Egg donation
is a type of third-party assisted reproduction where one woman donates her eggs to another woman to help in the conception of a child. With this method, the donor’s eggs are fertilized with the intended father’s (or donor) sperm in a specialized laboratory. The top-quality embryos are then transferred into the mother’s uterus. Women who cannot conceive using their own eggs may benefit from IVF with donor eggs. This treatment option allows you to have a complete control over your pregnancy and experience the wonder of childbirth.
When To Consider Donor Eggs?
Couples who are unable to use their own eggs to get pregnant may consider egg donation in Cyprus as an alternative path to parenthood. Common conditions that require the use of donor eggs include:
- Premature ovarian failure
- Menopause
- Removed or damaged ovaries
- Repeated IVF failures
- Diminished ovarian reserve
- Poor egg quality
- Genetic conditions that affect female fertility or may put the child at risk
- Recurrent pregnancy losses
Using Donor Eggs At 45
The number of women wishing to become parents after the age of 45 is increasing. Nowadays, women prioritize their education and career goals over building a family. To achieve their family-building goals later on in life, women may need donor eggs to help them conceive after age 45. The pregnancy rate of egg donation in Cyprus is incredibly high and exceeds 70% per cycle.
Using Donor Eggs And Sperm
IVF using donor eggs and donor sperm (also known as embryo donation) is a medical procedure that involves fertilization of donor eggs with donor sperm in our state-of-the-art IVF lab in Cyprus. Both donors remain anonymous. The fertilized eggs (embryos) are transferred to the previously prepared uterus of the recipient with the intent to establish a pregnancy.
Embryo donation is recommended for women who are not able to produce good-quality eggs or women who can’t conceive due to an unknown cause, and donor sperm is used to help single mothers become parents, or because your partner has sperm issues that affect his fertility. Other reasons to consider using donor eggs and sperm is recurrent miscarriage related to embryonic factors and genetic disorders affecting one or both partners.
The process of embryo donation requires that the recipient completes an extensive medical screening process. Then, the female partner starts preparing her uterus with estrogen and progesterone for the embryo transfer. Once the lining of the uterus reaches an optimal thickness, the donor embryos are transferred in hopes that a pregnancy will be achieved.
Egg Donation For PCOS
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a common female condition that causes hormonal imbalance and ovulation problems together with other symptoms including androgenicity (increased body hair), acne, weight gain, and multiple micro cysts. Egg donation in Cyprus is a viable option used to increase the chances of fertilization and pregnancy success. When donor eggs are used, the chances of getting pregnant are higher than 80 percent for women under 35.
Donor Eggs And Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a medical condition where the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus (endometrium) is growing outside of the uterus. This condition often affects the ovaries and fallopian tubes, and rarely organs outside the pelvic area. Depending on the stage of endometriosis and the location of the endometrial tissue (for example, the ovaries), egg donation may be advised.
The fertility testing prior to the IVF Cyprus treatment will help us determine the degree to which endometriosis has impacted the ovarian reserve and egg quality. As endometriosis affects all women differently, our EuroCARE IVF doctor will create an individualized fertility treatment plan based on the results of the fertility testing and diagnosis, severity of the disease, and any previous history of fertility treatment. There is no waiting list at the EuroCARE IVF clinic, so if you wish to proceed with egg donation treatment in Cyprus please contact our patient coordinators for more information.
Egg Donation For Early Menopause
Early menopause happens when menstrual cycles stop permanently before the age of 45. When menopause starts before the age of 40, it is referred to as premature menopause. If you think that you may be undergoing menopause early and are wishing to have a baby, it is a good idea to get medical advice as soon as possible. The EuroCARE IVF fertility team can help you find out whether you are going through menopause, and which treatment options are best for your situation. If you decide to undergo egg donation in Cyprus, you can use donor eggs from our in-house egg donation program or bring your own egg donor.
Who Can Be an Egg Donor?
A woman between the ages of 21 and 28 can become an egg donor in Cyprus. In order to become an egg donor, a woman needs to go through an extensive screening procedure to make sure she is completely healthy with no genetic conditions that can affect the child.
Egg Donor Requirements
Our EuroCARE IVF egg donation program requires all potential egg donors to:
- Be between the ages of 21 and 28
- Be healthy and fit
- Undergo an extensive screening process
- Be willing to complete the egg donation process
- Do not have a genetic disorder that can be transferred to the child
Only candidates that complete all screening steps will be added to our donor database. Information about the donor’s physical attributes, education, profession, hobbies, and interests will be added in the profile.
Egg Donor Screening
- Fertility Testing. This involves blood tests to measure the levels of the Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen (E2), and prolactin (PRL). Donors are also required to carry out an ultrasound scan on the second or third day of their menstruation cycle to assess their egg supply.
- Infectious Disease Testing involves Anti-HIV, Anti-HCV, Rubella IgG, CMV IgG, HbsAg, and VDRL.
- Genetic Testing: Egg donors are required to have a thalassemia and karyotype test to determine the presence of any chromosomal abnormality.
What is an Egg Donor Cycle?
Once the egg donor is accepted into our egg donation program and matched to the recipient family, she can begin the egg donation cycle. This involves taking medications to stimulate multiple eggs to grow and mature in the donor’s ovaries. When the time is right, the HCG trigger injection is administered. The mature eggs will be retrieved 34-36 hours after the donor receives the trigger shot. All retrieved eggs from the donor are available to you for fertilization and eventual conception in the future. Patients can freeze any remaining good-quality donor eggs (cryopreservation) for future IVF cycles.
