“What is an egg donor and should I use donor eggs?” These are two questions you might be asking yourself as you continue to seek out help from a fertility specialist. While these questions might be hard to ask yourself during the early stages of fertility planning, it’s important to take some time and do your research around this common fertility treatment. With the help of your doctor, using an egg donor is a way to achieve parenthood by approaching it from a different angle. Everyone is different when it comes to fertility needs, and it’s crucial to weigh out all your options for starting a family.
While there is often hesitation around using another woman’s egg to bring your baby into the world, choosing to use an egg donor is a personal and meaningful decision. Finding and selecting an egg donor will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make during your journey. Choosing a donor can feel like an overwhelming process for couples, but Red Rock Fertility Center is with you at every step of the way!
To make the selection process stress-free for all parents-to-be, we have created an egg donor database so you as parents can filter through qualified options until you find one that best matches your criteria. Once you find the right donors for your family, it’s time to start compiling a list of questions to ask about egg donation and egg donor selection.
Questions to Ask About Egg Donation
What is the Egg Donation Process?
After you answer the question, what is an egg donor, understanding the process is something you should be discussing with your fertility doctor to better understand this infertility treatment option. It’s important to know what the overall process will look like before moving into the selection phase. The egg donation process looks like the following:
- Screenings: Egg donors first undergo screenings to assure that their medical history, physical exam, psychological exam, and ovarian testing proves that their body is healthy enough to carry a baby. Luckily at Red Rock Fertility Center, we have already done the proper screening before providing the list of qualified donors for parents to select from.
- Hormone Injections: Next, the selected donor will undergo hormone injections in an effort to develop multiple eggs.
- Egg Retrieval: Once the donor’s eggs have matured, they are ready for retrieval by the fertility doctor.
- Fertilization: The lab will then fertilize multiple retrieved mature eggs with the recipient or donor’s sperm.
- Embryo Transfer: Finally, the fertilized egg, also known as the embryo, will then be transferred into the recipient or gestational carrier’s uterus. If the transfer is successful, the embryo will implant itself and result in the growth of a baby.
What’s the Difference Between Frozen & Fresh Egg Donation?
With a variety of options available for fertility treatment, this is a common question that is asked when egg donation is decided as the clear treatment plan. When it comes to fresh egg donation, the retrieved eggs are fertilized with the sperm of the father immediately and then are transferred to the intended mother or are frozen to be used in the future. Frozen egg donation involves the retrieval of the egg and then is cryopreserved before the fertilization process. At a later time, this egg can then be thawed, fertilized, and prepared for embryo transfer.
There are a variety of pros and cons when it comes to both egg donation options, so it’s important to weigh out all your options before moving forward with one or the other. When it comes to fresh egg donation, it is common for success rates to be high due to the fact that there are more fertilized embryos to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
On the other hand, when it comes to frozen egg donation the cost is typically lower and the process takes less time to compete. This gives you more time to think about your options. Selecting the right treatment plan depends on your body, your happiness, and your doctor’s recommendation.
What is the Donor Egg IVF Success Rate?
Although this is an important question, it can be a bit of a difficult question because everyone’s body is different. However, it’s important to remember the key factors that go into a successful pregnancy:
- Age
- Number of eggs retrieved & fertilized
- Egg donor, past success rates
- Previous pregnancies
- Lifestyle
- Fertility clinic
Even though the above factors all play important roles in your fertility treatment process, it’s essential to consult with your doctor about the highs and the lows of this process. Just like any medical procedure, you should have a well rounded understanding of what to expect when it comes to success rates.
Questions to Ask About Egg Donor Selection
Do I Want to Know the Donor?
When it comes to questions to ask about egg donation and selection, there are a variety of things that might be going through your head. Maybe you want to understand more about who is the best selection option to be your donor. Some couples feel an anonymous donor is the way to go, because there is no connection or relationship between the donor and the child following the pregnancy. The donor is simply a step in the fertility process and is not involved when the child is being raised.
Still, others feel that a known egg donor, such as a family member or friend, is the best choice for the child. This is a decision that will need to be discussed with your partner for you both to properly decide what’s best for your family. If you’re still unsure of what is best for you and your family, there are a variety of donor support groups available. Talk to other couples that are going through the same process as you, and gain some charity on your choices.
Is Physical Appearance Selection an Option?
There is no requirement that says your child has to look exactly like you and your partner. After all, even couples who conceive naturally may have children that aren’t necessarily a “spitting image” of themselves. But a question that many couples ask is – what are the defining physical characteristics of my family members? If you all have brown hair and want a little uniformity, select a dark-haired donor.
To make the question of how to choose an egg donor easier, you can look at childhood photos of the donor to see how the individual’s physical attributes would translate to your child, too. If this isn’t a high priority, concentrate on other considerations during the selection process which may include education, nationality, age, and more.
Is the Donor Located Near Me?
Your fertility clinic and doctor will work with you to narrow down the field of eligible egg donor candidates, but this might mean that your intended donor resides in another part of the country. While many couples do find their perfect match within a reasonable distance, you may have to limit your search radius if you’re on the absolute strictest of budgets.
While it’s less expensive to find a local donor, it doesn’t mean you have to settle for what you can find in the immediate area. This is a big decision. Go with your gut and decide upon a donor that is the right fit first, and a local choice second. Learn more about the requirements that we have in place at Red Rock Fertility Center when it comes to becoming an egg donor.
What Is This Donor Like, Personality-Wise?
Physical attributes can be gleaned from a picture, and a person’s medical history will be included in their profile workup, but what about one of the most important elements – their personality? To learn more about this characteristic, anonymous donors are prompted to answer questions regarding their personality and are also encouraged to write a small paragraph describing themselves in their donor profile. The way the donors respond to these specific questions can tell you a lot about the individual.
How to choose an egg donor? When it comes to this, there are never too many questions you can ask to properly select the right egg donor for you and your partner. Additional questions to keep in mind to help you find the right egg donor include the following:
- What is the clinic’s IVF outcome and success rate?
- How many fertilized eggs can we expect to receive during the process?
- What is the cost associated with egg donation?
- What’s involved in the screening process?
- What are the possible risks?
- Why should I choose Red Rock Fertility Center?
When you’re ready to take the first step toward the donor selection process, contact your preferred fertility clinic right away. At Red Rock Fertility Center, we specialize in all stages of fertility, and we’re honored to deliver a new generation of fertility care to our valued patients. Keep an eye out for upcoming fertility seminars, schedule an appointment or consultation, or contact us directly at 702-749-4690 for more information about our leading fertility options. We’re looking forward to seeing your family grow!
