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Until recently, fresh eggs were the popular choice used in assisted reproductive technology (ART). However, thanks to recent advances in the egg freezing and vitrification process, frozen eggs are now becoming a more viable option. As a result, numerous established donor banks are now available in different states and counties. Especially in Orange County. Here is an honest overview of Fresh Vs. Frozen Eggs and which one should you choose for your IVF treatment.
The main question that bothers Donor Egg recipients is whether they should go for fresh or frozen eggs. So, which of these are a better option? Frozen egg cycles are more straightforward and have many physical, legal, and financial benefits.
Whereas, fresh egg cycles are unpredictable as they involve two individuals – the egg recipient and egg donor. The more the number of involved people, the double the risks. The Egg Donor may face disqualification, which can pose a great risk. Would-be donors need to undergo a series of tests and those with a negative result become unfit to be a donor. Donors also pass through a mental evaluation to ensure their psychological state.
At this time, In some Egg Donor programs, donors can undergo genetic testing, thorough physical examination, and bloodwork. If the donor changes her mind, she can abandon the process at any time. The recipients, however, will still have to cover the costs.
Frozen egg donation cycles are less risky since the eggs are already collected, and no one gets disqualified at the last minute. Plus, the time between donor selection and treatment reduces by 4 to 9 months.
The cost of the entire process for frozen eggs can be 50 percent less than the fresh egg cycle. The fresh cycle can cost around $30000 to $40000; this includes the money for donor recruitment, medical screening, medication, and treatment. On the other hand, a frozen egg cycle ranges from $14000 to $20000. The reason for such a gap in costs is the major differences in these two processes.
Most people prefer to hire an agency to find a donor. The donor egg cost for recruiting someone via agencies can be between $5-8k per cycle. Based on what the recipient wants in a donor, this process could take a month or even more.
Once admitted, the donor will start her evaluation and undergo various tests to determine her suitability. She will need to go through physical and mental screening. She may also undergo genetic testing as well as communicable disease testing.
After screening, it’s important to create a donor/recipient contract. This is to make sure that the donor relinquishes her eggs, and during this, an attorney is necessary.
The egg recipient will get a comprehensive medical evaluation to get acquainted with the possible risk factors. Generally, the test may include a hysteroscopy, a cervical culture, and a saline sonogram to determine her womb health. It can take up to 3 months or more to complete the workup.
This involves hormonal therapy and a trial transfer to make sure that the treatment achieves the desired results.
Before ovarian stimulation begins, the donor receives contraceptive pills for a couple of days. It suppresses and synchronizes her monthly menstrual cycle with the egg recipient. She will then need to self-administer hormonal injections, such as Bravelle, Follistim, etc., every day to boost egg production.
While the donor gets ready for the egg retrieval procedure, the recipient receives administers a combo of progesterone and estrogen. This is to prepare her womb for implantation. In some rare cases, additional medications may be necessary.
When the ultrasound indicates that the eggs are ready for retrieval, the donor will receive an HCG injection, also referred to as the trigger shot. The egg retrieval process begins within 36 hours of the “shot.”
Following retrieval, fertilization of the eggs with the donor’s or partner’s sperm takes place in an IVF laboratory. The embryos formed are incubated and then transferred into the recipient’s womb. This usually occurs approximately five days after retrieval.
Recipients undergo tests of pregnancy, usually two weeks after implantation with a blood test. Once she’s confirmed to be pregnant, an ultrasound will be performed.
Using fresh eggs for IVF treatment can have several benefits, including:
It’s important to note that using fresh eggs also has some potential drawbacks, including the need for ovarian stimulation, the risk of hyperstimulation syndrome, and the need for synchronization with the woman’s menstrual cycle.
Since the donor has completed her part, the IVF treatment with frozen eggs is now much easier.
To get frozen eggs, intended parents (IPs) can use an agency. At our fertility treatment center, we allow parents looking for frozen eggs to go through donor profiles for free.
As a matter of fact, This step is for recipients only. The would-be mother is going to undergo a comprehensive physical and mental screening to get acquainted with the risk factors.
This optional cycle involves hormone therapy. It may also include an endometrial biopsy to determine the thickness of the endometrium.
The egg recipient takes a combo of progesterone and estrogen to prepare her womb for implantation. In some rare cases, additional medications may be necessary.
Frozen eggs are thawed and then fertilized with donor’s or partner sperm. Then the embryos formed are incubated and transferred into the recipient’s womb for implantation. This usually occurs approximately five days after retrieval.
Recipients undergo testing for pregnancy, usually two weeks after implantation. Once she’s confirmed pregnant by the test, an ultrasound will be performed.
The fresh Egg Donor cycle involves more risks and has a broader range of legal implications. For Frozen eggs, legal counsel is not necessary because the donor donates it anonymously.
