Needing to consider an egg or sperm donor is not uncommon on the trying-to-conceive journey.

There’s a lot of information available about sperm donation. In fact, it’s something many people have heard about even before they begin fertility treatment.

However, there’s far less online about egg donation and how to choose an egg donor, even though the decision is just as significant.

Whether you’re looking for an egg donor in the UK or elsewhere, understanding your options is an important first step. Today, we’re sitting down with Hilary, UK representative for Extraordinary Conceptions, an international surrogacy and egg donation agency, to share her advice on how to choose.

Egg donor selection tips, according to a leading agency

Whether you’ve always known you’d need an egg donor to create your family, or you’ve recently been told by your fertility specialist that egg donation is your best route to having a child, choosing an egg donor will be one of the most important decisions you make on your journey to parenthood.

Deciding on an egg donor can be an exciting process, but it can also feel completely overwhelming and stressful, and that’s totally normal. After all, your donor will contribute 50% of your child’s genetics.

Extraordinary Conceptions is here to support, from pretty much every angle. As the largest and most experienced international egg donor agency, we’ve pulled together tips and crucial points to consider, to help guide you through this very personal decision.

Should I go with a known or anonymous egg donor?

This is an important question and one that requires a great deal of thought in order to make a fully informed decision.

Anonymous egg donation

When an anonymous egg donation agreement is put in place, it means that the identity of your egg donor will never be disclosed to you.

In an anonymous egg donation arrangement, the selection of your donor is based on the information disclosed in her profile.

This may include (but is not limited to) a selection of past and present photos of your donor and her family, educational information, traits and characteristics (as described by the donor), medical information for both the donor and her immediate family members, pregnancy information (if applicable) and donation history (if applicable).

Non-identifying videos or additional information can also be requested to support you in deciding which anonymous egg donor you would like to move forward with.

Known egg donation

Your other option is to work with a “known” or “open” egg donor.

With the support of your agency and attorneys, a joint decision will be made between you and your donor regarding how involved she will be in your life, including expectations around the donor’s future relationship with your child.

In a “known” or “open” donor agreement, identifying information can be shared between all parties. Your legal contracts will reflect the detailed discussions that have taken place prior to your egg donor beginning fertility treatment.

These contracts are designed to protect everyone involved and, in both the USA and Canada, are legally binding. In a known or open donation arrangement, it is also strongly recommended that all parties meet with an experienced counselor to discuss and explore any questions or considerations around the short- and long-term implications of a known donor agreement.

Completing this step early in the process is important to help prevent potential issues from arising further down the road.

What about physical characteristics?

The physical characteristics of your egg donor may or may not be high on your list of priorities. However, many intended parents look for an egg donor who resembles themselves or a family member, in the hope that a child conceived through donation may share some physical similarities with them.

Searching for an egg donor who meets your specific criteria can feel challenging and, with thousands of egg donors to choose from, it can be helpful for you and your partner (if applicable) to sit down together and create a list of the physical characteristics that matter most to you.

Some of these may include:

• Ethnicity
• Hair and eye colour
• Height
• Specific facial features, such as freckles or dimples

Compiling a list of the physical traits that are important to you can help narrow down your search and clarify which characteristics may be passed on to your future child.

With Extraordinary Conceptions, you can also search for specific physical traits using the descriptive filters available within our database of over 3,500 egg donors. And, your coordinator can support you throughout the process by sharing egg donor profiles that match the specific criteria you’re looking for.

Should I ask about medical history?

Egg donors are required to provide your agency with a detailed medical history for both themselves and their immediate family members. You’ll be able to review and evaluate each donor’s medical history through their profile, either via your agency’s egg donor database or directly with the support of your coordinator.

When reviewing this information, you may want to consider whether a donor carries any specific genetic traits that you would not wish to pass on to a future child. This can be particularly important if you know that the sperm provider is a carrier of a specific genetic abnormality or disorder.

You may also wish to look at whether the donor has had children of her own and, if so, whether her children were born healthy and whether she experienced any difficulties conceiving.

If a donor’s profile mentions any fertility issues, it may be worth requesting additional information from your agency to understand whether these issues could impact an egg donation cycle.

Another important consideration when reviewing a donor’s medical history is whether there is a family history of illness or disease. Are there any genetic conditions or disorders present in her family that could potentially be passed on to your child? Examples may include autoimmune disorders, chromosomal conditions, or a history of mental illness.

You may also want to consider lifestyle factors, such as whether the donor smokes, whether she is generally healthy or whether she leads an active lifestyle. These details can also play a role when assessing a donor’s medical history.

Your fertility clinic will review the donor’s medical records in detail and carry out all required screening tests for every donor. While your clinic will inform you of any significant concerns, reviewing the medical history yourself at an earlier stage allows you to identify any potential deal-breakers before the profile reaches the formal medical screening phase.

What about personality traits, or education?

An egg donor’s personality and educational background often sit within the ongoing debate of nurture versus nature when it comes to donor selection. However, for some intended parents, these factors are high on the list of considerations.

Each egg donor profile provides a comprehensive overview of the donor’s hobbies, interests and education, allowing you to review and evaluate this information as part of your decision-making process.

Donors are typically open and detailed when sharing information about themselves. That said, intended parents can also request further details through their agency to help them make a more informed decision before confirming their donor selection.

Additional information that may be requested includes non-identifying videos of the donor, which can help bring her personality to life, as well as school grades and SAT scores, additional photos, certificates, or awards.

The options for requesting further information are extensive, so it’s always worth speaking with your agency coordinator, who is there to guide and support you throughout the donor selection process.

Should I use a repeat donor?

Many women who donate their eggs choose to go through the process more than once. These women are known as “repeat donors”, and selecting a donor with previous donation experience can be reassuring for many intended parents.

While past cycle success does not guarantee positive outcomes in future cycles, working with an experienced donor does offer several potential benefits. With a repeat donor, information about the outcomes of her previous egg donations can often be made available to you, including whether any of those cycles resulted in a pregnancy.

You may also be able to find out how many eggs were retrieved and how many embryos were created during past donation cycles. These are just some of the details that can be requested through your agency.

Another advantage of working with a repeat egg donor is that some or all of her medical screening may already have been completed, which can save both time and money once you’re matched. For example, a repeat donor may not need to repeat certain tests such as psychological evaluations, genetic screening or fertility checks (including AMH), among others.

Both your fertility clinic and your agency will be able to advise you on which tests your donor may still need and which ones she has already completed.

You’ve got this

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when navigating the process of selecting your egg donor. The whole thing can feel overwhelming, but working with an experienced egg donation agency can help you move forward with confidence, set up to find the right donor match for you.

Ready to get started? Connect with Extraordinary Conceptions. We’re here to take the stress off your shoulders, so you can focus on what truly matters – bringing your baby into the world.

More about Hilary

Hilary is the UK-based International Client Relations Consultant for Extraordinary Conceptions. As part of her role, she supports, educates and guides intended parents through the processes of surrogacy and egg donation in North America, while also helping to develop and expand more accessible options internationally.

Hilary has over 15 years of nursing experience, including nearly a decade specialising in reproductive health and infertility. Her passion for this highly specialised area of fertility began almost ten years ago, when she worked as a Surrogacy and Donor Nurse Coordinator in Canada.

Driven by a desire to support more intended parents globally, Hilary relocated to the UK, where she has continued to pursue her goal of providing more accessible pathways for those who require a surrogate and/or donor to build their family.

Got more questions? Contact Hilary for more information.