Understanding Egg Donor IVF
In vitro fertilization, or “IVF,” is an assisted reproductive technology which has helped many people become parents and grow their families. IVF involves the removal of mature eggs for fertilization in a lab. Often eggs are retrieved from the intended mother but sometimes it’s necessary to use an egg donor instead.
At the Los Angeles Reproductive Center, Dr. Marc Kalan and Dr. Nurit Winkler provide egg donor IVF to help patients in Encino, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Los Angeles, CA, and surrounding areas start or add to their families. There are many reasons someone may consider egg donor IVF. Today, we’ll consider some of these reasons to help you understand egg donor IVF and whether it may be right for your needs.
What Is Egg Donor IVF?
Egg donor IVF provides a means for women who can’t use their own eggs or men who do not have a female partner to try to have a baby.
With egg donor IVF, an egg donor is selected either from an egg donor agency, an egg bank, a friend, or family member. Once the donor is selected, she will take fertility medications to increase the number of mature eggs produced in a cycle so that they may be retrieved and fertilized in a lab using the intended father’s sperm or sperm from a donor.
Fertilized eggs are incubated and assessed in order to determine which embryos will be most viable for implantation. When ready, one or more embryos can be inserted into the intended mother or a surrogate’s uterus. If successful, pregnancy will follow.
Egg Donor IVF Can Help Make Pregnancy Possible
It’s important to understand that when a donor egg is used and placed in another woman, the child will not be biologically related to the woman carrying the baby, even if she is the intended mother.
The intended father can be biologically related if his sperm is used to fertilize the egg. However, a sperm donor may be used if there is no intended father or for other reasons, such as male infertility.
Regardless, egg donor IVF can make it possible for those who struggle to conceive or do not have a female partner to experience the joys of pregnancy and having children. A biological connection is not necessary to love a child as your own.
Who Might Consider Egg Donor IVF?
Egg donation offers couples and single people an opportunity to become parents when there are issues affecting egg production or eggs are not available. Those who may consider egg donation and IVF include:
- Same sex male couples
- Women with diminished ovarian reserve
- Women who have undergone menopause
- Women who have experienced premature menopause
- Women experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss
- Single men
Is Egg Donor IVF Right for You?
If you are ready to start a family but face fertility challenges related to egg quality or production, egg donor IVF may be right for you. For more information about egg donor IVF or to discuss other fertility treatments, please call (818) 946-8051 to schedule a consultation at the Los Angeles Reproductive Center.