What to Know About Using Both Donor Egg and Sperm for a Future Child
Venturing into assisted reproductive technology can bring up an assortment of questions and concerns for many, especially when it comes to donor gametes. Sometimes, future parents may only need a single donated gamete to conceive. However, it’s not uncommon for individuals to require two donor gametes – both the egg and the sperm. Here we will discuss the nuances of using both donor egg and sperm.
If you’re unsure if you will need both donor gametes or just one, one of your first steps during the process will be to consult with a fertility clinic or specialist. They will be able to run any necessary tests and learn more about your situation.
There are several reasons future parents using donor egg and sperm have, including:
- Both partners are infertile
- Both partners face age-related infertility
- Same-sex couples
- Infertile single individuals desirous of parenthood
- Incidences of recurrent miscarriages
- Genetic disorders in one or both partners are transferable to offspring
Choosing Your Donors
Choosing a gamete donor can be a complex and personal matter, and it’s crucial to take your time and contemplate the decision. This is especially true when you are using both donor egg and sperm.
Many factors can influence your choice of donor. However, you generally don’t need to worry about a donor’s health or genetic background while browsing your options. Donors must meet a variety of requirements, including medical and genetic screenings. This aids in minimizing the risk of passing on genetic disorders or other health issues to the intended child.
Many future parents choose donors based on their physical characteristics such as height, weight, eye color, and hair color. This can increase the chance that the future child resembles the future parents, despite not sharing genetic material.
Choosing donors is a lifetime decision. The donation facility should not rush you at any step, but should patiently guide you through this stage. Ensure the donor meets all your preferred requirements, including education achievements, physical traits, and hobbies or natural capabilities. Here are some other considerations before settling on egg and sperm donors.
At The World Egg and Sperm Bank, we have a wide selection of egg donors and sperm donors available to help you find the right fit.
Choosing Your Gamete Bank
Your choice of gamete bank is just as important as the donor themselves, if not more so. Although there are certain standards every gamete bank must follow, each clinic will have its own process for preparing donors, retrieving gametes, vitrification, storage, shipping, and so on.
It’s crucial for your gamete bank of choice to maintain consistent quality from beginning to end. Inconsistencies, such as a small drop in temperature during gamete shipment to your clinic, can drastically impact the success rate. While researching your options, ask the gamete bank if they outsource any steps of the process to third parties. The more people that are involved during the egg or sperm donation process, the higher the potential for mishandling.
At The World Egg and Sperm Bank, our sole focus is gamete donation. We do not offer fertility treatments or consultations, which allows us to devote our time, energy, and expertise to donor care and gamete quality. From screening donors to shipping gametes, we do not outsource any step of the process. Our state-of-the-art facility uses specialized laboratory systems, proven protocols, and experienced staff set the gold standard for quality.
What to Expect During the IVF Process
If you are using both donor egg and sperm, the gametes will be combined outside the body in a laboratory dish to create an embryo. This process is referred to as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Gamete banks and fertility clinics may follow distinct steps when retrieving the donor egg and sperm. However, the IVF process generally follows predetermined steps.
Once the future parents have decided on a donor egg and sperm for their future child, here is what to expect next:
- The female donor undergoes ovarian stimulation through hormonal induction to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs.
- Eggs are retrieved from the donor’s ovaries using a needle and ultrasound guidance.
- A sample of sperm is collected from the male donor.
- Fertilization occurs by mixing the two in a lab dish.
- The developing embryo is then cultured in the lab for several days.
- 3-5 days after fertilization, the best-quality embryo gets transferred to the uterus.
- Two weeks later, the intended mother goes through a pregnancy test to determine success.
Genetic Relation when Using Both Donor Egg and Sperm
Since in vitro fertilization relies on both egg and sperm donation, there will be no genetic relationship with the future child. Even if the future mother carries the intended child to term, the genes are transferred through the donated gametes. Nevertheless, selecting donors with similar physical traits, talents, and personal values could give some assurance of “resemblance” to both the future parents and the future child.
Notwithstanding, there are a couple of ways that future parents can compensate for donor egg genetics and still bond with the future child. In this case, bonding should start when the child is still in the womb. The mother can help ensure a conducive womb environment by eating healthy and avoiding toxins and stressors that may affect the child’s biological traits. Another way to nurture the bond is to talk to your child while gently massaging the growing womb. Environmental exposures in the womb, known as prenatal epigenetics, can impact the biological makeup of the future child.
Future parents will also nurture the bond with their future child by spending quality time with them, giving them full attention, and responding to their cries during the first few months.
Does Using Both Donor Egg and Sperm Affect the Success Rate?
The fact that future parents don’t share genetic material with the future child hardly affects the pregnancy success rate. The Centers for Disease Control analyzed IVF treatments from 449 clinics and found a 44.5% singleton live birth rate from a frozen embryo transfer cycle using both donor sperm and egg.
Healthy, viable donor gametes, and a meticulous gamete bank that is thorough during every step of the process, are the most crucial impacts on pregnancy success rate.
Take the First Step
If you’ve dreamt of starting or adding to your family, we at The World Egg and Sperm Bank have been making this dream possible for thousands of future parents for nearly two decades. We can provide donor eggs and sperm, then work with your clinic to coordinate the details.
By dedicating our focus to retrieving high-quality donor gametes at our state-of-the-art singular location, we have built detailed, proven processes that do not compromise quality. Rather than outsource vitrification or shipping, every step of the process is managed by the experienced professionals at The World Egg and Sperm Bank.
Curious to see what our donor selection looks like? Here is a condensed list of our egg donors and sperm donors. If you have any questions regarding using both donor egg and sperm, please reach out and we would be happy to help.
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