While fertility clinics and agencies remain the top choice for many intended parents for egg donation, there are many out there who would instead prefer someone they knew personally to donate their eggs. Sometimes couples look for particular physical traits.
Wanting intelligent or beautiful egg donors is a choice with some intended parents, and they would like to proceed with a relative or friend they feel matches their criteria. Yes, this is a possible situation, given that the donor passes the same physical and mental evaluation any other donor would have to give.
ADVANTAGES
There are a few unique advantages of choosing your relative or friend to be your egg donor:
If you have opted for a relative, you can rest assured that the future born will have a secure genetic connection to the intended mother. Ideally, relatives are chosen from the mother’s side to avoid the risk of medical and ethnic nature. If the donor is a friend or relative, it becomes easier for them to stay in touch with the baby.
DRAWBACKS
Like any process, this too comes with its fair share of complications:
Probable Legal Complications
In some instances, the donor might legally challenge the position of the birth parent of the child. If the intended couple divorces, it can be a messy situation.
Psychological Implications
There can be a clash of interests of the intended parents with those of the desires of the egg donor.
Emotional Issues
While you might end up having a known and beautiful egg donor by your side, things could get rather ugly due to unavoidable emotional problems arising out of possible jealousy, resentment, disappointment, and regret, especially if the cycle is not successful.
Screening Issues
You may feel your choice to be perfect, but they might not particularly match the donor requirements of a good agency/clinic.
So, Where Else Can You Find an Egg Donor?
Congratulations if your friend/relative can be your egg donor. In case they cannot, these are the places where you can find a suitable donor:
A fertility clinic
Some fertility clinics also keep a record of egg donors. Your IVF clinic is a great place to start to look for an eligible young woman donor. Fertility clinics usually have a limited pool of candidates to choose from.
An agency
Egg donor agencies exist to serve the purpose of acting as a mediator between donors and intended parents.
While an agency can be comparatively expensive than a fertility clinic, you can rest assured you will be able to choose from a large pool of eligible young women for the ideal donor.
If you want a Jewish egg donor, you can easily find the right match here. If you are looking for smart or beautiful egg donors, you will find your ideal match through an agency.
The Egg Bank
An egg bank cryopreserved eggs from a donor. This is a comparatively new concept and is being opted slowly by many. It is less costly than going in for a clinic or agency.
The quality of the frozen eggs and the success of the cycle may vary with the quality of the egg bank. There are always more ways than one to achieve the family of your dreams. All you need to do is understand and compare what best suits your requirements in the long run and make a wise decision.