IVF is a boon for infertile couples who are longing to have a baby. In most instances, it becomes the last resort for these couples, but one that has a significantly high success rate. When a couple comes to us for treatment, and after the first tests and workup has been done, we are able to identify whether the woman and the man have healthy eggs and sperm respectively, in order to be able to conceive via IVF.

In case it is found that the quality of the woman’s egg is poor or if the woman doesn’t have any eggs at all, it’s possible for the couple to use donor eggs in their IVF treatment. Other third party reproduction options such as donor sperm, donor embryo and surrogacy are also now being used by couples who are unable to conceive with their own eggs or sperm.

Of course, adoption is another course of action for couples that want to have a baby. However, there are times when a woman wants to experience pregnancy and wants to breast-feed her child and go through the early newborn- bonding process- these things aren’t possible with options such as surrogacy and adoption. Take a look at how the donor egg process works.

Donor Eggs

Some women are unable to conceive using their own eggs for a range of reasons.

• Age-related ovarian failure
• Premature ovarian failure
• Surgery for specific pelvic disorders
• Medical therapies such as chemotherapy

If after the relevant tests, we have identified that the patient is unable to conceive because of any of these reasons, we may discuss the egg donor option with the patient. The donor eggs that are used in the treatment may be obtained via:

• An anonymous donor
• Through an egg bank
• Known donor (friend or sister etc)

If the patient opts for eggs from an anonymous donor, it takes some time to identify the right donor; once that is taken care of; we then have to synchronize the donor and the recipient cycles.

The Pros and Cons

In the egg bank option, the eggs are ready for use and it makes the process quicker. Both these options have their pros and cons. We prefer using frozen eggs, as there are certain risks associated with using fresh eggs. For example, the donor may not respond to the medications as we expect, and she may not be able to produce the number of high quality eggs that are required. In some instances, the donor may just decide she wants to drop-out mid cycle. Our pregnancy rates with frozen eggs from our egg bank are as good as with fresh eggs, since we vitrify these eggs, which means they all survive intact after thawing. Another major advantage of using donor eggs means we don’t need to bother to synchronise the cycles of the donor and the recipient, since the eggs can be used according to the patient’s cycle. Our egg bank also allows us to match the recipient’s physical characteristics much more closely !

The baby that is born from the donor egg has the DNA (genetic makeup) from the woman who has donated the eggs, and the father. Despite the fact that the recipient mother doesn’t have a genetic link to the baby she bears and gives birth to, the child is hers. This is recognized by law. The donor doesn’t have any rights over her donated eggs, or the child,

Donor egg IVF , as well as other third party options , require legal contracts and typically, the clinic where you undergo the treatment handles all the paperwork for you. This paperwork protects the rights of the recipients as well as the donors.

Need more information? Please send me your medical details by filling in the form atwww.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinionso that I can guide you better!