When a couple gets pregnant with minimal effort, they naturally expect it will be just as easy the next time around.
Sadly, this isn’t always the case and they begin searching for the best alternative reproductive technologies (ART) to continue growing their family. For many of these couples, donor eggs may be the answer they’ve been looking for.
Getting started with the egg donor process at CCB’s DEB should be one of the most straightforward decisions you can make.
Secondary infertility is difficult, but it doesn’t have to be a barrier to growing your family. Why not take the steps to make having another child as effortless as possible?
Finding the Right Egg Donor for Your Family
Giving up on having a genetic connection to your child is hard; perhaps even more so when you’ve been able to successfully get pregnant naturally in the past.
That being said, donor egg usage still provides the opportunity to experience pregnancy and connect with your baby in the womb. For many women, the fact that they can still carry their baby and feel their first kicks helps them choose egg donation.
When it comes to selecting a donor, you can find comfort in knowing each candidate has been thoroughly screened to ensure their eggs are of the highest quality possible. This screening process provides families with information like:
- General health analysis
- Psychological screenings
- Information on family background
- Information on educational and professional history
- Drug test results
With these answers at your fingertips, you can focus on deciding what characteristics you’re looking for in a donor.
Are physical similarities to yourself, or you’re first born, important?
How much do similarities in faith and hobbies matter?
Do you want someone with the same ethnicity as yourself or your partner?
Once you’ve determined your most important requirements, narrowing down your top donor choices will be less overwhelming.
It’s also important to ‘go with your gut.’ If something about one of the donors speaks to you, perhaps it’s a sign she’s the best choice for you and your family.
Beginning the Donor Egg IVF Process
After you’ve selected your donor, her eggs will be transferred to the fertility clinic of your choice. At the same time, you’ll begin your donor egg IVF cycle.
Each woman’s cycle begins with a collection of tests to determine her current reproductive health. Your doctor uses this information to decide the protocol of medication you’ll take to best prepare your uterus for the upcoming embryo transfer.
The medications are chosen – most commonly estrogen and progesterone – will more than likely be self-injectable therapies. Your body’s response will be monitored with bloodwork and transvaginal ultrasounds.
When your IVF team decides your body is ready, your donated eggs will be thawed and fertilized. One or two of the developing embryos will then be placed into your uterus in a pain-free transfer procedure utilizing ultrasound technology and a thin catheter.
Two weeks after the transfer’s occurred, you’ll return to the clinic for a blood pregnancy test and hopefully hear the news you’ve been hoping for – you’re pregnant!
Secondary Infertility Doesn’t Have to Be the End of Your Story
Frozen donor egg IVF is an ideal option for women with an immense desire to carry another baby and continue building their family.
While it may be more involved than natural conception, the end result is the same – a beautiful new brother or sister for your child and the next son or daughter you’ve been dreaming of.
A baby is an extraordinary blessing no matter how they arrive in this world.
If you’re struggling with infertility and can’t seem to find a solution, egg donation might be the answer you’re looking for.