Searching for the perfect egg donor can be a daunting task, which is why Options in Family offers comprehensive concierge services dedicated to matching our clients with the ideal donor.
Egg donors are women who provide their embryos to intended parents. Couples who resort to having an egg donor are usually heterosexual couples experiencing fertility issues or couples included in the LGBTQ+ community. Those searching for the ideal egg donor may not know where to begin.
Questions such as “Do I use an egg bank or an egg donation agency to find an egg donor?” could arise. Although searching for an egg donor initially can feel overwhelming, couples who research their options can gain a clearer understanding of what path they should take.
Read more on vital information you need to know about how to find an egg donor.
Finding an egg donor can begin by reaching out to an agency or an egg bank. Egg banks and egg donor agencies differ in a variety of ways.
Agencies maintain a diverse selection of egg donors, making it easier for couples to filter their search by age, physical appearance, and ethnic background, amongst other characteristics.
Egg donation agencies also provide a wide range of services, such as scheduling coordination, thorough screenings of egg donor applicants, and assistance with legal counsel to make your egg donor experience seamless. Couples who collaborate with an agency can save an extensive amount of time and effort in searching for their ideal egg donor.
Egg banks can be a cost-effective option for intended parents, but couples can be limited in their variety of egg donors. If couples choose to purchase embryos from an egg bank, they would need to facilitate the complicated legal process and scheduling. Another challenge that couples may face when utilizing an egg donation bank is convenience.
Most egg banks tend to be localized, so intended parents may have to travel a great distance to obtain an egg. Couples are encouraged to perform comprehensive research to outweigh the advantages and disadvantages of seeking an egg donor from a bank.
Placing an ad for an egg donor online can be a risky alternative for couples. At times, there can be the possibility of being scammed. Egg donors can post fake profiles stating they acquire the background a couple is seeking. Posting an ad may seem like an easier option, but it is not one that does not contain its own set of risks. Intended parents are to proceed with caution and evaluate all their options beforehand.
Intended parents might find it beneficial to explore the option of using an egg donor when faced with challenges in conceiving. By contemplating the use of donor eggs, intended parents can address specific fertility issues and increase their chances of a successful pregnancy. Below are some circumstances in which using donor eggs may be considered:
Women with a reduced number or quality of eggs may consider using donor eggs when facing difficulties in achieving a successful pregnancy.
Women experiencing premature ovarian failure, where the ovaries stop functioning before the age of 40, may decide to use donor eggs as a viable solution.
As women age, the quality and quantity of their eggs decline. Donor eggs can be an option for women who may experience challenges in conception because of age-related factors.
If a woman carries a genetic disorder that could be passed on to her children, using donor eggs from a screened and healthy donor may be a consideration to avoid passing on the genetic condition.
Couples who have experienced multiple unsuccessful in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts, particularly in cases where the challenge lies with egg quality, may consider the possibility of utilizing donor eggs.
Single individuals and same-sex couples may choose the option of donor eggs to help start their family. In circumstances where the natural production of viable eggs is not feasible, using donor eggs is a path to consider.
Selecting an egg donor is a personal and emotional decision. For this reason, before seeking an egg donor, some questions and topics intended parents should keep in mind. Taking the time to prioritize will benefit your egg donor experience and could lessen confusion with your partner later.
Factors to consider before searching for an egg donor include:
Intended parents generally have set criteria of what characteristics they would like their egg donor to have. Common qualities couples consider when choosing an egg donor are age, medical history, physical appearance, ethnic background, education, diet, and lifestyle choices.
The egg donation process comes with a list of expenses. When exploring the egg donation process, intended parents are encouraged to prepare for costs like compensation for the egg donor, medical insurance for the egg donor, legal aid, as well as any physical or psychological evaluations.
