Why Should I Consider an Egg Donor?
Have you heard of egg donation but you’re not sure if it’s the right option to help you grow your family? At Los Angeles Reproductive Center in Encino, CA, and Bakersfield, CA, we educate patients on this topic and other fertility treatments. There are several reasons to consider egg donation, including starting a family later in your life and recurrent pregnancy loss. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at egg donation and what it could mean for your future.
What Is Egg Donation?
You might be familiar with the egg donation process already but let’s do a quick recap. During egg retrieval, eggs are taken from the donor’s body. They can be used soon after or frozen for future use.
Once one of our patients decides to use one or more donated eggs, they are combined with sperm during in vitro fertilization (IVF). After viable embryos develop, they can be transferred to the patient’s uterus or in some cases, to a surrogate’s uterus.
Egg donation has been used time and again to assist all kinds of families. Now, let’s look at some common examples.
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Recurrent pregnancy loss refers to two or more miscarriages. Miscarriage is a natural and surprisingly common occurrence, but we understand the heartache and confusion it can cause. Risk factors include:
- Structural problems with the uterus
- Genetic mutations that are inherited
- Spontaneous genetic errors
For many patients at our Encino office, egg donation will not be the first course of action. In others, it’s fairly clear that using donated eggs would be a wise decision.
Menopause and Early Menopause
As you age, the number and quality of your eggs are naturally reduced. The hormonal changes that result from menopause also mean that you stop ovulating. Early or premature menopause, which affects women under 40, has a similar effect on the body. While it can occur naturally, it can also result from certain illnesses, chemotherapy, and the surgical removal of the ovaries.
Despite these hormonal changes, we know that healthy women in their 40s and older can carry and deliver a full-term baby. In these cases, they might turn to egg donation.
Diminished Ovarian Reserve
In contrast to menopause, women with a diminished ovarian reserve still ovulate but they experience hormonal imbalances and have a lower number of eggs than normal. Again, these women often have completely normal anatomy that can allow them to become pregnant and carry a baby thanks to IVF.
Single Men & Same-Sex Male Couples
More and more single men are making the decision to start a family on their own. Same-sex male couples might also rely on an egg donor. In both cases, if they choose, our patients can provide sperm to be combined with the donated eggs, allowing them to have a biological link to their baby.
Set Up a Consultation With Us to Learn More
Our Encino team has the training, compassion, and technology to help you and your family. We understand you might be anxious, excited, or scared – rest assured that it’s all completely normal. To learn more about whether egg donation is right for you, message our office today.