The Transition from IVF
to a Donor Egg IVF Cycle

As an intended parent, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than unsuccessful attempts at conception. Planning infertility treatments after failed attempts can be an emotionally difficult challenge and expensive undertaking.  In an effort to provide informative resources for intended parents, Fertility SOURCE Companies has given an unrestricted educational grant to the American Fertility Association (AFA) for the creation of a video and fact sheet that focuses on transitioning from IVF, to IVF with a donor egg cycle. 

We hope you find the resulting video and highlights from their detailed fact-sheet helpful.  IVF with a donor egg cycle is a viable option for those with failed IVF cycles, low egg or embryo counts, and/or damaged ovaries.

Below are some highlights from the American Fertility Association’s fact sheet.  For the AFA’s complete fact sheet, click here. To watch the video about transitioning to a donor egg IVF cycle, click here.

The Transition

The decision to move from In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to a donor egg IVF cycle is a very personal one.  You may see your funds running out, with no clear understanding of why IVF is not working for you.  Others may be experiencing recurrent miscarriages with no clear explanation as to the reason.  At some point in your infertility treatment, you may find yourself making a difficult decision.

There are several options you may be considering right now, some of which include continuing IVF with your own eggs, adoption, child free living, or a donor egg IVF cycle.  How do you go about deciding if egg donation is right for you?  There are many reasons to consider moving on to egg donation. Some of these factors include:

• Advanced maternal ages
• Genetic issues or diseases
• Have undergone treatments like radiation/chemotherapy
• Your ovaries have been removed
• Multiple IVF cycles have not resulted in pregnancy
• Unexplained infertility or miscarriages
• Auto immune responses
• Premature ovarian failure

During the decision process different people will come up with different decisions about what they can and can’t compromise on within themselves, and none of these choices are right or wrong. The important thing is to be honest with both yourself and your partner.

Schedule a Consultation
Once you have made the decision to proceed with a donor egg IVF cycle, the protocols and routines that you are accustomed to following for your IVF procedures will change. The team of professionals committed to helping you achieve parenthood will expand to include an attorney or attorneys, and possibly an egg donor agency.

At this point it would be helpful to schedule a visit with your IVF program of choice. During this visit you can ask questions about the egg donor database and learn more about your options. This would also be a good time to discuss the intended mother’s ability to carry a baby, financial costs, and the list of medical and psychological screenings necessary for the intended parents and egg donor.

Legal Arrangements
Prior to beginning the medical process, you will be required to handle the legal arrangements needed for your egg donor IVF cycle. This is not as daunting as it sounds. But it is important to find an attorney that specializes in this area of the law. Your attorney should be knowledgeable about the law in your own state, and what you need to do in order to establish your parenthood within that state.

Choosing Your Donor
The next step in the process is choosing your donor! But first you need to decide what type of egg donor you are most comfortable working with. There are two types of donors, anonymous and known donors. Anonymous donors are donors whose identities are not released to the intended parents. A known donor is someone chosen by the intended parents such as a sister or close friend. Lastly, if you choose a donor through an agency, some donors will give you the option to be contacted in the future. This would also be considered a known donor. Intended parents may choose this option if they want to be alerted to changes the donor’s medical history, address, or other information.

Preparing for Parenthood
Now that you’ve chosen an egg donor, and all of your legal concerns are taken care of, the intended mom and her donor will begin taking birth control pills to coordinate menstrual cycles. This is the start of the IVF with a donor egg cycle! If this process results in a pregnancy, you may feel anxiety as well as joy, both about the pregnancy itself and also, about the parenting experience to come. This is a good time to connect with other people who are going through, or have already gone through the same things. You have the right to enjoy this time in your life.

To read the entire American Fertility Association fact sheet, Transitioning from IVF to a Donor Egg Cycle, click here. You will find more information on legalities, medical/psychological screenings required, and the process of IVF with a donor egg.

If you would like to contact the Donor SOURCE about pursuing IVF with a donor egg cycle, please fill out our online form. We would love to speak with you!