The egg donation process for parents involves a series of exciting steps
Our Indianapolis fertility center walks patients through the egg donation process for parents. Conceiving with donor eggs can help patients move past the risk of passing on inheritable genetic conditions. It can also help with issues relating to ovarian reserve (egg supply) or reproductive organs. For patients without ovaries, egg donation is an essential part of the path to parenthood.
Learn more about the first steps of the egg donation process for parents
After patients decide to use donor eggs, our clinic guides them through the consultation and screenings. We also support them in selecting their ideal egg donor.
Consultation with the doctor. Patients meet with a doctor at our Indianapolis fertility center to review the plan for the egg donation cycle. This consultation allows the doctor to provide information about fresh and frozen donor eggs. Patients can also learn more about the tests they’ll need before beginning their search for their ideal donor. These tests typically include an ultrasound for patients with a uterus planning to carry the pregnancy as well as a sperm analysis for patients providing the sperm.
Consultation with a counselor. The egg donation process for parents also includes patients meeting with a fertility counselor at The Cabin Counseling & Resource Center in Zionsville, Indiana.
Meeting with a donor coordinator. Patients meet with a donor coordinator to discuss the characteristics they’d like to see in their donor.
Reviewing donor profiles. The donor coordinator provides patients with access to our donor database. There, patients can review the profiles of high-quality donors who have undergone comprehensive screening. Donor profiles include photos of the donors in addition to information about their health, ethnic background, personality, talents, education and more.
Confirming the match. After patients select a donor, the coordinator facilitates the completion of any additional tests the patient or the donor might require and creates a preliminary schedule for the egg donation cycle.
When the donor receives medical clearance, the egg donation cycle can begin.
What patients can expect when conceiving with donor eggs
Patients can use previously vitrified (frozen) donor eggs from the donor egg bank or select a donor who will have go through ovarian stimulation for fresh oocytes (eggs). If selecting a donor for fresh egg selection, our clinic stays in communication with patients while their donor is taking ovulation induction medications. We also inform the parents when their donor is ready for the egg retrieval.
After egg retrieval, the doctor sends the eggs to the lab where an embryologist fertilizes them with sperm from the patient, the patient’s partner or a sperm donor. The embryologist can then perform preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploid (PGT-A) on the resulting embryos.
For patients desiring previously frozen eggs, the eggs are thawed on a determined date to be fertilized with sperm from the patient, the patient’s partner or a sperm donor. PGT-A can also be utilized with this type of treatment.
The next phase of conceiving with donor eggs involves the embryologist freezing the embryos or preparing them for transfer. In the case of a transfer, our clinic works with the patient to determine the ideal time for the doctor to transfer an embryo into the uterus of the patient or their gestational surrogate.
The experienced team at our Indianapolis fertility center works closely with patients to make the process of conceiving with donor eggs as smooth as possible. Contact us to learn more about the egg donation process for parents.
