Frozen Donor Eggs: How Cutting-Edge Science Techniques Are Changing Fertility Treatments

Life is often depicted as a fairy tale where falling in love is easy, magical, and everlasting. It isn’t. Nowadays, more and more Americans are becoming content with singlehood and have no plans to get married, or at least not anytime soon. Career driven and independent women are also deciding to have children much later in life. Giving birth at an older age is becoming a norm. In fact, the mean age of a woman having her first child in America rose to 26 years old in 2013. A variety of fertility treatments have made it possible to have a child at almost any age.

One option that offers older women a chance at motherhood is the use of frozen donor eggs. If you’re wondering about affordability, take a look at the average cost of this infertility solution.

Some women choose to use donor eggs for a variety of reasons that go beyond career goals or the lack of spouse. Health conditions prohibit some women from conceiving naturally. A history of failed pregnancies is also often cited as a reason for using donor eggs. Other possible reasons include:

• The probability of transmitting a genetic disease to the child
• The mother having poor quality eggs
• The mother having a severely depleted supply of eggs
• Early onset of menopause
• The effects of chemotherapy on the ovaries of women with cancer

All of these reasons naturally come with a wealth of emotions. Insecurity and inadequacy rage through the mother’s heart. It’s likely she has been trying for several years to have a child. She may be frustrated, anxious, and fearful about what fertility treatments really mean. If you’re one of these women, this article is for you.

In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) was created to help women fulfill their dreams of motherhood. Potential mothers who chose to use donor eggs for the IVF process typically go through the following steps:

1. Finding the right doctor

A suitable fertility doctor is crucial. Choose an experienced doctor who makes you feel comfortable. Also, ask about the doctor’s pregnancy and delivery success rates. A good fertility doctor will present you with all possible options and help you choose what’s best for you. The doctor will also expertly guide you through each step of the process.

2. Identifying a suitable donor

Statistics show that over 8,000 babies are born in America annually to women of various ages via egg donation. Egg donor agencies and banks have become more prevalent across America. You can choose to either purchase frozen eggs from one of these egg banks or identify someone you know who is willing to donate eggs. Additionally, if you don’t have a male partner who can provide a sperm sample, you will need to purchase sperm from a sperm bank.

3. Fertilization and Implantation

Your fertility doctor will fertilize the donated eggs with the chosen sperm in the laboratory. The eggs are usually fertilized via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where a single sperm is injected directly into the egg. The resulting embryo is then observed for 3 to 6 days. If normal growth occurs, it is implanted into your uterus. More than one embryo may be created during the fertilization process. You and your doctor will discuss how many embryos to implant at once (generally they will recommend no more than two). Any excess embryos may be for future use.

The Latest Advances in Frozen Donor Egg Technology

Egg freezing, also called cryopreservation, has seen major improvements over the past decade. In previous years there was a greater probability of losing cell viability during both freezing and thawing. Vitrification is one of the procedures that has greatly reduced this probability by avoiding crystal formation within the egg’s cells during the freezing process. To accomplish this, the eggs are frozen extremely quickly. This process is quite different from the traditional slow freezing technique and involves the following steps:

• The eggs are exposed to high concentrations of cryoprotectants to facilitate rapid cell dehydration.
• The eggs are loaded into tiny storage devices so that they can be rapidly cooled.
• The storage devices containing the eggs are submerged in liquid nitrogen to cool them rapidly.

Frozen donor eggs are a viable fertility solution for any woman wanting to have a child. Anxiety about the process is normal, but the reward always makes the process worthwhile. Consult your fertility doctor today to find the IVF procedure that’s right for you.