Egg Donation with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago
Whether you’re donating your eggs or seeking eggs from a donor, we can help.
IVF Using Donor Eggs with AFCC
IVF with donor eggs is an effective treatment for infertility, but success rates aren’t the same at every clinic. Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago has one of the best egg donation programs in the US. Our live birth success rate per transfer was 75.7% for 2017 for fresh donor eggs. The USA national average for 2017 was 50.7%. With our egg donation program, recipient parents can expect:
- Excellent success rates
- A large, diverse donor base
- Fresh and frozen eggs, available for immediate use
We currently have Chicago area egg donors available interested in donating eggs. We do not have any waiting lists for couples needing an egg donor — and we also have a frozen donor egg bank with eggs ready to be used immediately.
When Is Egg Donation Recommended?
We might recommend using donor eggs if you:
- Have experienced premature ovarian failure (early menopause)
- Have very poor egg quality
- Responded poorly to ovarian stimulation
- Are of advanced female age
Fresh vs. Frozen Egg Donor Cycles
In a fresh donor egg cycle, the donor and recipient’s cycles are synchronized so that the egg donor’s eggs are retrieved, fertilized, and transferred at the ideal time for uterine implantation.
Synchronization is generally accomplished using birth control. Once synchronized, egg donors are given medications that trigger the development and maturation of several eggs at once. At the same time, the recipient is given medications that prepare the uterine lining for embryo implantation.
In a frozen donor egg cycle, synchronization is not required. Egg donors go through the process of taking medication and egg retrieval. However, instead of being used immediately, the eggs are frozen using a cryopreservation technique known as vitrification. Eggs can be stored in this manner for many years.
The decision to use fresh or frozen donor eggs depends on many factors unique to your specific situation. Both are great ways that recipient parents can forge ahead on their path to parenthood. Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago will help you choose the best egg donation option for your specific family-building needs.
The Egg Donation Process, Step-by-Step
- You’ll choose an appropriate egg donor. Most commonly, in our clinic, recipients choose the donor from our list of anonymous pre-screened egg donors.
- Consents are signed by all parties.
- For a cycle using fresh eggs, the donor is stimulated with injected medications to develop multiple eggs before they are retrieved from the ovaries. If frozen eggs are being used, the eggs are thawed for use.
- We perform IVF with the donor eggs and appropriate sperm.
- You’ll be given medications to prepare your uterus for an embryo transfer.
Choosing an Egg Donor
At any given moment, Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago has 60-80 Chicago area egg donors available, many of which are proven donors that we have worked with previously. We are continuously recruiting new, well-qualified donors so that we can maintain an extensive and diverse pool for recipient parents.
Donors are thoroughly screened for ovarian reserve, infectious diseases, and genetically transmissible conditions. They can be known or anonymous to the recipient.
Our patients have access to donor photographs and the complete donor database with specific, detailed information about every donor, including:
- Medical history
- Social history
- Family history
- A psychological evaluation
- Intelligence test results (IQ)
Ready to take the next step on your path to parenthood via egg donation? We invite you to create an account with Egg Donor Connect to start your egg donor search. Contact Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago today for more information about egg donation or to schedule a consultation.
Egg Donation FAQ
A person’s appearance is dictated by the DNA they inherit from their genetic mother and father, however, it’s close to impossible to predict how a child will look as an infant, a toddler, a child, an adolescent, a teenager, or adult. A baby born using a donor egg may resemble the egg donor, but it’s not necessarily a guarantee.
When choosing an egg donor, intended parents typically think about a wide range of factors that often include physical characteristics, personality, hobbies, interests, and level of education. It’s not uncommon for intended parents to have an image in their minds of the what the “perfect” egg donor looks and acts like. While you may start out with a long list of strict criteria for what you’re looking for in an egg donor, it’s a good idea to keep your options open and to focus on only a few non-negotiable traits and features.
Historically, egg donor arrangements have predominantly been anonymous, meaning that families who used an egg donor would not know their egg donor’s identity beyond what information was available in the donor profile. However, in recent years, the popularity of at-home DNA testing kits have been on the rise, which has changed the anonymous nature of egg donation.
The decision of whether or not to tell your child that they were conceived using a donor egg is obviously extremely personal to your family, but it is recommended that intended parents be as honest possible with their children. This is especially true now since DNA testking kits have made it increasingly possible for children born from donor eggs to find their genetic mothers. While the idea of talking to your child about their conception story may seem overwhelming, there are several books and resources available that can make this process a little easier for your family. If desired, your family can also join the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR), which is a non-profit that provides education, resources, and support to donor-conceived people and their families. The DSR can also help donor-conceived children connect with their half-siblings and/or donors.
