What You Need To Know About Frozen Donor Egg IVF
For those who are struggling with trying to build their family, there may be an initial sense of relief when a diagnosis is reached. It is comforting to know there are more options to treat infertility than ever before. One option allowing more and more people to fulfill their dream is frozen donor egg IVF. The Fertility Institute of Hawaii is a strategic partner with Donor Egg Bank USA, which helps to facilitate the process by making it easy for couples to select a donor from the comfort of their own home using their egg donor registry.
When Are Donor Eggs Used to Treat Infertility?
The use of donor egg IVF is often considered when a woman has a low number of her own eggs (her “ovarian reserve”), or low egg quality, which typically occurs in women older than 35.
Some women are fortunate enough to have a friend or family member that is willing and able to serve as a donor, while others have the means to support the egg donation process from a willing candidate outside of their circle. In cases where neither of the above scenarios held true, adoption was the only feasible family building option. However, with advances in reproductive technology, and especially the ability to preserve eggs through the process of vitrification, the use of frozen donor eggs has become another viable option.
Compared to IVF involving a fresh egg donor, IVF using frozen donor eggs may be more affordable and does not run the risk of being cancelled or postponed due to an unexpected event on the donor’s part.
Choosing an Egg Donor
If frozen donor egg IVF is recommended for you, know that choosing a donor can be a less daunting task than it seems. From your home or office, you can get to know your prospective egg donor through her online profile. You can review details of her medical history, academic record, and learn more about her hobbies and interests.
Egg donors are thoroughly screened to ensure a clear genetic history and good health, and since the Donor Egg Bank USA network lists donors from across the country, there is a broad range of ethnic diversity among the donors. When you review their profiles, you can also see pictures of your donor to help select someone who is a close physical match to your family.
Frozen Donor Egg Success Rates
One of the first and most obvious questions of those who are wondering if using frozen donor eggs is right for them is, “Will it work?” The frozen donor egg IVF process is one that can be enormously rewarding, but it is also strenuous for those who undergo it. It is only natural to want some reassurance of a positive outcome before moving forward.
Fortunately, you can take comfort in knowing that pregnancy success rates through the use of frozen donor eggs are rapidly catching up to those attained through the traditional egg donor process.With the continuous advances that come from further research in the field of reproductive medicine, the gap in success rates between fresh and frozen eggs gets smaller every year.
Only you and your doctor know which course of treatment is right for you, but if you are looking into donor egg IVF as an option, know that there are many ways you can have the family of your dreams.