor sperm in an ideal world. 
Any help or advice anybody had to offer on how to get the ball rolling for us would be greatly appreciated guys 😃
Thanks so much xx


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## Jam&amp;Cream (Jan 27, 2013)

Hi Amy & Janine. There's 2 main clinics in manchester, care and manchester fertility. You could give them both a ring and get some information for them both and see which you prefer. We spoke to both initially then decided to use manchester fertility. I don't know whether you'd get any funding for treatment, you could if you have certain medical conditions. If so I'd go to your doctors and see what they say, maybe ask them to refer you. 
Hope this is some help. Best of luck to you both whatever you decide to do. X


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## sarahsuperdork (Mar 12, 2013)

The first step would be to see your GP - you can self-refer to private clinics but it's often easier if you see a GP to discuss your options first. Your GP may then send you for some blood tests to check whether you're ovulating as normal, plus other things, but every area is different. Some GPs will do as much as they can for you before sending you for private treatment, but others are a bit more resistant to doing that. It all depends on how much funding there is in your area. They can then refer you to a private clinic of your choice if you don't have any medical issues that qualify you for NHS treatment.

Wishing you lots of luck starting your journey!


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## mrsww (Sep 1, 2013)

As above, my wife and I were due to do our first IUI at a clinic last week and I didn't ovulate so will try again later this month.

If I could do the process up until this point again, I would
1) Look on hfea website and find closest clinics and whether they will treat me as some have age/weight limits or don't do IUI - it also means you can find out successful results.
2)Contact a few close clinics and get them to send information out this way you should get a price list/
3)See GP and find out what your PCT is for providing fertility treatment.  Can also go online to find this out.  GP should be able to give you advice and you can see how sympathetic they will be.  My GP let me take all my initial blood tests that the clinic told me to take and this saved a couple of hundred of pounds.  My PCT stops funding treatment at 35 and as I'm already 35 its too late, I could have fought this but time is not on my side.
4)Visit a couple of the clinics or go to open evenings to get a feel for the place.  Then choose clinic and they will guide you through the process.
5) Since we had initial consult, I've had an AMH test and the HyCoSy both which NHS don't fund so have had it done at clinic.

The clinic we are using is not known for its "warmness" but my wife and I are ok with this as we can support ourselves.  We wanted a clinic that was on to it and good at communicating, both which unfortunately they not really doing what I would call a good level of service however at this stage we will at least try two times with them and then look into doing IVF if not successful.


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## bk2013 (Aug 15, 2013)

hi *mrsww*
hope you dont mind me asking but do you normally ovulate? i'm only asking because i was under the impression i ovulated and had been checking every month for almost a year but when i came to do all the tests when we started on this journey i found out i don't ovulate which is why we are having iVF rather than IUI.

not meaning to worry you just asking.

good luck
x


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## mrsww (Sep 1, 2013)

Bk - I'm just not sure whether I do or not. The past couple of months I have had some positives, last month nothing and I've got until Tuesday to ovulate before giving up again.  If no positive I've already said to clinic I want apot with consultant and a more monitored cycle next time. So frustrating wasting another month though.  I guess they didn't do further tests as it is possible all is ok but I can't continue to wait around.


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