Donating eggs is the same as sperm donation. Still, many people need to be made aware of the egg-donating process. For this purpose, we listed 5 things you probably did not know but should know about donors and donating eggs.
- Difference in DNA composition
One of the serious consequences of using a donated egg is that the child is not genetically related to the mother.
If a woman fertilizes the acquired egg via her spouse’s sperm, then the child bears their father’s genes. But if a fertility clinic uses donated sperm for this purpose, then the infant wouldn’t have any genetic relations with the parents.
This may come as a surprise to many mothers. Especially when they give birth and assume the baby as their offspring.
To guard against these psychological repercussions, the parents undergo counseling before receiving the donated eggs. These consultations ensure that the parents are mentally prepared for the consequences.
Even if they go ahead and take genetic tests on the baby it will relate to the father only in case his sperm was used to create the embryo. Otherwise, the child may not have any DNA resemblance to the parents.
However, according to an article on the Santa Monica Fertility website, DNA requires instructions for proper functioning, much like computer hardware needs instructions from software programs. In nature, this software is referred to as epigenetics, and it plays a crucial role within the uterus as the baby grows. Research has indicated that birth mothers, even those carrying a donor egg baby, can impact significant factors like metabolism and brain development through epigenetic modulation while the baby is still developing in the uterus.
- Limited donations
When you are seeking to start a family using donated eggs, you and your spouse should be aware of certain limitations.
Your wife can only receive foreign eggs if she is below 50 years. Her uterus can still carry a pregnancy through minor tweaking.
Maybe she has complications such are poor quality eggs or premature menopause. But her uterus isn’t affected by these factors.
Using hormones like estrogen and progesterone can trigger the uterus to actively respond to ovulation. This allows the woman to carry the pregnancy to term. But it’s important to consider the woman’s overall health in bearing a child.
The egg donation cycle is limited to six. This is to ensure that all involved in this process are protected and that quality is maintained.
Even though a donor may churn out fertile eggs, they shouldn’t be overused. Consequently, the law limits the number of fertilization. A donor egg is only allowed to be used for 25 births in a population of 800,000 offspring.
- Eggs can’t be sold
Human egg donation is regarded as a tissue donation and hence not eligible for sale. Both the US and Canada have laws preventing trade in human organs, of which donors are part.
According to Manchester Donors, it’s essential to distinguish between being “paid” and being “compensated” when deciding to donate your eggs. Egg donors generously offer their eggs without receiving direct payment for them. Instead, they are provided with compensation for their time, effort, and dedication, which considers all the involved procedures and processes related to the egg donation.
So what do you do to reach a frozen egg facility? Well, you may qualify as a suitable donor. This is after families under fertility distress identify their preferred donor credentials through the databank.
In this case, you may have to visit a fertility clinic that is out of your normal station. If you are required to travel to a distant town for this procedure, the frozen egg banks usually reimburse you for these costs together with other out-of-pocket expenses.
The costs mays also include post-donation medical procedures and follow-up medications. And these are all.
You are not permitted to tout your eggs for sale. If you contravene this law, you may be liable for a federal crime that attracts a $500,000 fine and/or a 10-year-imprisonment.
- Lengthy and stressful process
Although the law prohibits women from selling their eggs for profit, the egg harvesting process is still lengthy. It starts with the registration, and filing of background data, before a fertility test.
The fertility clinics want the best eggs, so they set strict conditions to be met by a potential donor. One is age. The woman must be in her twenties.
The next is mental health. These traits can drop down to an offspring. And the fertility clinics want to ensure that the donor is mentally sound.
Thus the reproductive experts examine the donor’s medical history to understand if she has any complications. They then perform physical and reproductive health test runs.
Once a woman passes all these examinations and her characteristics attract potential recipients, she undergoes a minor surgical procedure taking 15 minutes.
This process is done under sedation and the donor would require a full day’s rest. Immediate effects could include blood clots or vaginal infections.
According to a study published by the United States National Library of Medicine, the views of egg donors in the UK were examined through the analysis of 113 completed questionnaires. The study found that 43% of respondents (49 individuals) reported experiencing some level of pain or stress during the egg donation procedure. However, despite this, an overwhelming 95% of the donors had no regrets about their donation, and 72% expressed a willingness to donate again.
