If you are considering using a donor egg to have a baby, you’re probably wondering about how to find egg donor profiles, cost, and availability. The challenge to find egg donor information that you’re seeking can be overwhelming but also exciting.
Potential egg donors: someone you already know
Maybe you have someone in mind to use as your egg donor. Perhaps you have a relative or a close personal friend that you would like to ask. While being an egg donor is a wonderful gift that someone can give you, you may have difficulty accepting that your child is genetically related to that person. Or the donor may find it difficult knowing that she has a biological child that she cannot see every day. As you investigate egg donor possibilities, all of these thoughts should be considered.
In addition, as you find egg donor prospects with family or friends, it’s imperative that the potential egg donor be screened for medical issues and any genetic diseases. In fact, most fertility clinics will not proceed with an egg donation without a full screening.
Also, the potential egg donor should undergo a psychological evaluation to ensure she is fully capable of making this decision and realizes the risks, procedures and outcome.
Potential egg donors: fertility clinics
Another place to find egg donor profiles is at a fertility clinic. Fertility clinic have lists of potential egg donors that they have already screened. Yet sometimes there are long waiting lists of recipients waiting for these egg donors.
An alternative is to find egg donor information on your own. But you should exercise extreme caution when doing so. There are many agencies and registries that you can contact to find egg donor prospects. Some women place ads in magazines, newspapers or online offering to donate their eggs.
When you find egg donor candidates on your own, the donor process may move a lot faster than having to wait your turn on a waiting list. However, when you find egg donor candidates on your own, the women have not been professionally screened.
All egg donors should be screened for medical and genetic issues. You do not want to risk having an unhealthy child just for the sake of a faster process.
To know your egg donor or not to know?
As you find egg donor information and review the alternatives, keep in mind that the type of relationship you choose to have with the donor is entirely up to you and should be decided based on your level of comfort.
Most egg donors are anonymous donors who wish to keep their identity confidential. However, some donors may wish to meet you. Others may even wish to be contacted by the child when she/he is of a certain age. You may wish to keep an ongoing relationship with the donor and send occasional cards and photos or even set up meetings through the years.
Protecting yourself and your child
Once you find egg donor candidates and have narrowed these prospects down to one woman, it is important to protect yourself and your future child with legal counsel. Your attorney will draw up a contract and strictly define the terms of the egg donation. The contract should clearly state that the egg donor waives all parental rights to the child born through the egg donation process. The recipients are the legal parents to the child.
In addition, the terms of the contract should lay out specifically what type of relationship the egg donor is allowed with the child in the future, if any. It also should state the financial aspects such as the donor’s compensation fee and what it includes as well as the terms by which the donor will be paid (such as one lump sum or partial payments throughout the stages of egg retrieval).
Can you afford egg donation?
Also important, you need to find egg donor financial information, as you will be responsible for all the costs of the egg donation. This cost includes the donor’s expenses and your procedure, as well as costs incurred with any complications that may arise.
Egg donors are also typically compensated for their time and the process. The compensation fee is usually about $4,000 to $5,000. Generally, the entire cost of egg donation is about $15,000 to $20,000. Some insurance companies offer coverage of egg donation or some aspects of it. So as you find egg donor information, it’s worth your while to talk to your insurance company about your benefits.
There’s a lot to consider as you find egg donor possibilities. That said, there are plenty of resources available to help you with your decision. Most couples that go through the egg donation process find it to be a worthwhile and satisfying experience…especially the outcome of having your own baby.
Sources: American Pregnancy Association: Donor Eggs. New York State Department of Health: Becoming an Egg Donor American Society for Reproductive Medicine: Third Party Reproduction (Sperm, Egg, and embryo donation and surrogacy): A Guide for Patients. Resolve: The Medical Aspects of Egg Donation. American Pregnancy Association: Donor Eggs.
