Egg Donation

NOVA IVF

Fertility Specialists & Individualized IVF Protocols located in Mountain View, CA

Egg donations may come from an anonymous donor at an agency or from someone you know who wants to donate their eggs to you. At NOVA IVF in Mountain View, California, Richard Schmidt, MD, FACOG, and Meera Shah, MD, FACOG, work closely with several donor agencies, and they also accept donors, following a strict testing protocol to be sure the donor is healthy. Whether you want to donate eggs or you need an egg donation, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

650-325-6682

Egg Donation Q & A

How does a woman donate eggs?

The team at NOVA IVF provides extensive support to egg donors, working closely with them throughout the process. After going through extensive testing to verify the donor’s health, egg donation follows a similar process as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The donor takes hormones to stimulate the production of as many eggs as possible, then receives a shot that makes all the eggs mature just before they’re retrieved. Egg retrieval is a quick procedure in which your doctor at NOVA IVF uses ultrasound guidance to insert a thin needle through the top of your vagina and into the ovaries. Then they use the needle to gently withdraw the mature eggs.

What type of testing occurs before egg donation?

Egg donors must go through a rigorous evaluation, including taking tests to ensure they’re physically, genetically, and psychologically healthy. All egg donors, whether they go through an agency or NOVA IVF, have extensive blood tests to rule out health problems. They’re also usually young, with most donors typically in their 20s.

The team at NOVA IVF screens all potential egg donors for more than 100 genetic diseases. They also screen for sexually transmitted diseases and determine the donor’s blood type. They take every possible step to ensure that your egg donor has great fertility potential.

When you use a donor agency, the donor usually remains anonymous. You receive information about the donor’s health, physical traits, education level, profession, and other general information. In most cases, however, you won’t receive information that allows you to identify the donor.

NOVA IVF works closely with several donor agencies. However, your donor doesn’t have to be local or even in California because there are nationwide agencies.

How are donor eggs used during in vitro fertilization?

Eggs from a donor agency are typically frozen, so they’re carefully warmed and then fertilized in the lab. If you have a donor at NOVA IVF, the eggs are retrieved and immediately fertilized. Several days later, the fertilized eggs are either transferred into the recipient’s uterus or frozen for a future IVF procedure.