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Single Parents

Single parents come to Fertility Centers of Illinois for reproductive assistance for many reasons. Whether you want a biological child or need assistance from donor egg or sperm our medical team has the resources and experience to help you achieve your goals.
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Single Parents by Choice

There are many treatment options available to single parents, whether using donor sperm or a known donor, or using more advanced treatment options if your physician discovers infertility. In addition to clinical resources to help you become pregnant, our support team is also available to help you prepare and adjust emotionally, through individual counseling sessions or through free monthly support groups that meet virtually every month.

It All Starts with a Conversation

You’ll start by scheduling an initial doctor consultation and medical exam, which will help your physician assess your fertility. If you have any concerns that could cause reproductive challenges, we will identify and address them, so you know your options for starting a family. Your doctor consultation can be virtual or in-person, but you will need to get any fertility testing done at one of our clinics.

Step 1: Schedule an Appointment

You’ll start by coming in for an initial doctor consultation and medical exam, which will help your physician assess your fertility goals.

Step 2: Fertility Testing

If you are interested in having a biological child, we will do some baseline fertility testing which consists of bloodwork and vaginal ultrasound.

Step 3: Choose an Egg or Sperm Donor

Do you want to use the sperm of someone you know, or select a donor from an egg or sperm bank?

Choosing an Egg or Sperm Donor

Do you want to use the sperm of someone you know, or select a donor from an egg or sperm bank? Once your treatment plan is in place, it will be time to make that important decision. We can offer psychological support as you consider the right plan for you; many people also find it helpful to talk to a close friend or trusted family member, or to people who have been in these shoes before who can share their experiences.

If you decide to use the egg or sperm of someone you know, you can either arrange an appointment for your known donor to come in to our center, or arrange to have frozen egg or sperm shipped to us. We recommend that he undergo a complete medical screening so that you are aware of any genetic issues she or he may have.

Her egg/his sperm will then be collected, frozen, and quarantined until his or her health can be retested 180 days later. When considering using a known donor, it is wise to get legal counseling regarding the laws in your state so you can ensure your child’s best interests are protected.

If you decide to use an egg or sperm donor, know that we work closely with accredited egg and sperm banks. Most of these egg and sperm banks will allow you to browse or search donors by characteristics such as height, ethnicity, education, eye color, or blood type. You may then purchase an in-depth profile.

Note: Before you purchase an egg or sperm, be sure to find out what preparation you will need for the procedures in your treatment plan.

I had done it all – finished college, completed grad school, traveled the world, had a successful career, and bought a house. Just shy of 40 years old, I still hadn’t found Mr. Right. But I didn’t want to give up on my dream of becoming a mother. So I decided to do it on my own.

– Anonymous Patient

Single Mothers By Choice

There are several treatment options for single mother, and the path you choose will depend largely on personal preferences and fertility assessment.

Single women should consider:

  • If sperm donor is needed or if there is a known donor you would like to use
  • If there are any underlying health issues that could affect the process

Single Fathers By Choice

Our doctors, nurses and Center for Collaborative Reproduction work closely together to help you navigate the donor and surrogacy process.

Single fathers should consider:

  • If there is an egg donor needed or if you have a known donor you would like to use
  • If the gestational carrier someone known or if they will be identified through an agency

Emotional Support for Single Parents

Our support team is available to help you prepare and adjust emotionally, through individual counseling sessions or through free monthly support groups.

Patient Stories

Smiling mom wearing a black and white striped long sleeve top holding her baby wearing a tan sweater.

Patient Story

Sarah

Mom and dad kissing baby's cheeks

Patient Story

Kelli

Smiling mom and dad holding newborn baby girl.

Patient Story

Lindsay

Smiling family with pregnant mom in the center. Star and heart shaped balloons surround the family.

Patient Story

Kelly & Gary

FAQ

Legal contracts are put in place to ensure that intended parents are the legal guardians of the child once it is born and that donors and gestational carriers do not hold any legal medical or financial responsibility for the child. FCI strongly recommends that you work only with attorneys who have a background in reproductive law. Click here for a list of legal resources.

When using a known donor, the donor and couple are advised to have separate legal counsel and sign a legal contract that defines the financial obligations and rights of the donor with respect to the donated egg, sperm, embryo, or uterus.

To utilize an egg donor candidate with the FCI in-house anonymous egg donor program, you are required to seek counsel by a reproductive attorney from the attorney recommendation list.

When using a gestational carrier in Illinois, the surrogacy contract is enforceable through the Gestational Surrogacy Act. Although Illinois is a surrogacy-friendly state with a very detailed process for establishing legal guardianship between a child and its intended parents when using a gestational surrogate, not all state laws offer so much protection for intended parents. In some states intended parents are required to go through an adoption process after the gestational carrier has delivered the child.

There is a screening process for all egg and sperm donors. Screening includes a review of family history, medical testing, and psychological testing. The donor may also undergo genetic testing.

Gestational carriers go through a screening process that includes a review of family history, medical testing, and psychological testing. The gestational carrier must have already held a healthy pregnancy. For added security, there is the option to include details in legal contracts regarding the expected behavior of the carrier to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

All egg and sperm donors need to be cleared by the FDA to ensure the individual doesn’t have any physical or mental illness that could pose a risk to the baby or gestational carrier. This process is already taken care of if you are using an egg or sperm bank but will need to be completed if you are using a known donor.

In instances where a gestational carrier is used, the individual providing egg or sperm will need to be cleared by the FDA to ensure there is no physical or mental illness that could pose a risk to the baby or gestational carrier.

Psychological evaluation is also required for the known donor and the couple to ensure the relationship is preserved after the birth of the child.

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