More and more female couples are turning to assisted reproduction to fulfil their desire to start a family. The different options available include artificial insemination and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with donor sperm, as well as the Reception of Oocytes from the Partner (ROPA) method, a technique that allows both women to take an active role in the birth of their child.
What is the ROPA method?
The ROPA method is an IVF technique designed specifically for female couples who wish to share motherhood.
During treatment:
- One of the women provides the eggs, which are fertilised in the laboratory with donor sperm.
- The embryo is transferred to the uterus of the other woman, who will carry the pregnancy and give birth.
In this way, one woman contributes the genetic material and the other provides the environment in which the embryo will develop throughout pregnancy, making genuine shared motherhood possible.
The role of epigenetics
For a long time, it was thought that a baby's characteristics depended exclusively on the genetic information provided by the egg and the sperm. However, we now know that pregnancy also plays a fundamental role in embryonic development.
Epigenetics studies how certain factors can influence gene expression without modifying the inherited genetic information.
During pregnancy, the uterine environment, nutrition, the mother's health status and her wellbeing create the conditions in which the embryo develops and can influence the way certain genes are expressed.
What does this mean in the ROPA method?
In the ROPA method , the gestational mother does not contribute genetic material, but she does play an essential role during pregnancy.
From the earliest stages of development, there is constant communication between the embryo and the maternal organism. Through epigenetic mechanisms, the gestational mother can influence how certain genes are expressed during pregnancy, actively participating in the growth and development of the future baby.
This knowledge helps us understand that pregnancy goes far beyond genetic transmission and reinforces the concept of shared motherhood, as both mothers participate in different but equally important ways in the beginning of their future child's life.
A bond that begins from day one
Understanding the role of epigenetics helps many couples experience this process with greater peace of mind and strengthen the emotional bond during pregnancy, especially for the gestational mother.
At Barcelona IVF , we support each couple in a personalised way throughout the entire reproductive process. The ROPA method is an example of how reproductive medicine can adapt to different family models, offering treatments that allow motherhood to be shared from the very beginning of pregnancy.