The three categories of egg donation are anonymous egg donation, semi-anonymous, and non-anonymous. In an anonymous egg donation, no information about the egg donor's identity is provided. Therefore, the egg donor and intended parents do not obtain any contact or communication in an anonymous egg donation. Egg donations that are semi-anonymous do provide information, but knowledge and contact about the egg donor are very limited. A non-anonymous egg donation involves the intended parents who already have a relationship with the egg donor. Sometimes the egg donor, in this case, can be a family member, such as a sister, cousin, or friend.
When seeking an egg donor, one of the primary questions intended parents should ask themselves is if they would like an open, semi, or closed arrangement. Each arrangement comes with its own legalities and can vary by state. The type of arrangement that you and your partner choose will have not only a profound effect on you but also on your future child. Every set of intended parents can define their parameters in any egg donor arrangement.
Anonymous egg donation is an arrangement in which both parties (intended parents and egg donor) do not obtain any identifying information about each other, and there is no contact involved. Sometimes, donor agencies will place descriptors such as the donor’s ethnic background, medical history, or a baby picture. In this arrangement, the egg donor does not receive any information about the child.
Unlike an anonymous egg donation, with a semi-anonymous egg donation, there is contact, but it is restrictive. Usually, the contact is facilitated by a lawyer or an egg donation agency. Semi-anonymous allows open communication if, for example, the child desires to meet the egg donor later in life.
An open egg donor arrangement, or non-anonymous egg donation, is defined as both parties sharing contact information. Commonly, open egg donor arrangements occur between friends and family. The frequency of communication and meetings is dependent on the agreement. Some couples decide to update the egg donor by scheduling a visitation once a year, or some choose to mail an annual baby picture.
Options in Family provides clients with a full concierge service to find the quintessential egg donor for you and your partner. We understand that searching for an egg donor can be a complex journey to navigate through.
We aspire to make the egg donation process easier by administering services such as in-depth egg donor screenings, legal and financial coordination, and scheduling designation.
OIF offers different egg donor programs to meet your needs. We do not believe in limiting your choices to just the U.S. Our egg donor programs include women from all around the globe. When you select Options in Family as your egg donation agency, you not only gain superior custom matches, but you also receive personal support from one of our experienced team members.
If you’re searching for an egg donor, fill out our application, and an Options in Family case manager will reach out to you shortly.
With a team of experienced professionals, OIF is here to guide you every step of the way, helping you find an egg donor and starting your family!
How much intended parents know about their egg donor depends on the donor’s chosen arrangement: anonymous, semi-anonymous, or non-anonymous. In anonymous arrangements, both the intended parent(s) and the donor share limited information related to ethnicity and medical history. Semi-anonymous arrangements involve restricted initial contact but may allow for open communication in the future if the child decides to. Non-anonymous arrangements typically involve friends or family as donors, allowing both parties to share information and maintain contact.
In the case of an anonymous egg donation, the identity of the egg donor is kept confidential. The egg donor and the recipients do not have direct contact or know anything about each other’s identities. In the case of a non-anonymous egg donation, both parties share contact information, and meetings will be determined by both parties’ agreement.
Intended parents work with a Case Manager to select an egg donor. They fill out an application and provide their preferred characteristics. The Case Manager sends potential egg donors’ profiles to the Intended parents to view. Once they identify a potential candidate that meets their criteria, they notify their Case Manager, and the matching process begins.
An egg donor cycle is the whole medical process that an egg donor undergoes. This includes ovarian stimulation to produce multiple eggs, egg retrieval, and using the collected eggs in in vitro fertilization (IVF) to create embryos. The embryos created are then usually transferred to the intended parent to facilitate pregnancy.
After the matching process, one donor cycle takes about three months to complete. During this time, the egg donor will go through medical screening, psychological assessment, legal contract formalities, and the IVF cycle, which involves the egg retrieval procedure.
Once the donor eggs are retrieved they will be fertilized with sperm to create embryos. The intended mother will then go through an FET (Frozen Embryo Transfer) cycle which will consist of uterine monitoring and daily medications. Once the uterine lining is sufficiently prepared then the embryo will be transferred into the uterus during a procedure called an embryo transfer.