- May cause undesired occurrences
The process of egg donation is complex. But if a woman enrolls to be a donor, her eggs have to be extracted.
This process involved taking medicines to stimulate ovulation. Besides, she is required to adopt a healthy diet.
The purpose is to induce ovulation so that her ovaries develop fertile eggs. At least six eggs are needed to support the IV fertility needs.
But giving out six eggs is no mean fate. Many women fail to attain this number, even though most donors are in their twenties.
You will note that a woman releases only one egg in her monthly cycle. So extracting six eggs is like undergoing menstruation for six months.
The egg harvesting process could thus have some irreparable physical and emotional consequences. The artificial ovary stimulation could cause swellings of the cervix every time the woman menstruates.
Further, some women have complained of early onset of menopause. These could be uncomfortable, and traumatizing.
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- Traumatizing decision
When you marry, you are full of hope. You’ve begun a new relationship with the love of your life, and are eager to make the budding union work.
But at the back of your mind, you prepare to bring a family. And are always calculating how many kids you want and how to space them.
The mental and physical preparation is both exhilarating and demanding. But the anticipation of having young ones around is thrilling.
You change diets and improve your lifestyle in anticipation of the best. And all events must go to plan.
After two years of trying to conceive and no indications are forthcoming, you begin to worry.
Visiting sex therapists and Gyn/Obs brings little respite. You try again the professional ways for a year unsuccessfully. Then you need to make the ultimate decision.
The realization that you won’t have your biological children and have to seek an egg donation to achieve this end is very traumatizing.
- Two approaches available
Two ways of getting egg donations to exist. Luckily both all arrive at the same goal, only differently.
The frozen egg method allows couples to get eggs quickly because the verification and certification process is complete. You simply have to pick the one matching your desired parameters.
The one involving selecting a donor from the database is longer. You have to go through the ovaries’ stimulation and egg retrieval.
But it has the advantage of using fresh ovum. In this case, it works better. First, the fertilization process is easy. You note that not all sperm will fertilize a frozen egg.
Then you get many eggs that you could use in the future in case the first attempt at IVF fails.
This advantage is lost when using frozen eggs though. Not all eggs will withstand the thawing process to reawaken the contents.
But in both cases, once fertilization occurs, the pregnancy success rate is similar.
In conclusion, we discussed content related to five things you need to learn about donor eggs. We hope that with the provided information, you can learn more about donor eggs and how they can help people conceive.
SIMILAR QUESTION
What Are The Disadvantages Of Using Donor Eggs?
Introduction
Donor eggs are a type of fertility treatment used by couples who are unable to conceive a child using their own eggs. Donor eggs are eggs taken from a donor, typically a woman in her twenties or thirties, and then fertilized with the intended father’s sperm in a laboratory. The resulting embryo is then implanted in the intended mother’s uterus, and if the pregnancy progresses normally, the baby is born nine months later. Donor eggs can offer a potential solution to couples who are struggling to conceive, but there are some potential drawbacks associated with the use of donor eggs.
Potential Disadvantages
The first potential disadvantage to using donor eggs is the cost. Egg donation is an expensive process, and the cost can range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the donor and the clinic. This cost is often not covered by insurance, meaning couples must pay for the costs out of pocket.
The second potential disadvantage to using donor eggs is the emotional and psychological implications of using donor eggs. Some couples may struggle with the emotional implications of not having a baby that is biologically related to both parents. There can also be legal implications to using donor eggs, as the donor may have certain rights to the child.
The third potential disadvantage to using donor eggs is the medical risk. Although donor eggs carry the same risks as any other fertility treatment, there is still an increased risk of complications, such as ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage. Additionally, there is an increased risk of multiple births, which can lead to additional medical complications for the mother and babies.
Conclusion
Donor eggs can be a great option for couples who are unable to conceive a child using their own eggs. However, there are some potential disadvantages to using donor eggs, such as the cost, the emotional and psychological implications, and the medical risks associated with the procedure. It is important for couples to weigh all of the potential risks and benefits of using donor eggs before making a decision.
