Fertility and Conception Midwifery Care

I offer midwifery-style care for fertility, pre-conception, and insemination services. This means the care is in your own comfortable home space, informed consent is deeply woven into my care, we move forward at the pace you choose and are comfortable with, and I am on call for ovulation-timed care rather than trying to make fertility windows fit into standard clinic hours.

IN-HOME INSEMINATION CARE (ICI AND IUI)

When you are ready to try and get pregnant, I offer in-home insemination services in the midwifery care model.

Timing is one of the most important elements of conception, and in most situations it is ideal for insemination to take place within 12 hours of ovulation, so I am on call for insemination services and can provide this care outside of typical business or clinic hours.

I provide two types of insemination services—ICIs (intracervical insemination) and IUIs (intrauterine insemination).*

ICIs

ICIs (intracervical inseminations) are where the semen or sperm are deposited within your cervix with a needle-less syringe.

An ICI can be done with:

  • fresh samples that contain sperm and seminal fluid

  • prepared and washed samples containing only sperm, such as from the sperm bank

  • unwashed samples from sperm bank

IUIs

IUIs (intrauterine inseminations) are where washed and prepared sperm are deposited directly in your uterus with a thin tube called a catheter.

IUI requires washed and prepared sperm, where the seminal fluid has been washed away. Washed sperm is necessary because an IUI is bypassing the body’s systems of separating sperm and seminal fluid at the cervix. Using unwashed sperm for an IUI can cause intense abdominal cramping and pain.

Donor sperm from a sperm bank is most often washed and ready for an IUI, but the sample will be marked when you purchase it as appropriate for either ICI or IUI.

If you are using a fresh semen sample or unwashed sperm from a bank, I can provide the sperm washing along with your IUI for an additional fee.

*If you are interested in an IVI (intravaginal insemination), a.k.a. the “turkey baster” approach, this is something that many people find easy to do at home without the help of a professional. I am happy to discuss the best approach with you beforehand or, if you do not feel comfortable doing this on your own, discuss helping you in person.

FEES

My fees for in-home insemination care are:

In-home ICI/IUI: $300 each

2nd ICI/IUI in the SAME cycle: $150

Sperm washing: $100 each

As a starting point for our conversation about fees, please look over my payment and fees guidelines to learn more about my sliding scale and barter options.

PRE-CONCEPTION, FERTILITY, AND CONCEPTION OPTIONS CONSULTATIONS

If you are planning or already trying to get pregnant, I offer pre-conception fertility care and conception options counseling. We can discuss:

  • Ways to support your body in maximizing the chances of conception through ideal cycle timing, nutrition, sleep, smoking cessation, and recommendations for complementary care such as acupuncture and herbs.

  • How to chart your cycles, look over previously charted cycles together, and/or discuss timing of insemination or intercourse with ovulation.

  • If you are exploring different options for getting pregnant, including donor sperm, donor eggs, sperm banks vs. known donors, medicated vs. unmedicated cycles, or various insemination options, I offer support in talking through the possibilities to help you find what fits best for your family.

  • If one or both of people contributing eggs and/or sperm to conception has been on estrogen, progesterone, and/or testosterone hormones, we can discuss the timing and process of stopping hormones prior to conception.

I am happy to provide counseling care via video call for folks who are not in my service area.

FEES

My fees for fertility and conception consults are:

Initial 1.5 hour consult: $150

Additional half-hour consults: $50 each

As a starting point for our conversation about fees, please look over my payment and fees guidelines to learn more about my sliding scale and barter options.

LGBTQ-Centered Conception Support

For many families, the childbearing year begins long before a positive pregnancy test. Our fertility care spans from individuals just beginning to explore their conception options to those seeking holistic fertility support to regulate cycle and determine optimal conception timing and families ready to conceive through IUI at home.

We approach fertility care from a Health At Every Size (HAES) perspective, and we specialize in working individuals with PCOS and transgender people who have previously used hormone affirming therapy. We provide home IUI within 30 minutes of Philadelphia and office IUI for folks outside our service area. We also offer virtual fertility appointments for clients outside the service area.

Empowered Preconception Care

At your 90 minute fertility consultation, we will thoroughly review your medical history, screening for common causes of infertility and working together to create an individualized plan to optimize your fertility through nutrition, lifestyle changes, supplements and herbs. We can review your charting if you have already started, and we will help you learn about detecting and tracking fertility signs in your body to optimize intercourse or insemination timing. we can also order any relevant lab work.

Following your visit, we will be available to you for three months over phone and email to review your cycle charting, follow-up on lab work, and checking in about your personalized fertility plan. We charge $150 for preconception visits.

Home IUI

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a simple procedure where washed sperm in placed in the uterus to achieve pregnancy. IUI increases the chances of conception when using frozen sperm.

Families choosing home IUI get all of the perks of home birth midwifery – a personal relationship with your midwife, the comfort of being in your own home, and care uniquely tailored to your family’s needs. A preconception visit is required to utilize home IUI services. The cost of home IUI is $250.

Who Chooses Midwife-led Fertility Care

“Older” parents, transgender parents, queer families, single parents, non-traditional families, individuals who’s needs aren’t being met by mainstream approach to fertility and conception, and everyone in need of respectful fertility care.