Queer and Trans Centered Fertility & Family Building
Who We Serve
Queer Families, Transgender People, Heterosexual Families, Solo Parents To Be, Poly Families
What is Midwife Fertility and IUI Care?
Midwife-led fertility care is a queer centered, personalized approach to growing your family.
I’ll help you learn how to identify your fertile window and pinpoint ovulation so we can choose the best timing for IUI or self insemination. We can also talk through donor sperm, sperm banks, cycle tracking, testing, stopping gender affirming hormones to use your fertility, and other decisions that may come up along the way.
This care is a partnership. You are the expert on your body and health. I bring my experience in fertility awareness, IUI, and LGBTQ+ family building to help you understand your options and make informed decisions about what feels right for you.
If you’re experiencing infertility or want to use fertility medications, midwifery care can still be part of your journey. I’m happy to collaborate with your prescribing provider so you can combine reproductive medicine with the personalized support and option of IUI at home.
How It Works
Start Fertility Care: Our fertility care starts with a Preconception Visit. At our visit, I’ll go over your health history, offer routine preconception screenings and preconception genetic screening, teach you how to track your cycle for IUI or self insemination, navigate sperm logistics and how to support your fertility. I can draw labs and genetic screening if desired. This visit costs $250
After our visit, I offer 3 months of support to help you track your cycle before starting to try. If you need follow up support after 3 months, I offer a la carte follow up visits for $75
Midwife IUI: Trauma informed, down to earth, expert IUI care in your home or our cozy West Philly office. Sperm washing is only available for office IUI. Cost of IUI is $350
By Appointment After
Preconception Visit
Pick My Brain: Not wanting a full preconception checkup but have some questions for a queer fertility expert? I’m always happy to chat about your situation. Cost $95
Additional Services
a la carte Prenatal and Home Postpartum Care in Philadelphia
Prenatal Care: Single or package prenatal visits available for individuals graduating fertility care, those wanting homey midwife visits in addition to hospital practice visits, or people needing a single visit while traveling. We do not provide birth care, but can provide records to your birth provider after each visit.
Each 60 minute prenatal visit includes ample time to answer your questions and education on your stage of pregnancy, listening to the baby’s heartbeat, monitoring growth, ensuring your vitals are normal, and procuring bloodwork on a standard schedule. Older siblings are welcome and we encourage partners to participate and ask questions. Initial visit is $250, follow up visits $150
Postpartum Care: Comprehensive midwife home-based postpartum care for families desiring more support in the early days of postpartum. At a home postpartum visit I assess you and your baby’s well being, while providing education and support for infant feeding, healing, and caring for your baby. I can provide records for your pediatrician or hospital based care provider after the visit. Initial visit is 2 hours, and follow up visits are 90 minutes. Initial visit is $350, follow up visits are $250
Interested in prenatal or postpartum care? Schedule a free consultation here to learn more.
Refuge Community
One of the biggest challenges in queer family building is isolation. For the past 8 years (minus a 2020 hiatus), we’ve organized a free gathering for queer and trans people who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or have new babies to help folks find community, people to ask sperm questions about, and future parent friends. Check out our Events page to see when our next meetup is, and you can join our email list here to stay up to date on future meetups.
Ray Rachlin
Licensed Midwife & Certified Professional Midwife
Queer Fertility Expert & Author
Ray Rachlin
Licensed Midwife & Certified Professional Midwife, Queer Fertility Expert & Author
Ray Rachlin (she/they) LM, CPM, is a midwife, author, queer fertility expert and educator based in Philadelphia who has provided inclusive care through their practice at Refuge since 2017.
Through the midwifery model of care, Ray seeks to create a home for families not served by our current healthcare system. As a non-binary parent, provider, author, and educator, Ray bridges the personal and professional to improve access and care for Queer and Trans hopeful parents, pregnant people, and postpartum families everywhere.