Egg Donor Recipient Cycle
Egg donation in Cyprus involves the egg donor recipient cycle too. The recipient starts hormonal supplementation while the egg donor is taking stimulation medications. Occasional blood testing and ultrasounds are required to assure readiness for embryo transfer.
On the same day when the donor’s eggs are retrieved, a sperm sample will be provided by your partner for fertilization of the eggs. At that time, you will begin progesterone to prepare the uterine lining for the transfer. Three to five days after the egg retrieval, the embryos are transferred to the woman’s uterus in order to establish a pregnancy.
Twelve days after the embryo transfer, a beta hCG test is carried out to assess the outcome. If the test is positive, a patient will most likely continue progesterone supplementation until the baby’s placenta starts producing the appropriate pregnancy hormones on its own.
How Does Egg Donation In Cyprus Work?
Egg donation in Cyprus is a complex process that involves the following steps:
- Consultation and Matching
Based on the information provided in the donor’s profile, you can choose a physically similar donor with as many things in common as possible. Once you have been matched with a suitable donor for you, the egg donation process can begin.
- Synchronization and Ovarian Stimulation
The egg donor undergoes treatment to prepare her body for egg collection. This involves taking fertility drugs in the form of injections to stimulate the ovaries to generate more than one egg. The donor will be monitored by regular blood tests and ultrasounds to make sure she responds well to the medication.
- Egg Collection
Once the eggs become large enough, a final hCG injection is administered to trigger ovulation. The donor undergoes an egg collection procedure at our EuroACRE IVF clinic in Cyprus. Multiple eggs are collected using ultrasound-guided aspiration. The process takes only 15 to 20 minutes. At the EuroCARE IVF clinic, we provide between 10-12 high-quality mature eggs to each patient. We do not offer egg sharing so all the eggs retrieved from the chosen egg donor are donated exclusively to you and fertilized with your husband’s (or donor) sperm.
- Sperm Collection and Processing
In the laboratory, the sperm is prepared and the most viable sperm for fertilizing the egg is selected.
- Fertilization
The eggs are fertilized with the sperm using ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection). Once fertilized, the eggs are kept in an incubator until they reach an optimal stage of development.
- Embryo Transfer
On day three or day five, the embryos are ready for transfer into the woman’s uterus. Embryo transfer is a painless procedure that involves placing the embryos into the recipient’s womb. Twelve days after the transfer, a beta hCG test is performed to determine if pregnancy has occurred.
Can Donor Eggs Be Frozen?
All eggs retrieved from our in-house egg donor program will be donated exclusively to you. For assisted reproductive purposes, we use only fresh donor eggs to maximize the chances of fertilization. This means that after the egg retrieval, mature eggs are immediately fertilized the same day with the father’s or donor’s sperm. If you decide to use your eggs or any remaining good-quality embryos for future IVF cycles, you can freeze them in a procedure called cryopreservation.
How To Prepare To Receive Donor Eggs?
Preparing for egg donation in Cyprus is an essential step in the treatment process that can improve the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy. As the donor recipient is using eggs from a donor, there is no ovarian stimulation involved in the IVF treatment in Cyprus. Instead, the recipient’s uterus is prepared to accept the embryos. This is achieved through an adequate medication protocol.
Women who are trying to conceive using donor eggs need to make their own health a priority. Healthy foods, regular exercise, and self-care are the best ways to get ready for the journey ahead.
Here are some tips to prepare your body for pregnancy with donor eggs:
- Take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid at least three months before becoming pregnant
- Stop smoking and consuming alcohol
- Reduce caffeine intake
- Follow healthy eating guidelines. This includes eating foods rich in iron, calcium, vitamin D and C, folic acid, and healthy fat foods.
- Avoid processed foods
- Do light and moderate exercises that help reduce the stress
- Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation
Benefits of Egg Donation In Cyprus
There are numerous benefits of egg donation in Cyprus for the recipient. The biggest advantage of using donor eggs is the possibility to fulfill your dream of becoming parents. Other benefits include:
- Experiencing the joy of pregnancy and childbirth
- Having control over pregnancy and over important lifestyle factors which affect the baby’s development, such as diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
- Donors are matched with the recipient couples as closely as possible.
What are the chances of getting pregnant with donor eggs?
When using donor eggs, the success rate is dependent on the donor’s age, the embryo’s quality, the number of embryos transferred, the thickness of the uterine lining, and cause(s) of infertility. Up to the age of 40, the chances of pregnancy are 80%, between 40-44 the chances are 78%, the chances of pregnancy using donor eggs after the age of 45 is 70%. It is recommended that you talk to our EuroCARE IVF doctor about your medical condition and the possibility of a successful pregnancy using donor eggs.
Egg Donation at the EuroCARE IVF Clinic in Cyprus
Here at EuroCARE IVF in North Cyprus, we have the latest technology and experienced team to support you during your egg donation journey, enabling us to improve pregnancy rates every year. Each egg donor is allowed to donate for a limited number of times during her lifetime and only the donors who helped patients to achieve a successful pregnancy are invited for a new donation. Egg donor’s health is our top priority. All potential egg donors go through an extensive screening process to make sure they are healthy for donation. Only the egg donors who have satisfactorily completed the screening process are allowed to take part in our program.
Our one donor to one recipient policy makes sure that all eggs obtained from the chosen donor are donated exclusively to you. This is a unique feature of egg donation in Cyprus. We adjust the stimulation protocols to each donor’s personal circumstances in order to maintain a high quality of their eggs and avoid the risk of hyperstimulation. We are allowed to transfer up to 3 embryos, which is an important factor that raises your chance of success. If you are interested in our egg donation program, please contact our patient coordinators to get detailed information.