IVF with donor eggs is an increasingly popular choice for couples struggling to conceive either due to advanced maternal age or medical issues affecting egg quality and quantity. According to the IVF regulatory body in the UK, nearly half of all IVF treatments for women aged 45+ used donor eggs.
Although it may be the most pragmatic option, having a baby using another woman's eggs is a hugely difficult decision which requires a lot of soul-searching. Here are the 5 most common fears:
1. The baby will not share its mother’s DNA
This is often the hardest pill to swallow and many women naturally struggle with the idea of having a baby they share no genetic link with and worry they’ll feel like it does not ‘belong’ to them.
But…
You are not an incubator for a stranger’s baby! The baby is yours and your partner’s, even if the maternal genes came from someone else. Your role in shaping your child’s future is all-important. Pregnancy is the most crucial stage of human development and you will influence your baby’s brain development, immune system, and metabolism amongst other things through a process called epigenetic modulation. Epigenetics is a fascinating fast-growing field that studies how our environment can impact how genes work. Although you did not contribute to and cannot change your baby’s DNA, the nurturing environment your uterus and then your care provides has a life-long impact on your child's physical and mental health and behaviour. Your health and lifestyle can positively or negatively impact the prenatal environment and how your baby’s genes are expressed (turned on and off) in utero and beyond. Nurture is just as vital as nature
2. Egg donor IVF takes longer
An IVF cycle using donor eggs takes on average a month longer than a cycle using your own eggs, where embryo transfer is usually carried out around day 21. First of all a suitable donor must be found and this can take at least a month, but can be up to two months if parents have specific requirements for blood group match, etc. Once a donor is found, it is necessary to coordinate with them and work around their schedule. If the donor is ready to proceed immediately, then the next step is to synchronise menstrual cycles. If the donor drops out for whatever reason, you must start the process from scratch.
But…
If you are undergoing IVF with your own eggs and require preimplantation genetic testing (recommended for women in their 40s) then the IVF cycle will be longer. PGT results can take a month and then you must prepare for frozen embryo transfer. The timeline of 2 to 3 months is then similar to donor egg IVF. A large pool of donors and no waiting list also means that donor IVF abroad is a much faster process than it would be at home.
3. Donor egg IVF is more complicated
At first glance, it can seem that IVF with donor eggs involves a lot more moving parts. Bringing another person into the process and ensuring donor and recipient are perfectly in tandem at all stages up to embryo transfer means spinning a lot of plates.
But…
Donor egg IVF is more complicated for the clinic but far easier for you! Donor IVF abroad requires fewer (and shorter) visits to the clinic than IVF with your own eggs. When donor eggs are used, you only need to visit the clinic on the day of embryo transfer. If you are using your partner’s sperm, then he is only required to attend the clinic once in order to provide a semen sample.
4. IVF with donor eggs is more expensive
IVF is not cheap and money is naturally a big concern. The cost of one round of IVF with donor eggs starts from around EUR 4500/5000 and fertility drugs cost an additional EUR 300. One round of IVF with your own eggs starts at around EUR 2500/3000 and fertility drugs are an extra EUR 1500.
But…
Using your own eggs instead of donor eggs to avoid the extra expense may well be a false economy, especially if you are in your 40s. For women aged 40+ the IVF success rate is around 15%. With donor eggs, it rises to around 50 to 60%. The likelihood of needing multiple rounds of IVF is much higher if using your own eggs, costs can quickly spiral and there is a much lower chance of a baby at the end of it all.
5. Anonymous donors
Czech law stipulates that both parties (donor and recipient + child) are anonymous and have no way of finding out about each other, even after the child reaches adulthood. This means that you will never meet your donor to see what kind of person they are, their traits and values, what they look like, etc. Naturally, this might leave you worried about whether your child will look anything like you.
But…
Clinics use a process called phenotype matching which involves assessing physical characteristics to ensure hair colour, eye colour, skin tone, height, physique, etc can be matched as closely as possible. Sharing DNA is no guarantee your baby will look like you and there are plenty of children who do not resemble their parents at all!
There are also numerous benefits to donor anonymity. It encourages potential donors to come forward, which leads to a large donor pool, more variety and choice, cheaper prices, and no waiting lists. Clinics in countries without donor anonymity have far fewer donors forthcoming and have to cast their net much wider, whereas Czech clinics can be more selective. Only young women under the age of 34 and in excellent health (they must undergo extensive screening) are considered. This ensures you have access to the highest quality eggs from women at peak fertility. The result is higher success rates, especially in women over 40 who would otherwise be unable to have a healthy baby, making the Czech Republic a leading destination for donor egg IVF.
Once you have grieved the loss of having a child with your own eggs, you may see donated eggs as the gift they are. For many women, it is the only way to improve their chances of IVF success. Having a baby using donor eggs no longer evokes the negative reactions it once did and thankfully women now feel less isolated and stigmatised for taking this route.
If you want to discuss your options and would like to know more about donor IVF, please get in touch with one of our IVF experts.