Couples who have fertility issues in California and want to start a family have options. For some, certain procedures might not help. An egg donation is a common solution, but it’s important to know what to expect from it.
Why use egg donation?
An egg donation is a great option for a woman or couple to conceive when their situation makes it impossible to use the woman’s own eggs. Donor eggs can help people who have infertility issues, no ovaries, no uterus or unviable eggs.
How do you find an egg donor?
If you decide that you want to use a donor egg to start a family, you can find a fertility clinic or egg donor agency that can help you choose one from an anonymous donor. Often, it’s easier to go this route because everything is confidential while the facility has a relationship with the donor. You might even be shown photos of egg donors before choosing one. Many people decide to select a donor whose physical characteristics closely match their own.
What can you expect with egg donation?
Once you have selected an egg donor, it’s important to know what to expect with the procedure. A woman receiving the egg goes through similar treatment as those undergoing IVF. Hormone treatments are administered to prepare for implantation for pregnancy. The donor egg is fertilized using sperm from her partner or donor sperm before it is implanted into the woman’s uterus. After implantation, the woman continues receiving hormone treatment for several weeks.
Although it’s possible to use fresh or frozen donor eggs, fresh eggs carry a higher chance of success with conception. There’s also the option of using the same donor in the future if the couple wants to have more children that are biological siblings.