Everything You Need to Know About Egg Donor IVF

Egg Donor IVF is a fertility solution or treatment option for those who can’t use their own eggs because of infertility.

It’s a fact, using a screened egg donor as opposed to a family member or friend, often yields a higher success rate. Usually much higher than the average rates for couples not using a donor.

It is important to understand that the intended mother will not be genetically related to the child. However, the intended father will have genetic relation to the child unless donor sperm is being used. This makes it a more attractive idea than an embryo donor. With an embryo donor, neither of the Intended Parents will be genetically related to the child.

An egg donor is also mandatory for gay couples who are interested in family building with IVF. In this case, one of the partners will have genetic relation to the child. Also there’s requirement of a surrogate to carry the pregnancy.

Who Needs Egg Donor IVF to Get Pregnant?

In conventional IVF treatment, the woman typically takes fertility drugs to stimulate egg production. Once the eggs reach maturity, an ultrasound-guided needle retrieves them.

The retrieved eggs are immediately placed in a petri dish with sperm cells for fertilization. One can transfer the resulting embryo to the intended mother’s uterus, a surrogate mother’s uterus or can freeze it for later use.

In some cases, the intended mothers’ ovaries are not producing enough eggs. Due to a medical condition or cancer the intended mothers’ ovaries may be absent. What if a gay male couple wants to have a child?   

Egg donor IVF is recommended in the following situations:

• Post-cancer treatment – if ovaries or eggs are damaged
• In cases where women are born without ovaries
• Repeated IVF treatment due to poor ovarian response
• Unexplained repeated IVF failure
• Low ovarian reserve
• Primary ovarian insufficiency 
• Premature ovarian failure
• Age-related infertility, mostly after the age of 40
• Gay couples having a child using a surrogate 
• A single male (individual) using a surrogate

Where Will I Find an Egg Donor?

Your fertility agency or doctor can discuss with you in detail about your available options for finding an egg donor. The most common sources include:

• The fertility clinic you’re using for IVF
• Egg donor agencies
• Egg banks
• Someone you already know
• Another fertile couple who are willing to share their retrieved eggs

Depending on the contract, you may get a chance to meet your egg donor, or you may decide not to contact the donor at all. Some donors do agree to be contacted by the conceived offspring in the future.

How Does The Egg Donor IVF Process Work? 

Here’s a basic explanation of what the egg donor IVF process looks like.

To simplify the matter, the below explanation involves a heterosexual couple where the male partner’s own sperm is in use, and the female partner is going to carry the child. We’re also going to assume that the couple is using fresh eggs instead of frozen. 

Taking The Option

After a reproductive endocrinologist determines that an egg donor would be the best option for a couple, they should meet with a psychologist to discuss the benefits and risks of egg donor IVF and then decide if it’s the right path for them.

The Intended Parents should also look into financing options. Egg donation can be expensive. They need to be sure they can afford it and also create a plan on how to get the funds they need.

Legal and Financial Aspect

The next step is finding an egg donor. The process of finding one requires time and careful consideration.

Upon selecting the egg donor, you’ll need to attend to a number of legal and financial matters. You will be required to sign a contract before the cycle can start. Lawyers, specializing in family reproductive law, will document and review the contract. Some clinics may provide legal representation or at least have a referral. 

Once all the financial and legal issues come to a settlement, the actual egg donation process can start. 

Role of Egg Donor and Medications

In the IVF process, the egg donor and the intended mother will have their menstrual cycles put in sync through hormonal drugs. That’s because when a donor’s fertilized eggs are ready for embryo transfer, the mother’s uterus should be physiologically ready to accept an embryo. The drugs used may include birth control pills and some injectable hormones to suppress the reproductive system.

The treatment cycle typically starts once the donor and intended mother get their periods. Once the treatment cycle starts, the donor will be taking fertility drugs that will stimulate egg production. This will follow very closely to a conventional IVF cycle, but without the embryo transfer.

At the same time, the intended mother will inject herself with hormones to suppress her reproductive system so the doctor can keep the donor and her in sync. She will also take supplements to create a suitable uterine lining. 

When the eggs in the donor’s ovaries are ready, the donor will be given an hCG trigger shot.  It will start the last stage of egg maturation. At this time the mother will start taking a progesterone supplement to prepare the uterus for the embryo transfer.

Egg Retrieval & Embryo Transfer

The retrieval process takes place in the clinic via an ultrasound-guided needle. Upon successful retrieval, role the egg donor becomes complete in the IVF cycle. The same day of the retrieval, the eggs will undergo fertilization with the intended father’s sperm.

Approximately five days later the intended mother will come into the clinic for an embryo transfer. Fertility specialists will transfer the healthiest embryo into the mother’s uterus, while the remaining embryos will be frozen for future use.

The intended mother will continue to take progesterone to make sure that the embryo sticks. About 10 days after the embryo transfer, a pregnancy test will determine whether the transfer was successful or not.

What Are The Risks?

Egg donation involves certain risks with it. There can be some side effects due to the fertility drugs taken to stimulate the ovaries.

The biggest risk to the donor is Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). Since egg donors are usually young and more fertile, this puts them at a slightly higher risk. Untreated OHSS can threaten not only your fertility but your life as well. There are also psychological risks to the egg donors. However, OHSS is very rare and happens in very small percentage of cases. 

After their cycle is complete, many donors do experience a feeling of pride and are satisfied by helping a family in need.

The only risk for the intended mother is the possibility of conceiving multiple pregnancies, which is why most physicians recommend only transferring one embryo.  

How Much Does a Single Cycle Cost?

Egg donor IVF is moderately expensive. You can expect to pay anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 per cycle. The cost will vary depending on the source of the egg donor.

There are certain insurances that will cover a portion of the cost of an IVF cycle.  You can also explore other ways of funding your IVF treatment.  

What If I Don’t Want To Use An Egg Donor?

Typically using an egg donor is going to cost more than most other infertility treatment options. The reason why you needed an egg donor in the first place will determine your alternative options. The following options may include:

• Trying IVF with your own eggs
• Using an embryo donor (less expensive than an egg donor)
• The possibility of adoption
• A childfree life

Will the egg donor become attached?

Will the donor want to meet with the baby conceived using her eggs? In almost all cases, the answer is No.

Most egg donors get detached even before the process commences. A lot of our donors say that they don’t feel any attachment to the eggs they wish to donate in a possessive or maternal way. As a matter of fact, some say that they feel totally disconnected from the eggs.

The common belief is that:

“Since I would not be using these eggs for myself, it is okay if I donate them to an individual or family who needs them.”

Bear in mind that egg donors are well informed before they undergo this process. All our donors are thoroughly screened for any possible markers of getting attached to the eggs and are educated on each aspect of the egg donation process.

However, we never can tell how a woman might feel at the end of her donation, but what we can say is that we have never seen one of our donors regret her decision to donate. Donors give out their eggs with the aim of gifting something priceless to another person or family, so their donation is often met with great satisfaction and achievement rather than regret or attachment.

If you need any help or further guidance on using an egg donor as a fertility solution do not hesitate to reach out to Coastal Fertility Irvine at 949-726-0600. You can also visit us at coastalfertility.com for more information.