Choosing an Egg Donor – Consider These Things
You’re fully committed to becoming a parent through egg donation. You’ve chosen an egg donation agency to work with and a program that best suits your needs. But what happens when you’re looking for an egg donor?
While it may feel overwhelming, it’s reassuring to know that there is no right or wrong way to choose an egg donor. Every preference or request is determined by you (and your partner). The key pointers below will help you fine tune those preferences and guide you along your way.
1. Decide on the type of donation you want to pursue, and then seek a donor who is open to it. Intended parents have the option of known, semi-known, and anonymous egg donation. Here is a breakdown of what each kind of donation entails.
- Known Donation: Intended parents and the egg donor learn each other’s names and have the opportunity to get to know each other. Known egg donation allows you and your children to remain updated about their genetic parent’s medical history as it changes over time.
- Semi-Known Donation: The amount of information that is shared between intended parents and the egg donor is limited. For example, intended parents and egg donors may decide you do they do not want to exchange contact information but may want to meet in person at our office or at the IVF clinic.
- Anonymous Donation: There is neither open contact nor communication between the intended parents and the egg donor. The contract uses only first names, and all information is exchanged through our agency. Anonymous egg donors are asked to keep the agency informed of all changes in their health history and keep their contact information up to date so the intended parents can be made aware of any changes.
2. Identify traits that are important to you in an egg donor. Intended parents can filter egg donors by hair color, height, age, eye color, weight, education and ethnicity of the woman they want to work with—the possibilities are endless. Some intended parents choose donors who look like the parent who isn’t biologically connected to the child. For example, if you have dark hair and blue eyes, you may want to choose an ovum donor based on those criteria. While others decide who they want to work with based on personal interests, talents, personality, or IQ.
3. Review and compare egg donors’ in-depth profiles. Applications are filled with questions and answers that reflect the applicant’s persona, traits, and values..
4. Have a back-up plan in case your requested donor is in cycle or be prepared to push back your expected start date. By choosing 3-5 donors, you’ll prevent yourself from having to repeat the matching process in case the match doesn’t work out. Keep in mind that, even if your preferred egg donor is in cycle, you can ask if she would be willing to consider another donation with you if you’re willing to wait.
5. Have realistic expectations. Keep in mind that one egg donor may not possess all the qualities you’re looking for, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a great fit. We encourage intended parents to approach the experience with an open mind.
Kayla Mossien is the Communications Coordinator at Circle Surrogacy. Mossien received her bachelor’s in communication and is the former editor-in-chief of Parentguide News. She’s excited to help create loving families by spreading Circle’s message through content creation, social media and marketing campaigns.