When it comes to choosing an Egg Donor, there are many decisions to be made. It can feel overwhelming. Ultimately, you will want to pick a donor who you feel comfortable with. Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions has added an option for Egg Donors to upload a video to help you get a feel for their personality.
Most Intended Parents find it helpful to make a list of “must have” and “would be nice if.” Having this list helps when you start to look at profiles. Here are a few things to consider when you make your list.
Are you comfortable with paying for the donors travel expenses? (If you choose a donor in another state, you will need to pay for their travel. We give you this breakdown upfront when you inquire about a specific donor.) Donors can use a local (to them) clinic for monitoring, but then travel to your clinic for retrieval. This decision is likely a financial one. Keep in mind, we take care of their travel arrangements, and you will not have to plan or book any of this for them. Obviously using a Donor that lives in the same area would be cheaper due to no travel needed.
Do you want a proven egg donor OR are you comfortable with allowing your fertility clinic to do a comprehensive screening to be sure that the donor is a great candidate so a first time donor works well too? We take care of setting up all of this. All donors have to start somewhere, so just because they aren’t proven, doesn’t mean they aren’t good. If your doctor and agency are flexible, you might be able to save money with a first time donor.
If you are not locked in with an agency by having to pay their full agency fee upfront this can allow flexibility as well. If choosing a traveling donor, ask your doctor what screening can be done locally to the donor to prevent travel cost and be sure you choose an agency who asks the same questions. There are many screenings that will give your doctor a good indication of how your donor will do in a cycle (FSH, AMH, antral follicle count). Having this information can help intended parents choose the best donor regardless of their past donor (or lack thereof) experience. If we have this information on hand, we provide it.
Most intended parents are looking for a connection with their chosen egg donor. Sometimes this is based on physical characteristics, personality, interests, goals in life, or sometimes it has to do with the donors willingness to be a “known/open donor”. Decide what factors are most important to you and put those on your list.
The choice of which egg donor is ultimately up to you as an intended parent. If you are looking for an agency who is flexible and will keep bringing you newly screened donors to review, consider contacting Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions!