Frozen Donor Eggs: An Affordable Fertility Option

You’re one hundred percent ready to have a child, but it’s become disheartening to see yet another negative pregnancy test after months of actively trying to conceive. Depending on your age, it may be time to consider that your eggs aren’t as fertile as they once were. For those who may have tried IUI or traditional IVF without success, utilizing frozen donor eggs could be your best family-building solution.

Fortunately, frozen donor eggs cost significantly less than their fresh counterparts, as fresh can cost almost double the amount due to the need for synchronization between the donor and intended parent.

Let’s look at how successful using frozen donor eggs can be so you can make the best decision for you and your family.

Frozen Donor Egg Success

The odds of becoming pregnant can increase significantly when frozen donor eggs are used.

For example, those who are 42 years old and use donor eggs have a chance of pregnancy 5 times higher during their first cycle than if they underwent IVF with their own eggs. The ultimate goal is success on the first attempt, or in as few attempts as possible, as each cycle can be costly in time, stress, and finances.

The intended parent(s) often undergo the family history and genetic screenings to ensure they make the most informed choice for their family. Fortunately, by choosing frozen donor eggs you can have significant control over your baby’s genes, which may be beneficial if you’re predisposed to certain diseases, disorders, or have undergone radiation treatment. As a further precaution, egg donor candidates are rigorously screened for various diseases, genetic abnormalities, and given psychological evaluations before they become donors.

These screenings ensure your donor egg treatment can be as successful as possible, whether it’s your first attempt or not.

Benefits of Frozen Donor Eggs Over Fresh Eggs

Less Costly Than Fresh

Fresh eggs are simply more expensive than frozen. When using fresh donor eggs, the intended parent(s) typically pay for the donor’s medical costs like screenings, stimulation medications, and so on. Further, if any complications arise, there’s no guaranteed number of eggs retrieved – if any at all.

Additionally, fresh egg donation requires the donor and intended parent to synchronize their cycles before an embryo may be transferred. In comparison, frozen donor eggs are retrieved from the donor and immediately frozen via vitrification, a state-of-the-art cryopreservation process. 

They remain cryogenically stored until selection by the intended parent(s). This significant procedural difference is one of the main reasons why the donor egg process costs much more with fresh eggs than with frozen.

Since frozen egg donors undergo these processes before they are selected by the intended parent(s), all donor expenses are included in the price of their egg lot(s). Frozen egg lots often average between 5 – 8 eggs per lot. On top of this, donor egg banks may be able to guarantee you at least one embryo, such as Donor Egg Bank USA’s blastocyst guarantee.

More Convenient and Less Time-Consuming

As mentioned, using fresh donor eggs requires timely cycle synchronization. Synchronizing these cycles is a difficult and time-consuming process. Cancellations can often occur due to various issues, like when cycles don’t match correctly due to donor error or when the donor doesn’t respond well to stimulation medication. On the other hand, frozen eggs are available as soon as the intended parent is ready, avoiding these hassles altogether.

Frozen donor eggs also afford greater accessibility, as they can be shipped nationwide or internationally depending on the intended parent(s) country’s laws. With fresh eggs, the donor and intended parent must be physically in the same location for several months. Unfortunately, using fresh egg donation means you’re restricted to egg donors within your regional area, unless the donor or recipient is willing to travel. By using frozen eggs, you have a much larger pool of donors to choose from, which means you can be more selective regarding your donor’s characteristics.

Making the Best Choice for You and Your Family

Overcoming infertility is a journey, regardless of the assisted reproductive technology (ART) you use. While fresh donor egg IVF is often unpredictable and expensive, using frozen donor eggs are easier, less time-consuming, and more affordable for the majority of families considering ART therapies.