Are you and your significant other trying to start your family, but experiencing difficulties?
It can be very frustrating for a couple that’s having trouble getting pregnant.
If you’ve already undergone unsuccessful IVF treatment with your own eggs and are beginning to wonder if you’ll ever have a child of your own, comparing how much donor eggs cost in time, effort, and finances to your current treatment may be a good idea.
If you’re not sure how it works or if it’s the right choice for you, here’s information that may help you make an informed decision.
Fresh versus frozen eggs: what’s the difference?
When you decide to move forward with donor egg, you have a choice between fresh or frozen eggs. For fresh eggs, you’ll select your donor from a small pool of local donors near you, and you’ll receive the entire yield of your donor’s cycle. However, keep in mind that your fresh donor’s ‘entire yield’ may result in zero eggs if your donor doesn’t follow their medication or appointment regimens perfectly.
On the other hand, an egg bank like Donor Egg Bank USA typically offers a much larger egg donor database to choose from. You’ll select your donor based on their egg donor profile information provided to you, and you’ll receive a lot of about 5-8 unfertilized eggs, regardless of the number of eggs retrieved from the donor.
While fresh eggs were previously known to generate ‘good’ embryos, with more eggs retrieved per cycle and thus more viable embryos overall, egg retrieval from fresh donors can be an unpredictable process and can involve a long waiting time due to the synchronization of donor and recipient cycles.
Fortunately, frozen egg cycles are more predictable and less costly since they don’t rely on synchronizing cycles. While they come in smaller egg lots, success rates are just as high as fresh eggs.
How donor egg IVF cycles work
Choosing your donor
Once you’re given the green light to use an egg donor, you’ll choose your donor from an egg bank’s donor pool, or use a known donor such as a friend, acquaintance, or relative. A reproductive endocrinologist will be able to help you determine if your known donor is a good candidate. If choosing from an egg bank’s donor profiles, you’ll be able to view information about their background, including educational level, family history, and medical history.
Legal processing
When using a fresh donor, risks and liabilities will be discussed, and waivers and legal documents will be signed to make sure you understand your rights and agree to the terms and conditions of the process. Intended parents choosing frozen donor eggs don’t need to worry about this part of the process, as everything has been taken care of by your egg bank.