According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) statistics in 2013, 15% of the successful IVF cycle treatments used donor eggs. In addition, more than 69% of older women, specifically above the age of 45 opt for donor eggs as an excellent treatment option in Assisted Reproductive Technology.
The general awareness for the utilization of donor eggs exceeds that of donor embryos, but through various IVF centres in India, more couples are gaining more insight regarding the use of donor embryos in the case of extreme infertility cases.
Through the advent of advanced technology and the egg donation agencies, many IVF centres are facilitated in providing a wide range of ART solutions to infertile couples. Fertility services like embryo donation have enabled hopeless couples to father or mother a child or children, regardless of their previously failed IVF treatment cycles.
Explaining Donor Eggs & Egg Donation Practices Donor Eggs
Fertile and women who have previously undergone IVF treatment cycles, particularly ovarian stimulation can act as egg donors. In IVF, one can offer her surplus eggs for donation as a charity for other couples with premature ovarian failure, ovary issues, or severe infertility.
In this case, a couple opting for donor eggs may already know the egg donor or utilize already frozen eggs from unknown donors. The entire procedure is facilitated by the IVF centre or egg donor agencies.
In the case an egg donor is known, the couple and the egg donor must come to an agreement and the egg donor will automatically have to undergo a procedure known as ovarian stimulation to provide viable eggs.
Cases where the egg donor is unknown, frozen eggs are used. This means that the eggs from another woman had been preserved through Cryopreservation.
Embryo Donors/Donor Embryos
Just like egg donor or in egg donation, embryo donors may be known or unknown. Dr. Sumita Sofat IVF Hospital is an advanced infertility centre spreading awareness about embryo donation and as well providing excellent embryo donor services to infertile couples.
Commonly, donated embryos are previously cryopreserved and they are surplus from women who might have undergone IVF treatment.
Is IVF with Donor Eggs for Me?
Certainly, a woman must have undergone a thorough examination with no other solutions for her infertility, but rather to opt for egg donation. Women or couples who opt for donated eggs with IVF are those;
Above 45
Older women commonly above the age of 40 face an obstacle of producing viable and multiple eggs for their IVF treatment cycles. Normally, using their own eggs may have resulted in miscarriages, failed fertilization, or embryo issues that render the IVF treatment a failure.
Genetic issues or Chronic health problems
Couples may also opt for donor eggs in case the risk of passing on a genetic condition overweighs. These genetic conditions include Turner Syndrome, Down Syndrome, breast cancer, and Criduchat. Other constraints may be diseases of X-Sex linkage, cancer, and cancer treatments.
Multiple failed IVF treatments
Once the fertility experts diagnose issues with the woman’s eggs as the major cause of the failed IVF treatments, using donor eggs with the male partner’s sperms may be an ideal option for attaining pregnancy.
Once the fertility experts diagnose issues with the woman’s eggs as the major cause of the failed IVF treatments, using donor eggs with the male partner’s sperms may be an ideal option for attaining pregnancy.
Commonly, premature ovarian failure is a common disorder where the woman’s ovaries suddenly stop producing eggs at a younger age. In other cases, inaccessible ovaries due to abnormalities or other fertility issues can cause a couple to opt for donated eggs.
Approaches in Using Donor Eggs with IVF?
There are basically two approaches to using donor eggs that include;
Designated donors & IVF
In this case, the egg donor is completely known to the couple and it may be a friend or a relative. Normally, an egg donor in India, in this case, will have to undergo a series of screening and blood tests to ascertain her candidacy.
She will have to visit the infertility centre with the intended couple for the entire procedure.
Unknown Donors & IVF
Unknown donors may be selected by the fertility centre or in most cases, frozen eggs from an egg bank are used. This approach relieves a couple of many insecurities since the egg donor is unknown and the entire agreement is between the couple and the fertility centre.
Donor Egg Procedure With IVF
Counseling
During this phase, the fertility expert will explain to you the entire procedure of using donor eggs with IVF. In case you don’t have a donor, the fertility expert may provide various files of potential egg donor from which you can select a suitable egg donor as per your choice. The provided information of the donors may include;
- Her age
- Height
- Education background and lifestyle
- Ethnicity
- Family history
- Medical history
- IQ level
- Skin and hair color
In case using frozen eggs has been opted, the fertility expert will particularly select the best eggs for your IVF procedure.
The Donor Phase
The selected egg donor will undergo screening and various blood tests for infectious diseases or chronic diseases.
The egg donor will then be provided with fertility drugs, a process known as ovarian stimulation to trigger the ovaries for follicle development.
A hormonal therapy is introduced that includes using estrogen, LH, and FSH for egg development in the ovaries. Once the eggs have matured, 15 to 20 eggs are retrieved from the donor’s ovaries.
The recipient’s Phase (Intended Mother)
You will also have to undergo a hormonal therapy that includes estrogen and progesterone to prepare the endometrial lining (thicken). These hormones will also help increase the blood levels to support your pregnancy.
The eggs from the donor and the sperms from your partner will be combined in the laboratory and once fertilization, the embryos may be left for further development for at least 3 days before they are transferred to your womb.
You will continue taking the prescribed hormones to support the lining of your womb. In case implantation occurs (pregnancy), you will continue taking the hormones for the entire first trimester to help in the development of the fetus’ placenta.
Success Rate of Donor Eggs With IVF
The approach of using donor eggs for IVF in India is attaining higher success rates than before. The latest studies indicate a 19% chance of live birth during IVF with Donor Eggs in India. This has enabled women aged 40 and above attain safe pregnancies and attain parenthood through ART practices.
The success rate of donor eggs with IVF, however, relies on the quality of the donated eggs utilized. In the same way, the protocols followed in the IVF centre enable to attain quality embryos that can easily implant once transferred to the womb.
Laser Assisted Hatching with Donor Eggs
It is certainly uncommon for laser assisted hatching to be conducted on donated eggs since they are normally of the best quality with 75% of survival and further development.
However, a fertility expert may choose to conduct laser assisted hatching to guarantee implantation. This may help eliminate all possible obstacles for attaining pregnancy.
It is certainly uncommon for laser assisted hatching to be conducted on donated eggs since they are normally of the best quality with 75% of survival and further development. However, a fertility expert may choose to conduct laser assisted hatching to guarantee implantation. This may help eliminate all possible obstacles for attaining pregnancy.
Certainly Yes. For decades, egg donors have helped extend happiness and the gift of procreation to millions of couples. This mainly includes women above the age of 39, those with premature ovarian failure and unexplained infertility.
You may also opt for fresh donor eggs in case the option of frozen eggs isn’t favored. The practice of using donor eggs has helped millions of women worldwide have biological children and it can also help you.
Will there be a bond between my baby and I?
Automatically yes, research published in 2015 indicates that a genetic bond begins developing between the baby and the mother as early as the second trimester. According to the research published from the Fundacion Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad in Spain and Stanford University, the mother (carrier) passes on certain genetic components to the baby during pregnancy even if donor eggs were used.