Assisted reproduction
The ROPA method: shared motherhood
These days, it is common for female couples to turn to an assisted reproduction clinic to try and bring to fruition their desire to have a child. Here at Ginefiv, we have witnessed this social reality and since 1988 we have assisted such couples using techniques such as the ROPA method.
The options that assisted reproduction can offer homosexual women to achieve pregnancy are basically the same as for any other woman, the only difference being that we will always have to recur to the use of a sperm sample from our sperm bank.
Furthermore, same-sex couples can opt to use the ROPA method, also known as reciprocal IVF.
What is the ROPA method?
The ROPA method (Reception of Oocytes from Partner), also called shared motherhood, is an alternative that is increasingly popular with female couples, seeing as it allows both women to actively participate as mothers in the process: the first acts as the genetic mother who provides the egg and the second acts as the child bearer, gestating the baby in her womb.
Dreams that came true
We went to Ginefiv because it worked for a few of my friends and they are mums
now. The prognosis wasn’t very favourable because my ovarian reserve was low, but
the doctor told us that the eggs might be good quality.
I went for my first insemination and it was really emotional knowing that it was virtually impossible that it would happen on the first try, but at the beta test I already
suspected that I was pregnant. And they gave us the news we had been hoping for:
we were pregnant! Yes, it worked on the first go.
Our little Olivia was born nine months later and we couldn’t be more in love
We were advised to get IVF with microinjection and we got good embryos from it.
Three of these ‘little ones’ were transferred to me and I became pregnant with Cristina.
It all went so well and it was so easy that after 15 months we decided to go for a little
brother. It didn’t happen at first but we were lucky on the third try with frozen
embryos and we had our second child, Carolina. We couldn’t be happier
We were fed up with another clinic so we came here and what a good move that
was. I couldn’t get pregnant even after months and months, and the tests showed
there was nothing stopping it.
After a while though, it did happen for us. And even though I spent so long worrying
about my health, thinking about my baby changed my mood completely.
Thank-you all for the hard work.
We were recommended to go to Ginefiv by some friends and after our first visit,
looking at other clinics didn’t even cross our minds.
We went there after 7 years of unsuccessful treatments with the Social Security
healthcare system.
At Ginefiv I got pregnant with the second transfer.
I’ve only got good things to say about Ginefiv and the way they took care of us. We
found the best clinic and doctor in the world
The genetic mother and the gestational mother
Using an IVF treatment, the egg of one of the mothers is fertilised in our lab usingsperm from a donor. Then, the resulting embryo is transferred to the uterus of theother woman. Using the ROPA method like this means that both women have thechance to experience shared motherhood right from the start.
Who should take on each role? This a personal decision for each couple, although it is always worth getting an assessment based on the opinion of an assisted reproduction specialist who can evaluate each case and determine the best option.
For example, if there is a significant age difference, experts recommend that the genetic mother should be the younger woman in order to guarantee that the oocytes have sufficient reproductive potential to achieve pregnancy.
It is also important to check that there is a good ovarian reserve and that the gestational mother has a uterine cavity that is suitable to carry the child with no problems.
What are the phases of the ROPA method?
Once they have decided who will be the gestational mother and who will be the donor mother, the couple can begin their assisted reproduction treatment, which has 5 phases:
Phase 1
Ovarian stimulation
In reciprocal IVF, just like in a conventional IVF treatment, the genetic mother (who provides the eggs) must undergo an ovarian stimulation treatment, which consists of inducing a multiple ovulation by administering hormonal medications.
Ovarian stimulation is a phase in the ROPA method in which the experience of a team such as the one at Ginefiv plays a fundamental role. We perform an exhaustive analysis of your stimulation using ultrasounds and blood tests. Once the follicles have reached the appropriate number and size, we use hormones to induce ovulation and 36 hours after that we perform the egg retrieval.
To guarantee this control, Ginefiv Is open 365 days a year, which helps us adapt to your cycle and not vice versa.
Phase 2
Egg retrieval
Once the oocytes have matured in the ovaries, we then perform egg retrieval: a minor outpatient procedure in which an ultrasound is used as a guide for the vaginal extraction of the mature oocytes from the previous phase.
To do this, the patient is put under light sedation so that they do not feel any discomfort. The retrieval is performed in our surgeries which are equipped with the latest technological advances so as to guarantee the patient’s safety and the success of the process.
Phase 3
Fertilisation and embryo culture
Having obtained the oocytes, they are then fertilised in the lab using donor sperm. To carry out this task, our biologists use the most advanced assisted reproduction technology (IMSI, ICSI, etc.).
Ginefiv has one of the biggest donor sperm banks in Spain, enabling us to select the right donor for the right patient (RDRP system), based on phenotypical criteria and facial similarity. It also allows us to establish genetic compatibility, minimising the risk of the transmission of hereditary diseases.
Controlled embryo culture
The obtained embryos are kept in a culture for 3 to 5 days, during which time they are systematically controlled to verify their correct development and cell division. To cultivate the embryo, Ginefiv uses innovative and advanced incubation techniques to monitor embryo development in real time (in morphokinetic or time-lapse incubators) with systems such as the Embryoscope.
Maximum guarantee of fertilisation
Ginefiv labs are designed to guarantee the environmental conditions which maximise the probability of fertilisation, controlling aspects such as temperature, sterility, pressure, etc.
Phase 4
Embryo transfer
The embryos obtained in the lab are transferred into the patient’s uterus (generally between the 3rd and 5th day after the retrieval process) and the surplus embryos, if any, are frozen in latest generation banks that are designed to avoid cross- contamination.
The transfer is a rapid, painless process which does not require anaesthesia and which is performed using ultrasound as the guide for a very narrow tube which inserted vaginally to the base of the uterus to deposit the embryos
PHASE 5
Confirmation of pregnancy
If the result of the free Beta hCG test (a blood test) is positive, 7-10 days later we will perform an ultrasound to check the gestational sack. If everything goes well, it is at this point when you can continue monitoring your pregnancy with your usual gynaecologist.
ROPA and egg donation
Additionally, in cases where there is some circumstance which advocates not using the patient’s own eggs, there is also the possibility of recurring to oocyte donation or embryo adoption.
