Many couples are anxious to begin IVF because it brings them that much closer to the family of their dreams. However, there are vital steps all egg donor recipients must go through first. By knowing what to expect in the initial egg donation process, women on the IVF path can take a broad look at what’s ahead in their journey to parenthood. From researching fertility clinics to registering with a donor egg bank like CCB’s Donor Egg Bank, to selecting an egg donor and understanding financial obligations, couples owe it to themselves to be prepared so there are minimal hurdles when they decide to move forward.

Research Before You Begin

You begin taking charge of the process by spending some time researching fertility clinics. It’s important to look into each centre’s policies, read client reviews, and decide what’s important to you in terms of what each centre offers, including success rates.

Additionally, you should find out whether you live in a state with mandated coverage for infertility treatments and what that coverage entails. Some hopeful parents don’t live in a state that provides coverage, so it’s also a good idea to research what your insurance carrier covers as well.

Register with a Donor Egg Bank

Once you’ve selected a fertility clinic, you can start looking for reputable donor egg banks that utilize the latest technology for maximum success. There are many options to choose from, but you should strive to select an egg bank with an optimal balance of flexibility, affordability, and past success.

A donor egg bank worth considering allows you to register for free, see egg donor profiles, and offers expert staff with training, experience, and sensitivity. It’s important that the donor egg bank you choose can provide you personalized attention no matter what stage you’re in leading up to the IVF process.

Select an Egg Donor

This journey is about what you and your partner want. You choose what’s important to you in terms of the clinic you work with and, similarly, you choose the traits and qualities important to you in an egg donor. Perhaps education is the most important factor to consider in selecting your donor, or maybe your family is very athletic, and you want a child who may be predisposed to athleticism. No matter who you decide to provide the egg, remember this is your baby.

Once you’ve registered with a donor egg bank, you can begin selecting candidates from the network of donors available to you. If you choose to use fresh eggs, your donor pool will be smaller because you must be in close proximity to your donor for the egg retrieval and IVF process. However, if you elect to use frozen donor eggs, you may choose from a large national donor pool.

Financial Obligations

It’s not only important to consider everything above, but also how much IVF with donor eggs will cost. If you elect to use fresh donor eggs, you can expect to pay between $20,000 and $30,000 per cycle. Frozen donor eggs, on the other hand, are approximately half the cost and the overall process is much more flexible for all involved.

Even as the rate of women using IVF to get pregnant increases, insurance coverage has remained largely stagnant. Unfortunately, this places the bulk of the financial obligation on couples wanting to start a family with assistive reproductive technology.

Next Steps

From start to finish, donor egg recipients will likely experience anxiety, doubt, excitement, hope, and everything else in between. Trust yourself and your partner to know what’s best for your family.