Some of the benefits of choosing frozen eggs over fresh ones include:
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, in 2012, declared that the egg freezing process was no longer experimental. Egg Freezing has positively resulted in a considerable number of births. Scientists faced many challenges in their earlier attempts to develop frozen egg donation. Originally the process included using a slow-freeze method, which gives unreliable results. However, after the discovery of flash freezing, the success rates improved greatly. Now that the egg freezing option is available, young women who were not ready for motherhood can freeze their eggs and use them any time they want.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to use fresh or frozen eggs for IVF will depend on individual circumstances and preferences. It’s important to discuss the pros and cons of each option with a qualified medical professional who can provide personalized advice based on your specific situation. Do you want to know more about the egg donation process or whether using fresh or frozen eggs would be the right option for you? Visit our website or contact us for a Schedule a consultation using the link below or call us at 949-726-0600.
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Coastal Fertility Medical Center offers one of the most affordable fertility treatments and is completely transparent regarding the costs of procedures and any other expenses that you may have to pay before commencing your treatment. This differentiates us from some fertility clinics that reduce prices before the signing of the contract but charge you extra later on. We make sure our patients are well aware of any possible extra pricing that may occur over the course of their treatment.
Following the Preimplantation Genetic Screening process, which helps ensure there are normal chromosome numbers and detects possible genetic disorders, the most healthy embryo(s) are selected to be implanted into your or your chosen surrogate’s womb. 2 weeks after the transfer of the embryo, your physician will conduct a final blood test to determine the level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your body. Increased hCG levels usually indicate a positive pregnancy test.
For fertilization to take place, the collected egg and sperm are combined in a petri dish and cultured in an embryo incubator. This dish is closely watched to check whether any of the eggs have been fertilized. Once the egg is fertilized, it is referred to as an embryo or a blastocyst on the 5th day of development. Our in-house embryologist carefully nurtures every embryo to the right time, even if it means working outside the standard business operating hours. For instance: If an oocyte is not mature, our laboratory will wait for it to mature and then ICSI it at the right time.
The egg retrieval is a slightly invasive medical procedure that takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You will be given an anesthetic to make you sleep for the duration of the procedure. Using ultrasound technology, your doctor will harvest your eggs transvaginally with a small, hollow needle connected to an ultrasound probe. Once your eggs are collected, your partner’s semen or donor sperm you have pre-selected is used for fertilization. The sperm are washed and prepared, and the top-quality sperm extracted is used to fertilize the eggs.
Your doctor will create a customized medication schedule that contains information about the fertility medications and hormone injections you have to take. Medication and injections are taken to encourage your ovaries to mature a large number of eggs for fertilization. Since women don’t respond to fertility drugs and hormones the same way, personalized protocols are crucial to the IVF cycle success. At Coastal Fertility, we will monitor you closely, letting you understand the changes occurring in your body and keeping track of how your egg follicles are growing.
On-site consultations typicallyinclude a standard fertility evaluation, consisting of a physical examination, complementary follicular ultrasound, and testing to enable your doctor to know your present fertility status and draw up a treatment plan.
This consultation includes a detailed medical evaluation with a doctor. You and your physician will review your health records and have enough time to talk about your goals and get answers to your questions. We recommend that you jot down all your questions before the visit to allow you to make the best use of the time spent with your doctor.
Your Reproductive Endocrinologist will take all factors into consideration and create a comprehensive plan of care, otherwise known as the treatment plan. This plan will include treatment recommendations from the physician and enable your financial coordinator to make a precise quotation once you meet.
Our globally respected team of specialists are helping improve IVF technologies to enter into a generation of better outcomes for infertility. Although you’ll have a doctor guiding you, you are also going to benefit from the experience and insights of other doctors during case review collaboration meetings, which take place every week. So, you won’t just rely on the expertise of a specialist but benefit from the knowledge of many reputed fertility experts.
The infertility industry is currently segmented, with each service or treatment being handled by a different provider. Our all-inclusive model simplifies an otherwise complex and difficult process. We are here to revolutionize the infertility industry by offering a one-stop-service model to assist our patients through infertility challenges while reducing physical, emotional, and financial risks.
Our fertility clinic focuses on helping you build your family regardless of your sexual orientation or the gender you choose to identify with. We are even taking further steps to make LGTB people feel more welcome at our fertility clinic. Each of our patient-facing staff goes through LGTB training to let family-building clinicians provide necessary support and make you feel highly welcome.
We know that every situation is different and that everyone requires different treatments. Unlike facilities that take “a one-size-fits-all” approach for all cases, our fertility specialists use more than 40 customized protocols to raise the chances of success. The customized approach even extends to our fertility laboratory. Our on-site lab director and his highly-experienced team nurture every embryo and egg to increase the odds of success of each cycle.
Our team specializes in difficult cases and help patients who may have been considered “hopeless” at other fertility clinics. Thanks to our personalized solutions, expertise, and internal collaboration, weare able to maximize pregnancy success rates that are well above the industry average, even in difficult infertility cases.
Upon your arrival, you will check in with a Patient Care Coordinator. We will obtain your insurance information for benefits verification, a copy of your identification and take a picture for your electronic medical chart
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.
Coastal Fertility is the leading provider of fertility solutions located in Orange County. Join us to get free updates on fertility news, treatments, infertility solutions and more.