Treatment that may help you have a baby includes:
- medicine or hormone treatment
- surgery
- specialist fertility treatment such as IVF
Getting fertility treatment
The first step to get tests or treatment is to talk to your GP. Your GP may give you advice about lifestyle changes that could help you get pregnant.
They may also refer you for tests or treatment. If you meet criteria for a referral, your GP may refer you to a fertility hub.
Specialist fertility treatment has other access criteria.
Getting IVF and other specialist treatment through the HSE
If you do not meet criteria for HSE services, your GP can talk to you about your options.
You can also get treatment privately. You need to pay for private treatment. But if you have health insurance, the insurance may pay for part of it.
Lifestyle changes to improve your fertility
Your GP or fertility specialist may recommend you make lifestyle changes to improve your chances of having a baby.
They may recommend that you:
- have healthy weight
- get help to quit smoking if you smoke
- stop or reduce alcohol use - tips for drinking less
- stop any illegal or performance enhancing substances such as anabolic steroids
- find ways to cope with stress
How to improve your chances of getting pregnant
Having enough sex
Your GP or specialist will ask how often you have sex. If you do not have sex often enough, your GP or specialist will recommend having regular sex. Regular sex means having sex every 2 to 3 days.
Types of fertility treatment
Your specialist will discuss your treatment options with you when they get your test results.
Fertility treatment for women
Surgery or medicine can treat causes of fertility problems in women.
Fertility treatment for men
Surgery and medicine may be used to treat the cause of fertility problems in men.
IVF and other specialist fertility treatment
If you cannot get pregnant through sex, you may be able to get:
- IVF
- intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) - a type of IVF
- intrauterine insemination (IUI)
These are treatments that can help you have a baby. The treatments are sometimes called assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments.
A specialist will decide if treatment is suitable for you. If you meet access criteria, you can get fertility treatment for free through the HSE.
You can also get IVF and other fertility treatment privately. You need to pay for private treatment. But if you have health insurance, they may pay for part of it.
Free IVF and specialist treatment
To get free IVF, ICSI and IUI treatment through the HSE, you need:
- a GP or consultant to refer you to a regional fertility hub
- to meet the access criteria for specialist treatment
- your specialist to decide that you need this treatment
IVF
IVF is where eggs are fertilised with sperm in a laboratory. The eggs and sperm can be yours, your partner's or from a donor.
When an egg is fertilised, it is called an embryo. Usually, a number of embryos are produced. A specialist selects the best embryo to put in the womb of the person getting pregnant. Sometimes they put 2 embryos in the womb.
ICSI
ICSI is similar to IVF. The main difference is sperm is injected directly into an egg.
Doctors use ICSI:
- for some sperm problems
- if the problem with getting pregnant is because the sperm cannot get inside the egg
IUI
IUI involves inserting sperm into the womb. The sperm can be your partner's sperm or sperm from a donor. IUI is done around the time of ovulation. A doctor inserts the sperm using a small plastic tube.
Sometimes you may need to take medicine before the procedure. The medicine helps to stimulate ovulation.
If your partner is male and his semen analysis results were within normal limits, his sperm can be used.
Your partner normally produces the sample by masturbation before the procedure. Your healthcare team will tell you how to produce the best sperm sample possible.
Having a baby with donor sperm or eggs
You may need to use donor eggs or sperm if:
- doctors advise you not to use your own for health reasons such as genetic problems
- you have no eggs
- you have no sperm
- you are LGBT+
- you are single
If you need donor eggs or sperm, you cannot get this treatment through the HSE.
There are no egg or sperm banks in Ireland. You need to get donor eggs or sperm from another country.
Egg donation
If you do not produce any eggs, you may be able to use eggs from a donor.
A female donor is treated with fertility medicines to stimulate ovulation. Her eggs are collected and fertilised with sperm from your partner or donor sperm. The embryos are placed into your womb, like in IVF.
Your fertility specialist can advise you if this is the right choice for you.
Sperm donation
Sperm donation is where a man donates sperm for IUI or for IVF.
This sperm is produced by a donor and is usually stored in a sperm bank.
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is when someone has a baby for another person.
People may use surrogacy if they:
- cannot get pregnant due to problems with the womb
- were advised not to get pregnant for health reasons
- are in a same-sex male couple
- are a single man
There are no laws in Ireland around surrogacy and it is not available through the HSE.
Ask your GP about your options if you are interested in having a baby through surrogacy.
Surrogacy in Ireland - citizensinformation.ie
Success rates
How likely you are to get pregnant after any type of fertility treatment depends on:
- your age
- the cause of your fertility problems
Stress and fertility treatment
Dealing with fertility problems and fertility treatment can be very stressful. If you have a partner, try to talk about your feelings with them.
You can get support to help you before, during and after fertility treatment. For example, counselling or a peer-to-peer support group.