Build your family using an egg donor

Is egg donor conception right for you?

For many people, their journey to parenthood is not possible without the help of an egg donor. Whatever journey has led you here, we understand that it won't have been an easy road.

Using donated eggs in your fertility treatment is a significant decision. We're here to support you as you decide whether donor egg conception is the right choice for you.

Our team of doctors and nurses will be able to advise on the best treatment pathway for you and your family. But we are likely to recommend donor conception if:

You are not producing any eggs of your own
You are at risk of passing on an inherited disease
Your own eggs are unlikely to result in a successful pregnancy
You are a same-sex male couple

Sperm donor recipient process at TFP Fertility

What is the egg donor recipient process?

Firstly, you'll need to choose your egg donor. This can be through a licensed fertility clinic or egg donation bank or you may choose a known donor, for example, a friend or family member.

Before your treatment can commence, you'll need to complete your counselling and consent appointments with one of our specialist fertility counsellors. Following this, we'll schedule your treatment.

During treatment, the donor eggs will be mixed with the sperm of your partner, co-parent or sperm donor and allowed to develop for five days into a mature embryo.

To prepare your body for transfer, you'll need to take a course of fertility medication to align your cycle and prepare your womb so that it is ready to accept the embryo.

How to find your egg donor

If you're thinking about building your family with the help of egg donation, the first step is knowing where to find a donor that's right for you.

One way of finding a donor is through a licensed fertility clinic; this ensures all of the necessary medical and legal processes are in place so that your treatment is safe and has the best possible chances of success.

1. Choose from your clinic's donation bank

Some fertility clinics have their own donation banks with catalogues of egg donors for you to choose from. Waiting lists for donors can be lengthy so it's essential to check the current wait times before making a commitment to ensure the estimated wait time aligns with your treatment.

2. Use a known donor

Some people are fortunate to have a friend or family member willing to be their donor. If you wish to use a known donor, they must undergo the same stringent testing as anonymous donors to ensure they are suitable to donate. Additionally, there are restrictions on mixing sperm and eggs between close relatives. Get in touch to find out how this works.

3. Find donor eggs online

You can purchase donor eggs from accredited egg donation banks online and have them shipped to your chosen clinic for treatment. You must ensure your sources are credible and meet the medical and legal requirements for donation. We recommend you confirm the cost of purchasing and shipping your eggs before proceeding.

Treatment using donor eggs

If you require egg donation to create your family, it can be used in several fertility treatments.

In vitro fertilisation (IVF)

In IVF treatment, your donor eggs will be mixed with sperm in a lab and left to develop into mature embryos. Healthy embryos are then transferred to the birth mother during a stimulated cycle.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

ICSI is a specialised technique used in IVF where there are male factor fertility challenges, for example, a low sperm count. It involves injecting a single healthy sperm directly into the egg.

Frozen embryo transfer

For some patients, a frozen embryo transfer may be necessary. Our advanced methods of freezing and cooling embryos have helped us achieve exceptional success rates with FETs.

Surrogacy

We support patients pursuing surrogacy to achieve their dreams of parenthood by providing exceptional care and advice as we guide you every step of the way.

Counselling and support

Fertility treatment of any kind can be emotionally and physically exhausting; it's important that you have someone to talk to throughout the process.

At TFP Fertility, we have specialist counsellors ready to help you explore however you're feeling and highly experienced nurses and consultants who can answer any questions you have about using donor eggs in your treatment.

During your counselling sessions, you'll discuss the implications of using an egg donor and what this may mean for you and your family in the future. This includes:

The welfare of any child born as a result of egg, sperm or embryo donation
The rights of the child regarding conveying information surrounding their conception
The implications of donor anonymity