Oocyte Donation Specialist

Why would I need to use donor eggs?

You may choose to use an egg donor for many reasons. For example, as you age, the quantity and quality of your egg cells declines — often referred to as diminished ovarian reserve — which can severely impact your ability to become pregnant naturally. You may also choose to use donor eggs if you carry a genetic disease or condition that you don’t want to pass on to your child.

Another reason you may opt to use egg donation is a condition known as premature ovarian failure, which causes your ovaries to stop producing and releasing fertile eggs much earlier than expected.

Dr. Gago also may recommend using oocyte donation if you’ve already had IVF treatment that wasn’t successful.

What is the process of oocyte donation?

The egg donation process has several steps. Gago Center for Fertility offers both fresh and frozen donated eggs.

Donor selection

Your first step is to select a donor. Gago Center for Fertility only works with egg donation organizations that adhere to FDA guidelines. All donors have physical exams, genetic screening, and psychological assessments.

Ovarian stimulation and cycle matching

After you select a donor, she begins to take medication to increase her ovulation so Dr. Gago can harvest several eggs during a single procedure. At the same time, both you and your donor take hormones to match your cycles. This ensures that after the eggs have been retrieved and harvested, Dr. Gago can inject them into your uterus at its most hospitable time of the month.

Egg retrieval

Dr. Gago monitors your donor’s ovaries with ultrasounds and blood tests to check her luteinizing hormone levels. When your donor is ready to ovulate, Dr. Gago performs a minimally invasive procedure to retrieve the oocytes.

Fertilization and embryo transfer

When the donor eggs have been retrieved, They are then moved to the IVF lab where they’re fertilized using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) techniques. The lab team monitors the fertilized eggs for a couple of days while the cells multiply.

If you opt for frozen eggs, Dr. Gago monitors your menstrual cycle to identify the optimal time to inject the embryos into your uterus, and you skip the middle steps after choosing your donor.

Finally, Dr. Gago performs the embryo transfer, using a thin catheter to place the embryos into your uterus. In about two weeks, you’ll have a follow-up appointment and pregnancy test to see if your procedure was successful.

How do I choose an egg donor?

Dr. Gago offers personalized fertility counseling and can help you select an egg donor. She helps you navigate questions around physical characteristics, family health history, and other concerns you may have about using donor eggs.

If you’re having trouble conceiving naturally, call Gago Center for Fertility or make an appointment online today.