Who Uses Frozen Donor Eggs?

Donor eggs are a fast-growing option for those dealing with infertility to reach their family dreams. Advances in egg freezing technology offer recipients the choice of frozen donor eggs—but when is this the best choice for them? In an earlier post, we explored why fresh donor eggs might be a better decision for some. So who uses frozen donor eggs, and why is it their best option?

Those Tired of Waiting

The old cliché says that “good things come to those who wait.” Those who arrive at the decision to use donor eggs have waited a long time already. We help many types of people, from couples who have struggled with infertility for many years, same sex couples using a surrogate, to individuals ready to do single-parenthood. For them, using fresh donor eggs means a process of finding and screening an egg donor, working with her schedule and availability, arranging travel, and syncing menstrual cycles. This can take time, but some families simply can’t wait any longer. Frozen donor eggs have already been retrieved from highly screened donors, and are ready to be shipped, thawed, and used without waiting on another person’s schedule. No need to wait any longer than you need to.

Those Who Need Choices

Choosing a donor can be fraught with emotion for recipients, with many physical and emotional criteria to think about. Is there such a thing as too many choices? Not when it comes to this important personal decision. Couples turn to frozen donor eggs if a wide variety and choice of donors is important. Fairfax EggBank allows you to look in our egg donor database without paying or registering, so you can see the special women who have decided to donate to our egg bank. These women, who have already undergone an extremely rigorous screening process, come from diverse backgrounds, and, most importantly, have already donated their eggs.

Those Wanting to Keep the Family Small

Family size is another factor in the frozen donor egg decision. When fresh donor eggs are retrieved from a donor for immediate use, there’s no guarantee on the number of eggs or resulting embryos. How will she respond to the medication? Will she donate too few—or too many? For families who want only one or two children, too many eggs can present a problem. At Fairfax EggBank, this element of surprise is no longer in play. Frozen eggs from a single donor are shipped in cohorts of 6-8 eggs. For families who want to complete their family by adding only one or two children to their future, frozen donor eggs are a good choice.

Those Who Want to Limit the Number of Embryos

With a fresh egg donor who ends up donating many eggs, there might be more embryos than needed for a couple that wants a smaller family. Some families are concerned about multiple births and would prefer to avoid transferring multiple embryos, or freezing them for the future. Frozen eggs are more desirable for families who want to limit the number of extra embryos they may have, and the often difficult decisions that go along with those embryos.

When using donor eggs, there are multiple options and choices—there’s no one right answer. If time and donor variety are major concerns, or if you require a smaller number of embryos, frozen eggs may be the better, more affordable choice. Are frozen donor eggs right for you? Please read more about frozen donor eggs, or contact us.