Receiving donor eggs

Receiving donor sperm fertility treatment

Is donor conception the right fertility treatment for you?

Every year, 14,500 fertility treatments are successfully performed using donor eggs and donor sperm, according to the HFEA. At TFP, we are proud to have donors who have given the amazing gift of their eggs for another woman to use. Treatment when using donor eggs is carried out under the expert care of our egg donation team and experienced consultants.

Is egg donor treatment right for you?

Using donated eggs is a major decision in any fertility treatment and you should always take the time to consider whether it is right for you or not. We strongly advise you to discuss the possibility with your partner, family or friends. We also provide professional counselling services at our clinic.

We are likely to recommend donor conception to you for the following reasons:

You’re not producing any eggs of your own
You have a high risk of passing on an inherited disease
Your own eggs are unlikely to result in a successful pregnancy
You are in a same-sex couple
You are single

Counselling and support

Fertility treatment can be emotionally and physically exhausting, and it’s important you have someone to talk to throughout the process. At TFP, all our donor recipients are encouraged to use our counselling service before or during a recipient treatment cycle. Our trained and experienced counsellor will discuss all the implications of receiving donated eggs including the following:

The welfare of any child born as a result of egg, sperm or embryo donations
The rights of the child regarding the conveying of information surrounding their conception
The advantages and disadvantages of secrecy within a family
The implications of donor anonymity
Other potential implications for the future

UPDATE SECTION: What is the egg donor-recipient process?

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Once the eggs has been retrieved from the donor, the eggs will be fertilised using the sperm of your partner or a donor and prepared for transfer. The transfer of the resulting embryo(s) into the uterus is typically carried out 5 days after the egg retrieval.

Donor egg transfer

The transfer itself is a brief and painless procedure, requiring no anaesthesia. Many women relate the feeling to that of a smear test. During the transfer, a catheter is inserted through the cervix and into the uterus. The embryos are then released into the uterine cavity in the hopes of growing a healthy baby. After the transfer, you will need to remain lying down for about fifteen minutes, after which you are free to go home.

The treatment process

As a couple or individual receiving donor treatment, the process for receiving eggdonation is outlined in detail below.

Step 1: Initial consultation and scan

The first stage in any fertility process is an initial consultation and scan with our experts at TFP. Our fertility specialists will devise a personalised treatment plan after performing a scan. We are extremely thorough at TFP and devise treatment plans catered specifically to the individual.

Step 2: Blood tests

After you have had the initial consultation and your treatment plan has been agreed upon, you will be required to have the following blood tests:

Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
Hepatitis B Core Antibody
Hepatitis C
HIV
Syphilis
Chlamydia
Gonorrhoea
CMV

Step 3: Counselling session with qualified specialists

Due to the emotional and physical implications of using a sperm donor, we recommend that anyone undergoing treatment takes part in our counselling sessions. We provide counselling sessions for individuals and couples. These sessions are an opportunity to work through your feelings with a fully qualified professional and to gain any emotional support you may need throughout your treatment process. At TFP, we support you every step of the way.

Step 4: Nurse Planning

The next stage is booking a planning appointment with our nursing team where your treatment protocol will be explained in detail and any questions you may have will be answered. During this consultation, you will also be shown how to administer any medication.

Step 5: Donor selection

If you are having treatment with donor sperm chosen from our clinic, we will work to match you with a suitable donor. We will also walk you through the consent forms and answer any questions you have as we go. If you are choosing to use a donor from outside of the clinic, we can give you advice on how best to proceed.

Step 6: Insemination treatment

At this point, you will be ready to have the insemination treatment. Depending on whether you are having IUI or IVF, the process may differ. So, we have outlined the full processes for each below.

The types of egg donors at TFP Fertility

Egg donors at TFP are obtained from one of the following sources:

Altruistic unknown donor: When a woman donates eggs for altruistic reasons, she volunteers herself to help people she may not even know to have a child. This is a very selfless act and one that has helped thousands of couples and individuals have children over the years. Altruistic donors will be unknown to the recipient, but they will still have to adhere to all the UK laws and regulations regarding egg donation.

Altruistic known donor: A woman who decides to become a known donor knows those she is donating to already; they may be a close relative or a family member. However, she may also donate to an anonymous recipient if she wants to.

Egg sharing: This type of donation occurs when a woman receives an egg donation from another woman undergoing IVF treatment who doesn’t have any known medical problems with her ovarian reserve, or capacity of the ovaries to provide eggs capable of fertilization.

Regardless of the source of donor eggs, the thorough screening of donors is of utmost priority here at TFP. In addition to a careful medical analysis into family medical history, we also carry out multiple blood tests on all prospective donors before embarking on an egg donation treatment.

Discover more about receiving donor eggs

If you are interested in finding out more about receiving donor eggs and donor egg treatment at TFP, get in touch with us today. Our team of specialists would be more than happy to discuss your treatment options and answer any questions you may have during a consultation. You can even take a tour around our clinic to see the state-of-the-art facilities where your treatment will take place.

TFP Fertility patient testimonials

“Despite the best efforts of TFP, our attempts at IVF had been unsuccessful. We had been late starters so, because of our age, we switched our attention to the possibility of using donor eggs and felt so excited when a donor was found for us shortly afterwards. We will never know our donor and she will probably never realise how grateful we are to her for making our dreams come true. Without our donor and the positive attitude of all of the staff at TFP, we would not be in the fortunate position that we now find ourselves in ….. of expecting a child whom we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Words really cannot express how thankful we are.”

“Having been told that using my own eggs for IVF fertility was not viable, an obvious initial shock and disappointment, the staff at TFP could not have been more understanding and helpful; they explained the whole process of using donor eggs or donor embryos very clearly, and I decided to go ahead with embryo adoption. Now my daughter is 8 months old and the love of my life. The fact that she is not from my own eggs does not even come into it. She is a miracle baby as far as I am concerned. I always recommend TFP to anyone who I know is having fertility problems”