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Egg Donor Program: Finding an Egg Donor
What is Egg Donation?
Egg donation is a process in which a healthy, fertile woman donates her eggs to help others have a baby. The donor eggs are fertilized in a laboratory with the intended father’s sperm (or donor sperm) to create embryos. Once fertilized, the highest quality embryo(s) are transferred either to the intended mother’s or to a gestational surrogate’s uterus to carry the baby to term.
At Giving Tree Surrogacy, we carefully select egg donors who are emotionally, physically, and mentally ready for the process. They are compassionate individuals who are committed to helping others experience the joy of parenthood.
Two Types of Egg Donation: Fresh and Frozen
There are two types of egg donation to consider: fresh and frozen. While both types utilize donor eggs to create embryos, the process in which the eggs are retrieved and fertilized – along with the costs for each – are different.
Fresh Egg Donation.
Eggs are retrieved directly from the donor and immediately fertilized to create embryos. The embryos mature and are transferred to a gestational surrogate’s or intended mother’s uterus.
Frozen Egg Donation.
Eggs are retrieved from the donor in advance and then frozen. When intended parents select a donor with frozen eggs, the eggs are thawed and then fertilized to be transferred.
The type of egg donation that is best for you depends on a few factors: egg donor match, timing, and costs. Read more about fresh vs frozen egg donation.
How Much Does Egg Donation Cost?
Egg donation costs will vary depending on the type of egg donation that is the right fit for your journey. Egg donor costs are usually in addition to surrogacy journey costs.
Intended parents can expect to pay the below costs for egg donation:
Fresh egg donation: $20,000-$50,000+. Costs may vary depending on donor experience and compensation.
Frozen egg donation: $16,375-$30,725. Costs can depend on the cohort size (how many eggs are in a purchased “group”).
Why fresh and frozen egg donation costs differ?
There are a few reasons why fresh egg donation costs more than frozen egg donation:
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You will typically retrieve more eggs with a fresh egg donation, giving intended parents more eggs to fertilize into embryos.
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With a frozen donation, the timeline is shorter and requires less IVF clinic and doctor involvement (since the egg retrieval is already complete).
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All eggs with a fresh donation below exclusively to the intended parents; with frozen egg donation, the original number of eggs retrieved may have been divided into multiple cohorts for purchase by different intended parents.
How Do I Find an Egg Donor?
Choosing an egg donor is an important step in your path to parenthood. A good first step is to sit down and write out a list of characteristics you value, and potential traits of your future child(ren), such as:
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Physical traits (eye and hair color, height and weight)
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Education and interests
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Ethnicity
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Medical history
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Personality traits
Next, you will view egg donor databases to see if you find a donor match. Giving Tree has an extensive egg donor database filled with bright, selfless women hoping to make a difference. You can also speak with your IVF clinic about finding an egg donor.
The Egg Donation Process for Intended Parents
Egg donation is a wonderful way to grow your family. The egg donation process usually starts with a conversation between the intended parents and their IVF clinic. If intended parents do not yet have a clinic, Giving Tree is happy to connect them to one of their trusted clinic partners.
The egg donation process for intended parents can be broken down into key milestones:
01
Choosing an Egg Donor.
Once you’ve selected an IVF clinic and physician you trust, the next step is to choose an egg donor. Before browsing donor profiles, it can be helpful to list the characteristics you value most in a donor, such as:
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Height and weight
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Eye and hair color
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Education and interests
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Racial or ethnic background
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Family medical history
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Personality traits
You can have peace of mind in knowing how rigorously Giving Tree screens all our donors; only 2% of all egg donor applicants make it into our egg donor pool.
02
Determine a Sperm Source.
The sperm can come from the intended father, or both intended parents (for same sex couples), or from a chosen donor if there is no intended parent providing sperm. This decision is personal and depends on your family goals, genetic preferences, and medical considerations.
03
Sperm Analysis & Fertilization Method.
After deciding who will provide the genetic material, you will visit the clinic to give a sperm sample. Laboratory staff will analyze the sample to assess quality and decide whether conventional insemination or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is most appropriate.
04
Embryo Creation.
The most viable sperms will be combined with the egg donor’s eggs to create embryos under the supervision of an embryologist. Embryos are typically cultured to the blastocyst stage (day 5–6) before transfer.
05
Genetic Testing.
Selecting a healthy embryo is a priority for intended parents, the gestational carrier, and the egg donor. PGT-A testing can identify chromosomal abnormalities and, as a by-product, reveal the sex chromosomes of each embryo.
06
Embryo Transfer.
When the embryo has reached blastocyst stage, it will be transferred into the intended mother’s/gestational surrogate’s uterus.
Read full details on the IVF process for egg donation.
Some of the reasons Intended Parents choose to work with Giving Tree Surrogacy
Frequently Asked Questions
