Donor Conception
Deciding if Becoming a Surrogate or Egg Donor is Right for You
Eloise Edington | 20 Apr 2022
Did you know that 64,000 children are born each year via IVF, egg donation, and surrogacy? All over the world, there are intended parents wishing to grow their families, and selfless surrogates and egg and sperm donors willing to help. Becoming an egg donor or a surrogate is an incredibly kindhearted act and at Fertility Help Hub, we think of these women daily.
We asked our community at The Ribbon Box: Would you consider becoming a surrogate? and 31% said they would. So, to find out more about egg donors and gestational surrogates, we’ve reached out to our new partners, VitaNova Technologies (view their profile here and their website here).
Offering a tailored service to every client and situation, VitaNova Technologies is transforming the fertility space. By providing clear, unbiased information to surrogates and egg donors, VitaNova Technologies connect women to suitable agencies, supporting them at every stage. Fill in your application to be an egg donor or a surrogate here.
Read on to understand whether becoming an egg donor or surrogate is right for you. Learn who becomes a surrogate or egg donor and discover why this is such an incredible gift for people trying to conceive.
Why Become a Surrogate?
Becoming a surrogate is a personal choice and there are many different reasons women wish to carry a baby for intended parents. Some women might have experienced difficulties trying to conceive before eventually becoming pregnant, having their own children, and then choosing to become a surrogate. Others might know loved ones who experience fertility struggles and understand the heartache that accompanies infertility. Whatever the reasons, all surrogate mothers have a deep desire to help others to build their families.
You will invest a lot of time in being a gestational surrogate for your intended parents and as a result, will form an extremely close relationship with them. This means you’ll be able to see first-hand the joy you are giving to hopeful parents.
What Rights Does a Surrogate Mother Have?
- VitaNova Technologies take privacy very seriously and when they share a surrogate’s profile with an agency, they won’t share your name, photo or any truly identifying facts until farther down the path. All data collected during the application process is stored on a secure server.
- With VitaNova Technologies, women who wish to become gestational surrogates are presented with surrogacy agencies and intended parents at those agencies.
- Once there is a mutual selection between the surrogate and intended parents, medical costs are covered by the surrogacy agency and the IPs.
- Once legal parenthood is established by the intended parents, you cannot claim to be the legal mother.
- Make sure you read and sign contracts with surrogacy agencies and intended parents, and ask questions if something is unclear.
- Bear in mind that every state has its own additional surrogacy rules so check with your provider or fertility specialist to understand your rights and options as a surrogate.
Who Should be a Surrogate?
If you’re thinking you’d like to become a surrogate, the first question you might ask yourself is: who should be a surrogate? Working out if surrogacy is right for you will help you decide if you want to begin the process of becoming a gestational surrogate.
VitaNova Technologies recognize five key features in women wishing to be surrogates:
- People who enjoyed being pregnant (and have had at least one live birth with no pregnancy issues)
- Those who love the thick hair, glowing skin, feeling the baby move, or any other reason for loving to be pregnant
- People who are happy and healthy as this leads to happy and healthy babies
- Those who are in a stable position in their lives
- Those who work full time can be a surrogate just like full-time moms
How to be a Surrogate or Egg Donor with VitaNova Technologies
“The reason we exist is that we realized agencies were so focused on having someone be a surrogate or egg donor they didn’t provide proper information about the medical risks or process ahead of time. Everything was rushed, leaving quite a few people with really bad stories. At VitaNova Technologies, we believe a person can only consent to something when they are fully informed of both the risks and rewards of what they are about to do,” says Danaka Porter, Co-Founder of VitaNova Technologies.
VitaNova Technologies connect those wishing to be a surrogate or egg donor with suitable fertility agencies in four simple steps.
- Fill out the application form
- VitaNova Technologies review your application and will contact you for a meeting
- Meet with the team at Vita Nova Technologies
- Select one of the fertility agencies suggested
By acting as the middle man, and presenting your surrogate or egg donor profile to potential agencies, VitaNova Technologies alleviate the hassle and stress of finding a suitable agency – at no cost to you, at any stage. Your profile is shared with potential agencies and then you have the final decision of which agency you pursue this journey with.
Danaka explains “Our whole goal is to inform people, which is why we do not charge the intended surrogate or egg donor for an information session, even if they say no they no longer want to become an egg donor or surrogate. If [after being fully informed] they say yes, we guide them along a path, providing information from sources outside the agencies.”
Who Can be an Egg Donor?
If you’re interested in donating eggs for fertility treatment, there are some basic requirements to consider before you register your interest.
- Am I willing to complete a medical screening? If you’re reluctant to share your medical history or have a background of fertility complications, egg donation might not be right for you. Discuss your intentions to become an egg donor with your fertility specialist to understand your options.
- Am I between the ages of 21 and 29 years old? Women outside of this age bracket will be considered by VitaNova Technologies but this is a preferred age of most surrogate and egg donor agencies because egg quality and quantity degrades after a woman is 30 years old.
- Am I comfortable receiving IVF medication/shots? Egg donation involves giving yourself (or having a partner give you) shots each day for up to two weeks and some of these days you’ll receive shots twice a day. If you have a needle phobia, donating eggs might not be for you.
- Do I have some level of education? Donating eggs and being a surrogate requires months of hormones and daily injections, and it isn’t always a quick and easy process.
Six Things to Remember When Becoming an Egg Donor
- From start to finish, the process of egg donation takes 6 months
- You can decide if you wish to be an anonymous egg donor or have an open donor profile
- You don’t have to donate all your eggs; you can keep and freeze some for your own use and donate the rest
- Injections are required as these increase the success of egg retrieval
- During the egg retrieval process, there is an increased chance of pregnancy
- You will be financially compensated for your donation
What Consent Documents will I Read and Sign as an Egg Donor?
Throughout the process of donating eggs for fertility treatment, there will be a number of consent documents to sign. These should include:
- The objectives of your egg donation treatment
- The benefits and risks of egg donation
- Egg donor privacy/anonymity (WA form)
- Disclosure of voluntary participation in egg donation
- Availability of fertility counseling
- Financial considerations of egg donation
- Possibilities of egg retrieval being unsuccessful
- The potential uses of your donated eggs
If you’re determined to change lives forever, consider becoming an egg donor or surrogate. With VitaNova Technologies, the process of finding a fertility agency is straightforward, connecting you with intended parents you’ll be overjoyed to help.
When you’re ready to fill in an application form to become a surrogate or egg donor, click here.
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