How to Find an Egg Donor with the Right Profile for You
When first starting infertility treatment most people assume they will be using their own eggs. After all,
Egg donor
you’re going through infertility treatment because you want a child who is biologically related to you. It comes as quite a shock to intended parents how fast the quality of human eggs declines after age 30. And yes, the majority of women going through infertility treatment are over 30.
So, after you’ve tried a few rounds of IVF and have gone through all the testing with no results you hear those ominous words “you will need donor eggs.” So now that’s real, and you have to find an egg donor so you can continue on your journey to parenthood. Some people have a friend or relative who will become an egg donor for them but the majority look to their medical center or agency for help to find an egg donor.
So, how do you find an egg donor that makes you comfortable with their DNA being part of your precious child? After all, this is your child we’re discussing here, the one who’s genetic make-up you will be dealing with. Most medical centers and agencies have lists of available egg donors and many have “egg banks” where the eggs are available to be thawed when needed. When the eggs are stored using the flash freezing method vitrification they have almost the same fertilization success rate as fresh eggs.
Whether the eggs are fresh or frozen will make a difference in the price and amount of time the procedure takes but shouldn’t be the deciding factor. The most important factor when trying to find an egg donor is that the donor has the characteristics you are looking for and who’s personal history you are comfortable with. Some of the factors people look for are:
- Physical characteristics matching those of the female partner
- Beauty
- High IQ
- Health (egg donation centers screen for all major genetic diseases and venereal diseases)
- Proven success with egg donation in the past
- Ethnicity similar to female partner
Most women who become an egg donor remain anonymous but their profiles give you an excellent picture of their health, IQ, looks, ethnicity and a glimpse into their personality. Usually, the health history covers their parents and grandparents as well so you have a complete family history. The profile will also tell you if the woman has donated eggs before and what the outcome was.
Some people prefer an experienced donor, even if it costs more, because the outcome is more of a sure thing. You not only know that the woman can take the hormones required for the egg donation but also that her eggs have fertilized well and that the resulting embryos have been of good quality.
After all the list are made and decisions completed you just have to take a deep breath and relax, the egg is only 50% of your child’s genetic make-up. The male partner contributes just as much so if your egg donor isn’t a Mensa member don’t stress about it. There are two sets of genes at work here and the child you end up with will be the one you’ll love unconditionally.
RSMC is a full-service medical center run by physicians, we do it all under one roof. Our egg donation program includes an “Egg Bank” along with our traditional fresh egg donation program. For more information please contact us at info@fertile.com.
