5 Benefits Of Choosing Frozen Donor Eggs Over Fresh

5 Benefits Of Choosing Frozen Donor Eggs Over Fresh

Starting a family and passing on our genes is an instinctual desire present in most of us. But for some women, conceiving naturally can be challenging due to egg-related infertility. Unable to fulfill this need to have children, these women may be left feeling like failures and wracked with grief. Fortunately, there is still hope. Donor egg IVF can significantly increase the chances of conception, and your dream of having a family can be achieved. There are also other opportunities, such as adoption or traditional IVF treatment, but when you weigh the cost of a donor egg against these, donor egg is a more economical option. Hopefully these 5 Benefits Of Choosing Frozen Donor Eggs Over Fresh will aide you with your options.

An Emotional Rollercoaster
Experiencing infertility can cause a whirlwind of emotions and be extremely distressing. It is important to understand you are not alone – infertility is very common over the age of 35. Women are born with a finite number of eggs and, although ovulation only occurs monthly, eggs are dying every day. Not only does the quantity of eggs deplete with age, the quality of eggs also decreases. Donor egg IVF uses eggs from another woman that are healthy and viable for conception in order to increase the odds of a successful pregnancy.

Although donor egg IVF is a great option to help build your family, the idea of not genetically contributing to your child can be extremely hard. It is highly recommended to receive some form of counselling to help guide you through these overwhelming feelings to help ease your anxieties.

Selecting a Donor
Once you have decided egg donation is the best option for you, the process begins with selecting your donor. Some prefer to use eggs from a friend or family member, whilst others select donors through donor egg programs. Choosing your donor is a significant part of the process and can take a long time before a couple finds their perfect match. Donor egg programs offer detailed information about the donor including physical characteristics and photos, family medical history, education and achievements, and an overview of general personality traits. Professionals in third party reproduction are able to assist in finding the right donor for you, helping soothe any worries you may have.

Fresh or Frozen?

Donor egg IVF can be carried out through fresh egg cycles or frozen egg donation. Although both methods of donor egg IVF are ultimately trying to achieve the same goal – a child to call your own – there are important differences to consider when deciding between the two. Frozen egg donation is becoming an increasingly popular option as there are a number of benefits that make the process easier.

Time
An in-depth screening process is required with fresh egg cycles to assess the donor’s credibility for egg donation, taking between 3 weeks and 2 months. Once completed, the donor and recipients menstrual cycles must be synchronized using birth control pills; this can take up to 3 weeks. Medications are administered to mature multiple eggs within the ovaries of the donor, and to build a thick endometrial lining suitable for implantation in the recipient, taking another 3 weeks.

Frozen egg donation is considerably quicker, taking approximately 5 weeks in total, as eggs have already been retrieved and are available for immediate use.

Cost
Money is frequently a limiting factor for couples considering donor egg IVF and can prevent them from going through with treatment. Fortunately, frozen egg donation is far more cost effective than fresh egg cycles, at approximately half the price.

Convenience
Once selected, frozen donor eggs can be shipped to your selected fertility clinic and be ready for implantation as soon as the recipient’s uterine lining is thick enough. The process and timing of the procedure is completely dependent on the recipient’s schedule.

Less Risk of Delay or Cancellation
When using fresh egg cycles, there is a greater chance of delay or cancellation: the donor may not respond to medication as expected or simply forget to take it, their schedule may interfere with timing, or an unforeseen life event such as a family obligation may arise. These uncontrollable variables cause up to 10% of fresh egg cycles to be either delayed or completely cancelled. With frozen egg donation, you are not reliant on the donor’s schedule and timing is entirely up to you.

Success Rates
Both fresh and frozen egg donation have success rates of approximately 50% per transfer. When taking in to account all the other benefits of frozen egg donation, it is hardly surprising this is the most popular option.

The Beginning of Your New Family

Choosing donor egg IVF is the first step towards becoming the parent you’ve always dreamt of being. There is a baby-shaped light at the end of the tunnel. Once you get there, all the grief and hardship you have been through will be worth it.

If you liked reading about these 5 Benefits Of Choosing Frozen Donor Eggs Over Fresh, please share on your social channels!