Are you looking for a perfect egg donor? Neelam Chhagani from New Delhi’s IVF Conceptions breaks down what the top 8 criteria her clients look for when choosing an egg donor.
Struggling to conceive is one of the most difficult things a couple can go through. Wanting a child and being unable to have one is painful, and fertility tests and assisted reproduction procedures can be expensive. But if you and your partner come to a place where you determine you are unable to conceive, in vitro fertilization can be a fantastic option. But many times, intended parents need to choose egg donor IVF. This is known as IVF with an egg donor.
For many childless couples who undergo the IVF process, you might need an egg donor, someone who provides the eggs that will later be fertilized with male partner sperm and implanted in female partner’s uterus ( or sometime in surrogate mother uterus).
Choosing an egg donor is an important process, and there’s a lot to think about. As the baby is half genetically linked with the baby, intended parents would like to make sure they choose the best egg donor for them to safeguard the future generation. Read on to learn about what you should be thinking about when you choose an egg donor.
Being Prepared for IVF Egg Donor
In vitro fertilization is a miracle of modern medicine; it is a procedure that has helped thousands of people conceive. In fact, it is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology (ART), with a success rate of nearly 40 percent. But using IVF is a physically and emotionally taxing process and you need to be prepared for it financially as well.
IVF is usually something that comes up after a long battle with infertility, so you should take any time you and your partner need to grieve together. This is an involved and expensive procedure to undergo, so be sure you go into it with the right frame of mind. When you’re ready, IVF can be a miraculous solution for a heart-wrenching infertility challenge
Many times, the intended parents are perplexed when going about choosing an egg donor. Here are 8 top criteria in mind:
1. Frozen donors eggs vs. Fresh Donor eggs
Once you decide you’re ready to pursue IVF, one of the first things you want to do is decide whether you’d rather use fresh or frozen eggs. There are pros and cons to both and any egg banking facility can provide information about the criteria to select eggs.
With fresh eggs, you’re going to be more limited in your selection of egg donors because you’ll have to select someone who has a cycle synced up with yours. But if you’re wanting a larger number of eggs for a larger potential family, fresh eggs may be a better option.
Frozen eggs usually mean fewer viable embryos and thus less likelihood of a multiple-birth pregnancy. But frozen eggs offer greater selection among egg donors, lower cost, and a better chance that you will have a successful implantation.
To able to have a successful pregnancy through the IVF procedure, you might need to repeat your embryo transfers. To have high-quality good grade embryos are is a primary aim of IVF with an egg donor, so that, multiple embryos transfer can be done, just in case needed.
2. Known vs. Anonymous Egg Donor
One of the stickier points of IVF is that your child will have a different biological parent ( if you use an egg donor or sperm donor). This is the kind of thing that may eventually become important to that child. They may ask someday who their biological parent is, and you need to decide now if you want the process to be open or closed.
Many egg donors prefer to remain anonymous; their egg donation is a positive thing for them, but they don’t want the emotional burden of biological children someday tracking them down. But some donors are willing to leave the process open to any potential children who may know who they are. You need to decide what’s right for you and your family, and what you will tell the child if the day comes when they ask about their egg donor.
3. Medical History of Egg Donor
Now that you’ve decided whether you want fresh or frozen eggs from a known or anonymous egg donor, it’s time to start narrowing down donor characteristics. One of the biggest things you’ll want to know about is your egg donor’s medical history. This includes physical health as well as mental health.
You don’t want to wind up inadvertently passing on a condition like diabetes or bipolar disorder to your child. So review your donor’s medical history; you want to look for chronic conditions that are passed down genetically. Look for a family history of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and other genetically-linked diseases, especially anything your partner or sperm donor may have.
4. Ethnicity and Appearance of Egg Donor
For some people, it may be important that their child is of the same ethnicity as they are. This can help you avoid early questions about your child’s parentage, and it may help promote bonding. With this in mind, you should decide how important ethnicity and appearance of the egg donor are to you.
Do you want someone who looks like you and your partner so that your child has a better chance of resembling you? Or is it a bigger priority for you to have a donor with a good personality and medical background? Go through the profiles and chose egg donor who fits your preference in physical appearance.
5. Other Physical Attributes of Egg Donor
There are also other physical attributes you should take into account when you’re reviewing profiles. Do you want a donor who’s short or tall, athletic, or more laid back? It may sound strange, but attributes like this can contribute to how well your child meshes with your family.
If your family is the kind who goes hiking every weekend and runs in the morning, you might want to look for a donor with a more athletic background. Or you may still choose to focus on the physical and mental health of the donor and leave the rest out of it. However, you choose is fine; just make sure it’s the right choice for you and your family.
6. Egg Donor History
One of the important factors you’ll want to consider when reviewing potential egg donors is their history as an egg donor. This can determine how likely you’ll be to get pregnant using one of their eggs. There are a few ways to assess this on the egg donor form.
Look at if the donor has children of their own and, if so, how many. If it isn’t on their profile, ask the fertility clinic or egg donor agency you are working with if this donor’s eggs have resulted in any successful pregnancies. If they haven’t had any successful pregnancies, you may want to look at how long they’ve been a donor and double-check the tests on their eggs. As the ultimate goal of an IVF with egg donor is to have a successful pregnancy, it is advised to choose an egg donor that has a good number of eggs, good AMH level or fertility level, and have past proven pregnancy with donations or have kids of her own.
7. Intelligence and Personality
Everyone wants their child to be smart, charismatic, and successful, and as an IVF patient, you get to choose. There is certainly a large amount of nurture that goes into a child’s personality and success. But intelligence is somewhat related to nature as well.
Think about what you want from your donor in terms of intelligence and personality. Do you want someone who’s passionate and driven, always seeking out new opportunities? Or would you rather have someone who appreciates the finer things in life, is more laid back, and can achieve success in the slow and steady way?
8. Personal Achievements
On the subject of success, something else you may want to take into consideration is your egg donor’s personal achievements. Again, having a successful donor does not guarantee that your child will be the next President. But certain qualities like drive and interpersonal skills may be passed down genetically.
Look at your egg donors’ profiles and take a look at their personal achievements. Was one of them the youngest person ever to finish an Iron Man triathlon or get accepted into Yale? Try to choose personal achievements that fit well with your family’s lifestyle.
The IVF Process can be a fantastic option for having a family if you struggle with fertility issues. Choosing the right egg donor is an important process; after all, this person will make up half of your child’s genetic code. Think carefully about what qualities are important to you, and take time to choose an egg donor you are happy with.
This article originally appeared in IVFConceptions
About Egg Donation Inc.
At Egg Donation Inc., we are proud to play a small role in helping you accomplish your reproductive goals, whether you are looking to start or grow your family. As the largest and oldest egg donation program in the world, we offer the choice of hundreds of exceptional and diverse donors. Our comprehensive program includes matching, screening, and coordination of all legal, medical, psychological, travel, and financial services. We have helped more than 14,000 families in our 30 years in business, including single parents, same-sex partners, and celebrities. Our clients come from over 35 countries around the world, and we assist all of our donors and recipients through every step of the process. Our team is here to guide you every step of the way.