Using donor eggs through egg donation technology become a popular fertility treatment option for many infertile intended mothers. An Intended mother requires donor eggs due to certain indications like advanced reproductive age, premature menopause, or a history of unexplained unsuccessful in vitro fertilization attempts. The chances of using donor eggs increase the pregnancy success rate of intended mothers because egg donors are generally in their 20s. It has found donor eggs give intended mothers the last option to become pregnant and enjoy their motherly hood.
The basic steps of using donor eggs to achieve pregnancy to the intended mothers are as follows:
- Initially finding and matching of an egg donor are primary factors to initiate the egg donation program. An egg donor can be either someone who is known to the intended parent(s) or an anonymous donor.
- After selecting the egg donor, the ovarian stimulation medications prescribe to the egg donor to produce multiple eggs. Then the eggs are collected through the egg retrieval process. Sometimes, the same egg donor can be used for multiple recipients.
- Sperms are collected from the intended father, but in case of a male partner has an infertility problem, and then a sperm donor is used. The collected sperm and eggs are fertilized in the laboratory.
- A healthy embryo is selected and transferred to the uterus of the intended mother to establish a pregnancy.
Nowadays, many developed nations have egg bank facilities where frozen donors’ eggs are shipped and stored. When intended parents are ready to start their family through donor egg services, then each of the collected eggs is fertilized with single sperm of the intended father to create an embryo in the proper laboratory setup. The created embryo has genetically related to the father, but no such relation present with the intended mother. Obstetrical care providers should conduct prenatal screening to intended mothers with advanced maternal age and opt for donor egg pregnancies to avoid any complications as well as reduce obstetrical risks such as preeclampsia.
Intended mothers who have their child because of donor eggs have often concern about the mother-child relationship. Many research studies had found that a complex mother–infant relationship. Intended mothers often have hesitant feelings due to non-genetic connections. Some of the intended mothers may develop a psychological place for the donor, whereas others may not. Many intended mothers who need donor eggs to conceive have a concern about whether they could create a bond with the born child, or what will be the reaction of their child when they grown-up and know the truth. Experts suggest an open discussion about the experiences of the intended mothers and their transition to become mothers in different family set-up may help to reduce the stigma felt by some egg donation families.
It is not new that intended mothers who have used donor eggs to become pregnant have concerns about whether they can develop a feeling of their child after delivering the pregnancy. In this instant, intended mothers usually normalize the process with passing time and become confident and secure in their identity as the child’s mother.
References
- https://bcmj.org/articles/donor-eggs-treatment-infertility
- https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets/documents/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets/third-party-reproduction-sperm-egg-and-embryo-donation-and-surrogacy/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7192012/
