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IVF Process Overview
For many intended parents, building a family often requires the help of an egg donor and a gestational carrier. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the assisted-reproductive technique used to fertilize eggs, guided by a reproductive endocrinologist who oversees each step with care.
Choosing a trusted clinic and understanding the IVF process are essential parts of the surrogacy journey. Below is an overview of the major milestones.
1. 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
After your selected donor passes medical and psychological screening, she will begin medication to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The eggs are retrieved once they reach the desired size and maturity.
2. Deciding Whose Sperm Will Be Used
The sperm can come from one or both intended parents, 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.
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Your IVF clinic will guide you through the process, which often includes sperm analysis, storage, and preparation for fertilization. In some cases, your physician may recommend genetic testing to check compatibility.
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If you decide to use a sperm donor, legal agreements are typically put in place to clarify parental rights and responsibilities.
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There is no single “right” choice—the best option is the one that feels right for your family, and our team is here to support you through every step.
3. Sperm Analysis and Lifestyle Considerations
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.
Although most samples are adequate, studies estimate that about 2 % of all males have poor sperm quality, which may require medical intervention.
You can support sperm quality through healthy lifestyle choices, such as avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, exercising regularly, and consulting your doctor about medications. These steps can help ensure the best possible outcome.
4. 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.
Some clinics recommend pre‑implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT‑A) at this stage to check for chromosomal abnormalities; however, it’s important to recognize that not all embryos will be genetically normal and that age and health history affect embryo quality. PGT‑A is usually recommended for IVF.
5. Genetic Testing and Ethical Considerations
Selecting a healthy embryo is a priority for intended parents, the gestational carrier, and the egg donor. PGT A can identify chromosomal abnormalities and, as a by product, reveal the sex chromosomes of each embryo.
While this information allows parents to know an embryo’s sex, using PGT-A solely for non medical sex selection is ethically controversial.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine notes that non medical sex selection should not be encouraged. If you choose to pursue PGT-A, discuss its benefits, limitations, and ethical implications with your fertility specialist during informed consent.
