Pacific NW Fertility began its egg donor program to provide women and their partners the ability to use eggs from a chosen, qualified donor. Each year, Pacific NW Fertility helps more than 100 women become pregnant through egg donation. Pacific NW Fertility provide an in-house donor program, allowing patients to forego the added hassle, travel and or expense of using a separate agency. This has proven to be an invaluable resource to couples going through the process, allowing them peace of mind and the added convenience of having all procedures and screening done by our trusted team of experts.
In the simplest of terms, egg donation is where healthy eggs are taken from a fertile woman and used to help an infertile woman conceive. Taking eggs from a donor is possible because young, fertile women produce dozens of eggs every month that are never used, and to the best of medical knowledge, these extra eggs can be safely donated without affecting the donor’s ability to conceive in the future.
Pacific NW Fertility assists couples who cannot have a child because the woman is unable to produce normal eggs, which can occur for several reasons:
- Some women undergo menopause at a very early age and are then unable to produce normal eggs
- Other women may still have normal menstrual cycles but are unable to produce eggs which can be fertilized
- Some women may have no ovaries and thus be unable to produce eggs
- Other women may produce eggs, but are unsuccessful in their attempts to achieve a pregnancy
Each of these women, however, has a normal uterus and can become pregnant and carry pregnancies to term. In order for these women to become pregnant, donated eggs are used in an in-vitro fertilization procedure, whereby the donated eggs are fertilized with sperm from the partner of the woman who can not produce normal eggs, and the resulting embryos are then transferred into the woman's uterus. The birth mother will be the legal mother and her partner will be the legal father.
When is the Donor Egg Program Right for Patients?
Many women don’t produce enough viable eggs of their own, or have genetic reasons for choosing to use an egg donor. The donor undergoes surgical egg retrieval and the eggs are then fertilized with the sperm of the partner or from a sperm donor before implantation. While this is a very big decision, in many ways the process is simply a variation of in vitro fertilization, and the best possible option for many couples.
Screening Procedure and the Selection Process
Pacific NW Fertility’s egg donors are generally between 21 to 31 years of age, and all are carefully screened for certain genetically linked diseases. Because most risks for fetal abnormalities increase as a woman ages, there are considerable advantages to using a younger woman’s eggs. Pacific NW Fertility’s Donor Egg Program Coordinator, Stephanie Frickleton, assists the recipients in finding an appropriate donor match and discusses the selection process in detail. Patients and partners work closely with their physician and the Donor Egg Coordinator during the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) screening and laboratory blood tests, which takes place before a patient begins a cycle.
A selection of donor profiles will be sent to that patient for review. Patients may also choose to use a friend or family member as their egg donor. When the final donor selection has been made, the rest of the cycle planning will proceed.
Preparing the Body for Pregnancy
It is very important that patients take good care of their body prior to and during pregnancy. Getting at least 800 mcg of folic acid daily is recommended and is readily available in prenatal vitamins. Eating a balanced diet, minimizing alcohol consumption and getting enough exercise will benefit patients physically and may help reduce overall stress during the fertility process. Women attempting pregnancy should not smoke or use drugs, and should limit caffeine consumption to less than 150 mg per day.
What Patients Experience Prior to Egg Retrieval and Fertilization
In order to coordinate a patient’s cycle with the donor’s, the patient will be placed on birth control pills and a medication called Lupron, 4-6 weeks prior to the donor’s stimulation. Patients will later be placed on an estrogen patch and injectable progesterone before the embryo transfer. Both the patient and donor will receive ultrasounds to monitor progress and to determine when ovulation is approaching. At that point, the donor will be given a trigger injection, and sonographic egg retrieval will be performed 35 hours later. If the patient’s partner’s sperm is being used, it will be collected the same day, and the patient will receive specific instructions about the medications to continue through the cycle.
What happens next?
The patient and partner will be given a preliminary report on the number and quality of eggs obtained, and the embryologists will complete preparation for fertilization and a specialized procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Embryos generally remain in the laboratory for 3-6 days before transfer, and the team will stay in close contact with patients regarding the fertilization process and instructions for the transfer.
When the time comes to complete the embryo transfer, patients can expect the procedure to be similar to a pelvic exam. Patients will be given medication to reduce cramping, and a very fine catheter will be placed in the cervix through to the uterus, where the embryo(s) will be transferred via ultrasound visualization. Patients remain resting in the clinic for about 15 minutes, and will need transportation to and from the appointment. Patients should avoid heavy lifting and keep strenuous activities and exertion to a minimum until their pregnancy test, which will occur about 10 days after transfer.
Pacific NW Fertility strives to create high-quality embryos to ensure that transfer of multiple embryos is the exception rather than the rule, minimizing the chance of multiples (twins, triplets, etc.) and higher risk pregnancies. Patients can elect to have additional embryos cryopreserved (frozen) for future use.
Financial Counseling
At Pacific NW Fertility, we understand that fertility treatment can be a financial burden for couples. Our financial counselors work closely with patients to explain the costs involved, discuss options and estimated out-of-pocket expenses, and develop a payment plan that works. Patients will be happy to know that our center participates with a number of insurance companies including Aetna, First Choice, Great West, Premera, Regence, and United Healthcare. Please call Elaine White, Patient Financial Counselor, at 206-515-0000 to discuss the costs involved.
Taking the Next Step
We invite patients to call Stephanie Frickleton, Donor Program Director, at 206-515-0042 or visit our new PNWF Egg Bank website for more information. Our nationally renowned physicians have over 50 years of combined experience in reproductive endocrinology, and together we’ve helped create more than 1,000 successful pregnancies. We know this is an exciting yet often challenging experience, and welcome the opportunity to discuss egg donation further with interested patients.