What is a donor egg? What are its benefits? How do you find a donor? How does the egg donation process work?
These are just some of the many questions you’ll likely have when considering donor egg from specialists like Donor Egg Bank USA™. So, we’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions to help you make an informed decision about using donor egg.
What Is Egg Donation?
If a woman has been diagnosed with infertility due to poor egg quality, has undergone traditional IVF without success, or is suffering from secondary infertility, she may consider using an egg donor. However, there could be other reasons for their decision.
The egg donor will go through the first stage of the IVF process by having her ovaries stimulated for egg harvesting. The mature eggs are gathered and eventually transferred to a recipient who is attempting to conceive using donor eggs. These eggs are either fertilized immediately by a sperm donor or stored for later use.
Why Choose Donor Egg Over Other Infertility Treatments?
Some people find it difficult to imagine utilizing another woman’s eggs to conceive.
However, with time and knowledge, as well as discussions with doctors and others who have used donor eggs, egg donation has become a fantastically feasible choice for many people. While another woman’s eggs are required in this method, the rest of the pregnancy is the same as any other “typical” pregnancy. There is no reason why parents should be unable to carry, care, deliver, and breastfeed their child simply because they utilized donor eggs.
This is an understandably difficult decision for anybody to make, which is why discussing it with your partner (if you have one), family, doctor, and even a counselor is strongly encouraged.
How Do You Choose an Egg Donor?
When you choose egg donation, you will have the option of using a known egg donor (e.g., a family member or acquaintance) or an egg bank donor.
Some people may contemplate donating to someone they know, such as a family member. While this may establish a genetic link between you and your child, it also entails some very important (and perhaps challenging) considerations. Will you, for example, inform your child who their egg donor is? What sort of bond will your donor have with your child? Could this lead to any problems down the road?
Using an egg bank donor eliminates these types of potential donor connection concerns. You’ll also have access to a large pool of potential donors from which to choose. Egg donors are not chosen at random for you (unless you specifically want it). Rather, you can choose a donor based on their unique characteristics, appearance, personality, and achievements.
Although the screening process differs every bank, donors may be subjected to medical and psychological evaluations, genetic testing, illness testing, and disclosure of their families’ health histories spanning numerous generations.
How Does the Fertilization Process Work?
After choosing a donor, you begin a hormone treatment to prepare your uterus for implantation. The donor’s cycle is synced with yours when you use fresh donor eggs (which are taken from the donor and fertilized immediately). Frozen donor eggs do not require this process, which makes them a more efficient and cost-effective choice.
When the eggs are mature enough, they are fertilized with the sperm donor and incubated for a few days before being transported to your uterus for implantation. You return to the clinic after two weeks for a blood test to check for increased hCG levels. Once your pregnancy has been confirmed, you will return to your physician for standard prenatal care.
Choosing Egg Donation as Your Infertility Treatment
As you can see, egg donation is a fantastic alternative for singles or couples trying to start a family. It not only allows you to carefully select the egg donor, but it also allows you to carry a pregnancy and give birth to your child.
In addition, you can impact how your baby’s genes are expressed. Things like your behavior (e.g., what you eat) and the environment you are in throughout your pregnancy, known as epigenetics, can have an overall impact on how your baby’s body reads its DNA sequence. Furthermore, as you nurture and welcome your child into the world, you will have an infinite number of opportunities to make a beautiful, beneficial impression on your child at every stage of their life.
