Egg Donation And Surrogacy
Egg Donation And Surrogacy
Egg Donation
Many couples find themselves in a situation where, due to age, physiology, or medical expediency, they need assistance from a third party to conceive. An egg donor is used when a woman has egg quality issues due to age or genetic condition, or in the case of diminished ovarian reserve, where very few eggs are left. The woman selects a donor from the donor agency’s database and the donor begins fertility medications to coordinate with the selected IVF cycle timing. The donor’s ovarian follicles are then monitored by the IVF clinic to gauge optimal time for her ovulation trigger. The recipient is given medications to prepare her uterus for the pending pregnancy, and the donor undergoes egg retrieval. The eggs are fertilized and cultured for 3-5 days, then one or more of the resulting embryos are transferred to the recipient’s uterus. Because there is a great deal of coordination to assure that the timing is correct on all aspects of the donor cycle, the IVF clinic needs to be experienced in managing donor cycles. Having done thousands of egg donor IVF cycles, SIRM is experienced in their management and coordination. Read more about Egg Donation HERE
Gestational Surrogacy
When a woman is unable to carry a baby due to physiological restrictions, she may use a gestational surrogate (GS). The surrogate functions just as the embryo recipient in the above egg donation example. Many times, the intended mother provides the eggs. In other cases, a couple may use an egg donor in conjunction with the surrogate. The intended parents may use an outside agency to find a surrogate, or may find a known surrogate within their circle of family and friends. Typically, there is a legal agreement drafted and signed by the surrogate and the intended parents. Again, since there is a large amount of coordination to be done, the IVF clinic needs to be intimately involved and familiar with the process in order to manage a donor/surrogate cycle effectively.
We work closely with a number of established egg donor/surrogacy agencies and can provide referrals. Read more about Gestational Surrogacy HERE
Related Posts
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a procedure first developed in 1978 in which a woman’s ovaries are stimulated with fertility drugs to produce multiple mature eggs, which are then removed from her body and are fertilized in the laboratory with her partner’s (or donor) sperm. The resulting embryos are cultured for three or five days … Read more
For an ever-increasing number of infertile women, ovarian failure is an insurmountable obstacle to the production of viable eggs. Yet the desire to achieve and carry a healthy pregnancy remains strong. Ovum donation (OD) – commonly called egg donation – provides them with a realistic opportunity of going from infertility to parenthood. Egg donation has … Read more
GESTATIONAL SURROGACY With gestational surrogacy, one or more embryos derived from the patient’s eggs and her partner’s sperm is transferred into the uterus of a surrogate. The surrogate in effect provides a host womb but does not contribute genetically. In spite of original ethical, moral, and medical legal reservations, gestational surrogacy has now gained widespread … Read more
As soon as ovarian stimulation is begun in the woman providing the eggs, the surrogate will start estrogen therapy (estradiol valerate). The estrogen is given twice weekly by injections. Ultimately, the surrogate will need to take progesterone as well to help prepare her uterine lining for implantation. GnRHa is administered for a period of 7 … Read more
Also known as Preimplantation Genetic Screening, the purpose of this process is to evaluate the chromosomal makeup of an egg/embryo. Because the majority of miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities, many couples undergo Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis in order to select embryos that are chromosomally “normal” and increase their chances of IVF success. An egg/embryo with too … Read more
Advancing age (beyond 40 years) is by far the most common reason why American women elect to work with an egg donor. The second most common indication for OD – and one that usually ties in with advancing age beyond 40 years – is declining ovarian function. In a select, but nevertheless significant percentage of … Read more
Egg/embryo banking offers a potential solution for older women and those with DOR who wish to minimize the relentless effect of the biological clock. The process involves undergoing several IVF stimulation/egg retrieval procedures in relatively quick succession, and then freezing/banking all viable embryos for future dispensation, rather than having them transferred to the uterus immediately. … Read more
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