In recent years, more and more couples have decided to openly discuss their infertility and the treatments that they went through to conceive. This has increased awareness and lessened the stigma surrounding infertility. While we have made great strides in overall infertility awareness, we still have a long way to go with the discussion surrounding the use of a donor egg.
The reality is that nearly 12% of IVF cycles are performed with donor eggs. Donor egg IVF has an incredible 52% success rate nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the highest success rate of any fertility treatment.
When you and your partner are looking at your options, donor egg IVF can be very promising. For many women who would otherwise be infertile, whether due to premature ovarian failure or poor egg quality, donor eggs can truly give them the chance to conceive.
Below, we’ll go over the process and what you need to know before going forward with donor egg IVF.
Once you and your partner decide to go forward with donor egg IVF, your doctor will walk you through both the legal and financial matters before selecting either a fresh or frozen egg donor.
After you’ve selected a donor, it’s time for the actual egg donor IVF cycle, which is very similar to the standard IVF treatment.
If you’ll be using frozen eggs, purchased from a national egg bank like Fairfax Egg Bank, the first step is to get your body ready for implantation, which typically requires you to take estrogen and progesterone hormones.
The frozen eggs will be thawed and mixed with your partner’s sperm for fertilization, while your body is creating the perfect uterine environment.
Within three to five days, these fertilized eggs will develop into embryos and are ready to be transferred to the uterus.
After 14 days, it will be time to see if the transfer resulted in a pregnancy.
If you decide to use fresh eggs from a local donor, much of the process is still the same. Frozen eggs are usually purchased in quantities of 6-8, however, we’re seeing many more eggs coming from local egg donors. The biggest difference is the availability of egg donors and the number of eggs.
As we mentioned previously, success rates are quite high, and the success greatly depends on a number of factors such as the quality of the eggs used, quality of the sperm, and the retrieval process, among others.
Every couple is different and may have their own personal odds to overcome. This is something you and your doctor will discuss in detail before deciding if donor egg IVF is right for you.
Most women never imagine that they will need to use another woman’s eggs to have children. This highly successful treatment is one wonderful way that many women become mothers.
At Alabama Fertility Specialists, we treat all patients with the care and compassion that complex reproductive issues require. We encourage you to ask your doctors and nurses at Alabama Fertility Specialists as many questions as you need to in order to find out more.
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