How to Build a Family in 2025

With every new year comes hopes and aspirations, and for many people, this includes building a family. 

Whether you’re just starting your fertility journey, have experienced fertility challenges, or would like to grow your family as a single parent or LGBTQ+ couple, RISE Fertility can help you with your path to parenthood in 2025. 

Learn to Predict Ovulation

If you’re trying to conceive, one of the most important things you can do is learn to predict ovulation. Your egg only survives for 12-24 hours after ovulation, so it must be fertilized by sperm within that time in order for conception to occur. Fortunately, you have a little longer to prepare for ovulation because sperm can survive in the female reproductive tract for about five days. This means you have approximately six days during each cycle when you can get pregnant (your fertile window).

You’ll have the best chance of becoming pregnant if you learn to time intercourse with your fertile window. There are several helpful methods you can use, including tracking your cycle on a calendar, measuring your basal body temperature, monitoring your cervical mucus, and using ovulation test kits. 

Learn more here.

Make Fertility-Friendly Choices

When thinking about how to build a family in 2025, it’s important to think about your lifestyle. Many aspects of your lifestyle can impact your fertility, so it’s wise for both partners to make these fertility-friendly choices when trying to conceive:

• Eat fertility-friendly foods
• Take a prenatal vitamin
• Get plenty of folic acid
• Stop using tobacco and other drugs
• Cut back on alcohol use, and don’t drink when trying to conceive
• Consume less caffeine
• Don’t expose testicles to heat
• Engage in regular, moderate-intensity exercise
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• Manage your stress
• Get enough sleep

Know When to Seek Help

While learning to predict ovulation and making fertility-friendly choices may help you on your fertility journey, sometimes, they’re not enough for you to get pregnant. It’s important to know when to seek help. 

Most couples who have regular unprotected sex will become pregnant within a year. But if you’ve been trying to conceive for 12 months without success, you should seek help from a fertility specialist. If you’re over 35, you should seek help after six months of trying.

If you have any known medical conditions that may impact your fertility, are experiencing irregular menstrual cycles, or have a history of two or more miscarriages, it’s also a good idea to see a fertility specialist.

Get a Fertility Assessment

A fertility assessment is a great way to get an idea of your current reproductive health so you can make informed choices about how to build your family. Whether you’re struggling with infertility or simply want to learn more about your fertility, getting a fertility assessment is beneficial and may help you learn the following:

• Whether your fallopian tubes are open
• If you have a hormonal imbalance
• Whether there are problems with your sperm health or sperm count
• Whether you are ovulating
• If you have an adequate ovarian reserve
• Whether your reproductive organs are healthy and functioning properly

About IUI

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a minimally-invasive procedure where medication is used to help trigger ovulation. When you’re close to ovulating, your doctor inserts sperm directly into the uterus, and you’re monitored to see if you become pregnant.

IUI is a great option if you have ovulatory problems, low sperm count, or sperm motility problems. It’s also a perfect choice if you wish to use donor sperm. 

IUI is less invasive and less expensive than IVF, so many couples try IUI before IVF. Your doctor can help you decide whether IUI is right for you. 

About IVF

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is one of the most common fertility treatments available. IVF involves taking medication to stimulate multiple eggs to mature, retrieving those eggs, combining them with sperm to create embryos, and then transferring an embryo to the uterus. 

When you choose IVF, you also have the opportunity to do genetic testing on your embryos prior to transfer. This allows your doctor to screen for genetic diseases and choose the healthiest embryos, giving you your best chance of becoming pregnant and having a healthy baby. 

LGBTQ+ Family Building Options

There are more options today for LGBTQ+ Family Building than ever before, and new technology continues to create more paths to parenthood. IUI and IVF with donor sperm are excellent options for same-sex female partners, while IUI or IVF with surrogacy is a great choice for same-sex male partners. 

Reciprocal IVF is another option for same-sex female partners who both wish to have a biological connection to their child. During reciprocal IVF, one partner undergoes egg retrieval to create an embryo with donor sperm, while the other partner carries the embryo.

For transgender persons, IUI, IVF, or surrogacy are all options. If you plan to transition and would like to have biological children, it’s important to talk to your doctor about fertility preservation options. 

Third-Party Options

Donor eggs and sperm provide a path to parenthood for individuals desiring to be single parents, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those who cannot use their own eggs or sperm. 

If you’re unable to carry a pregnancy, working with a gestational carrier may be the perfect solution. Talk to your doctor to learn more. 

Build Your Family With RISE

At RISE Fertility, we offer a variety of fertility diagnostics and treatments to give our patients the best chance of ending their fertility journey in baby steps. Schedule a fertility consult to learn how RISE can help you build a family in 2025.