Eight years ago, when they met as grad students at UCONN, Lisa and Julia Famularo were already dreaming about a life with children. “We discovered very early in our relationship that we both wanted children,” says Lisa, “It’s actually something we talked about before we even started dating, to make sure it was something we both agreed on.” So after getting married last year, they turned their attention to their next journey; building a family together.
As a same-sex couple, the Famularos knew they would need some help to conceive through fertility services. And choosing the right medical partner to do that was important to them. “I had a co-worker who had just gone through IVF at the Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, and she had a really great experience there,” said Lisa, “So it was one of the first places we reached out for a conversation.”
Working with a clinic that is welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community was key to their decision to use the Center. In her work at the legislature, Julia had worked with doctors and others from the Center who were advocating for changing health care policies to cover fertility services by insurance carriers. “So it made an impression to work with people who are also advocating for your care to be provided and covered.”
Once they made the decision to use the Center for their care, Julia and Lisa had many questions. They had no experience with pregnancy or fertility services, or really any phases of the process, “Dr. DiLuigi was really good at starting from the beginning and explaining things in detail; she answered a lot of our questions before we even asked — it was one of my favorite things about working with her,” says Lisa.
After their new patient consultation, the couple made a plan with Dr. DiLuigi to ensure the best possible chance of conceiving. Julia underwent an ultrasound and a few other procedures to make sure her body was ready for fertility and to clear away any concerns, delays or risks. “It was really helpful to go through all those steps to create the best possible outcome,” says Lisa. The couple did two rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI) and conceived on the second round. “We were very lucky — we almost couldn’t believe it. We found out with a home pregnancy test, but we did three sets of blood work to confirm and then we were finally convinced!”
Having the opportunity to work with a center that is welcoming and experienced with the unique needs of LGBTQ+ couples was an important part of Julia and Lisa’s journey. “We felt very welcomed at The Center; we were asked for relevant information and the staff was very considerate to be affirming of us throughout the whole experience.”