Starting Your Journey with an Egg Donation.
As intended parents facing infertility, there can be a lot to process. With any treatment, it is important to consider your unique circumstances. There are no right or wrong decisions, so it is good to talk to your fertility doctor about what will work best for your needs. We’re here to help you better understand the available options.
Egg donation is a 2-3 month process during which a fertile woman donates her egg to another woman to help her get pregnant. The process involves a specialist removing eggs from the egg donor to fertilize in a lab. Using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), the fertilized donor egg is transferred to the intended parent’s uterus.
In some cases, specialists may freeze all or some of the embryos that are retrieved from the egg donor. These can be saved for later use (potential siblings) or for other intended parents.
If you are planning to receive an egg donation, here’s what you should look for in your fertility clinic:
Easy Communication – Would you feel comfortable communicating with the doctor and staff? You want to work with a team that will address your specific concerns or feelings during this process.
Egg Donor Screening – Not all clinics are willing to screen a potential donor before you start the cycle. Be aware of any fees an agency might charge as well.
Success Rates – How many egg donor cycles does the fertility clinic have every year? Consider the pregnancy rates and the rate of live births. Will the fertility clinic offer a refund option?
Technology – Does the fertility clinic have the capability to freeze any embryos or eggs for future use?
Peace of Mind Programs – Does your fertility clinic offer any programs that will help guarantee options unique to you? Such as a Pregnancy Guarantee Program, Free Re-match Program, Customized Search Program or Discount Programs. Do any programs that are offered, give you a re-match should your donor become disqualified?
While you’re looking for the best fertility clinic to receive an egg donation, also consider the different types of egg donations available.
3 Types of Egg Donations
As intended parents, you need to discuss your level of understanding and comfort when it comes to choosing which type of egg donation you’ll receive. With each type of egg donation, there are variables that may make you feel comforted or uncomfortable. This could be deciding whether you would like to know who your egg donor is, or even characteristics such as their ethnicity, or physical attributes like hair color or eye color.
Three types of egg donation include:
Known Egg Donation – Known egg donation is when the egg donor and you, the intended parents, share each other’s contact information. You will meet your egg donor through an egg donation agency or you may already know them. A known egg donor can be a family member or friend.
Anonymous Egg Donation – In an anonymous egg donation, you are not provided any identifying information about your donor and nor will your donor receive any identifying information about you.
Semi-Known Egg Donation – In this type of egg donation, information like the area of residence and first names are shared between the intended parents and the egg donor. Both parties may choose to have limited contact with each other, even in an anonymous manner.
Intended Parents Can Rest Assured When Receiving Their Egg Donation
There are multiple evaluations donors go through before they’re approved to donate their eggs. The donor will go through a pre-cycle screening, psychological evaluation, and legal contract before proceeding with any medical procedures. It is important to make sure your egg donor will produce healthy eggs and in the process, protect the privacy, rights and responsibilities of both the donor and the recipient.
Here are some general egg donor criteria:
- 19-30 years old
- Non-drug user
- Non-smoking
- No family history of genetic diseases
- Free of infectious diseases including STIs
- Physically and mentally healthy
- Healthy height and weight ratio
- Have reliable transportation
At RFC, we offer a variety of treatment options that will best suit you and your infertility journey. Read more about finding an egg donor and frequently asked questions. Book your appointment online at www.reproductivefertilitycenter.com/locations- contact/ or call our main office at (949) 453-8600. Dial (626) 388-6022 for Chinese 中文.
