|
| Using an Egg Donor | An important aspect is physical condition of woman's eggs. Genetic screening has to be done to help decrease the possibility of genetic diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis and Tay Saks. One of the factors that have an influence on the chances of having a child with genetic abnormalities such as Downs Syndrome is the donor’s age. The healthiest eggs can be taken from a donor who is between the ages of 21-30, if the donor is too old you increase your chances of having abnormal eggs, if the donor is too young she could experience medical complications during the hormone therapy such as twisted fallopian tubes and hyper stimulated ovaries. It is better to seek a donor who has already gave birth at least to one child which would testify that she is a fertile woman and she understands how you will feel as parents. Some people, like young students become egg donors to get money to pay for university education but they can realize that they are more attached to their genetic child then they expected, but claiming their right for custody makes the situation uncomfortable for the parents and very sad for the egg donor.
A donor can be chosen from a list of characteristics given to you by an egg donor program coordinator or you may meet the woman in person. Many intended parents think that a personal meeting will help them imagine the appearance and behavior of their future child. Some of them want to express their gratitude to the donor or make friends. An embarrassing aspect – the admitting own incapability in having a baby makes some of the intended parents unwilling to meet the donor.
It often happens that intended parents get volunteer suggestions to become donors from close relatives. Such help has some clear advantages - it is cheaper than using donor’s service and also it provides genetic connection but some intended parents don’t want to involve relatives as they are afraid to feel jealous and uncomfortable relationships between the baby and its genetic parent even though they won’t look close. People who feel stressed because of their infertility often need support and understanding of their friends and family.
An egg donation contract is necessary just like in a surrogacy to define the role and responsibilities of each person and it also transfers ownership/custody of the resulting eggs and later embryos and children resulting from the donation. In the contract the intended parents are named people who are financially responsible for carrying out the medical procedures during the whole process. The process of donation may cause different complications and the contract states that in such case the intended parents are not responsible for them and that the donor understands the risks and is entering the donation of her own free will without coercion. The contract explains that the egg donor will not try to get the custody of the resulting children and defines the ways of communication after the birth. The intended parents tend to compensate the egg donors for their time and hardships caused by the hormonal experience the woman had undergone during the process of donation. Usually the donor gets from $2,000 to $6,000 per donation (not per egg).
|
|
