Cryobank
Donor Database
Egg donation
Your Guide to the Oocyte Donation Process
Modern reproductive medicine provides broad opportunities to couples unable to conceive a child.
If a woman cannot use her own oocyte due to a particular medical reason, or if negative IVF outcomes persist time and again, egg donation can help solve the problem and finally move on.
A woman under 35 who has successfully undergone medical examination and psychological vetting can become an egg donor. Her help is an enormous gift that allows others to experience the joy of motherhood when all other scenarios fail.
Note. The NGC reproductive clinic will help everyone who has asked for help and suffers from infertility. You can make an appointment for a consultation by sending us an email or leaving a request on the website.
First consultation
If you are a couple seeking treatment with donated eggs, a conversation with a doctor will help you understand the specifics of treatment. Being a patient, the recipient of donor eggs is required to show medical indications to this fertility treatment.
Contact our manager, submit your fertility journals for a review and gain full access to our database of donors that includes adult photos. We will also invite you to a Zoom meeting with our doctor.
The first online consultation is the right time to be as open as possible. The more complete the initial information is, the easier it is to decide on the most appropriate treatment method and coordinate it efficiently. Our team is always glad to go into detail and help select the best-matching and productive donor according to your blood type and preferences. We will advise which tests and screenings to carry out in particular, how to interpret recent spermogram results and assist you every step of the way
When an egg donor can help
If the patient’s reproductive function fails, the shortest way to overcome infertility is via in vitro fertilization. Still, if the patient is already at a big disadvantage and IVF with their own egg doesn’t seem to hold any potential, an egg donor can come to the rescue and help overcome the problem.
The reasons for problems with conception can be different, and there are no similar cases.
Egg donation is an appropriate strategy if ovarian function and/or genetics are harmed.
It is often prescribed to use donor eggs in the following cases:
- Premature ovarian failure (absence of eggs in the ovary)
- Advanced fertility age
- Natural onset of menopause
- Recurrent embryo developmental block
- Recurrent embryo implantation failure, miscarriage
- Genetic disorders that require donor gamete usage
Legal aspects of donation
The donor signs an agreement before undergoing egg extraction, waiving any parental rights or potential disputes with the recipient of her eggs. A woman who gives birth to a child after IVF is the only person to be responsible for the child’s upbringing and fate. As soon as a woman has agreed to donate her eggs, she doesn’t have the right to seek contact with the baby or custody. Although egg donation is anonymous by default, we recognize that some patients may want to leave their child an opportunity to contact their donor. We offer this type of medical treatment which is widely known as Open ID (non-anonymous) donation.
Becoming a donor to help infertile women
Each month, a healthy young woman produces one egg fully ready for natural fertilization. However, the true capacity of her reproductive system is multiple times higher than that.
Multiple follicles grow in the body during each menstrual cycle, yet they are eliminated later. Ovarian stimulation provides an opportunity of collecting and fertilizing them, thus creating embryos for recipients via IVF/ICSI.
By engaging in a stimulation and donation cycle, donors open the opportunity to have a baby to others. In fact, donor egg retrieval gives many childless couples their only chance to have a child.
Psychological assessment
Passing psychological check-up is an important filter on one’s way to becoming a donor. The psychiatrist and addiction specialist perform an assessment of the woman's condition and determine whether she is mentally stable and hence fit to help others.
Sustainable lifestyle
One needs to lead a healthy lifestyle to qualify as a donor, including having normal BMI, respiratory and cardiac function, clinical and biochemical blood test results. An egg donor is immediately discarded if there are signs of alcohol and tobacco use, or drug addiction. It is unacceptable to take drugs, tranquilizers and other medications that can negatively affect the quality of embryos.
Hormonal stimulation
To obtain the maximum number of oocytes, hormonal stimulation of ovaries is performed. This makes it possible to obtain multiple eggs ready for fertilization instead of one, as is provided by nature. Under the supervision of a doctor, the donor is administered with shots. Ultrasound monitoring of follicular growth is performed in the clinic on specified dates. This joint work makes it possible to extract the maximum number of mature eggs ready for fertilization.
Egg retrieval
After the fertility specialist has determined that the oocytes have reached optimal size, the final shot (also called “trigger injection”) is made. It typically happens 36 hours ahead of the egg retrieval. The eggs are collected during ovarian puncture (OPU). Aspiration is performed with a thin needle that penetrates the vaginal wall. The procedure is monitored using ultrasound. Bed rest is not required, so the donor is free to leave the clinic soon after the procedure.
Recovery after donation
To minimize any risks (such as hyperstimulation of ovaries), the stimulation and extraction of eggs should be performed only by a qualified fertility doctor. The main point is to strictly follow all the specialist's instructions and immediately contact a doctor in case of any deviations. It is considerate to reduce physical activities for several days following the egg retrieval. Another donation cycle may be possible no earlier than 3 full menstrual cycles later as ovaries need to rest.
