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Egg donation

​When intended parents need an egg donor, it is often not so easy to find the right one.
In most European countries where egg donation is allowed, intended parents often have very limited access to egg donor profiles. This means that the donor remains anonymous. Only physical characteristics are mentioned. Pictures are not shared. This means that the choice of a suitable donor for intended parents is limited. In the USA or Canada this is regulated quite differently, because here intended parents receive extensive profiles, including pictures, family backgrounds, etc.
In the case of a heterosexual couple or a single woman, intended parents often look for similarities between the intended mother and the egg donor. For homosexual couples and single men, this can be quite different, but what is true for all intended parents is that it just has to "fit", there has to be a spark and it just has to "feel good".
The selection of a donor can look very different: In the U.S., many fertility clinics have their own egg donors. This can make it easier, save money, and simplify the process because these donors are all already tested. Our partner clinics, Utah Fertility Center and Nevada Fertility Center, respectively, have a comprehensive database of more than 300 donors. We can easily give access here.
In Canada, on the other hand, it's a little different, because there the fertility clinics don't have their own donors and so we have to use an agency that specializes in this.
We work with very good agencies for this. Again, we can give access to the portals.
Other important considerations can be "Do I or do we want an open donation?". This means that the intended parents "know" their egg donor.
This may take the form of a one-time virtual conversation, contact information may be exchanged between the donor and the intended parents, and sometimes there may even be a face-to-face meeting.
Some intended parents want a so-called closed, anonymous donation. In this case, there is no contact between the donor and the intended parents. They only decide on the basis of the profile.

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Questions for the

embryologists

We once asked some questions and answers to the embryologists - team from Utah Fertility Center:
Q1 – How are embryos graded?
The day after your egg retrieval, you will get your fertilization report. During the next few days, any fragmentation will be noted, which happens when there is uneven cell division (where parts of the cell break off). Not to worry, fragmentation is fine as long as you have a good cell number and cell symmetry.

After day 3 the embryonic DNA takes over, including the genetic contribution from the sperm. When grading a blastocyst, the embryologist is looking at the degree of expansion, the inner cell mass, and the trophectoderm (cells surrounding the outside of the blastocyst). The best grade embryo shows large expansion, plenty of uniformly-sized cells in the trophectoderm, and an ICM (inner cell mass – a small cluster of cells on the inside of the blastocyst which develops into the fetus) along with lots of tightly packed cells.

Every embryo is given 2 letter grades along with a description of the level of expansion (A, B, or C). The first letter grade corresponds to the ICM and the second to the trophectoderm. This means if the embryo got an “AB.” grade, that means a great ICM with a grade A, and a good trophectoderm with a grade B.

A grade of “BC” simply means the trophectoderm looks lower quality but can still work. You don’t need an AA embryo to become pregnant. In fact, most of the embryos we see that result in a baby come from grade BB and BC embryos! The grade only indicates the potential to implant.
Many sincere thanks to the embryology team at Utah Fertility Center!

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How do I find my surrogate?
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We are often asked this question and there are a few things to consider:
In the US and Canada you always get a court order, which makes both parents legal parents from the beginning and in some US states even before birth. So, the whole process is legally very, very safe. There are numerous surrogacy agencies in the US and Canada that will find surrogates for you and will guide and oversee the entire process up to the birth and beyond. We only work with those agencies that we know ourselves and that offer a very good service. Important for us is: Intended parents and surrogate mothers have a good experience, receive support and are always available. Surrogacy is regulated differently in the USA and Canada respectively and this should also be taken into consideration when choosing a surrogate.
In Canada: Altruistic surrogacy. The gestational carrier does not receive any compensation; she may only claim those expenses that are incurred during the pregnancy. Disadvantage: It may take a long time to find a gestational carrier.
In the USA: Commercial surrogacy. The gestational carrier is allowed to charge compensation. The amount of this compensation varies. Disadvantage: Makes the process more expensive compared to Canada.
In both countries surrogacy is open to anyone; single, heterosexual or homosexual.
No matter which way you choose, we are by your side.

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How do I find my fertility clinic?
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This question is indeed very important, because it is usually the beginning of your infertility journey.
First of all, you should ask which countries come into consideration for you. Here it is important to note that it should be countries that firstly support your family model or where it is legal that, for example, same-sex couples can fulfill their desire to have children. Countries where this is possible are e.g. the USA, Canada and Mexico. The second question might be helpful: Does the fertility clinic have its own egg donors? This is not unimportant, because those have already been screened by the clinic (medically and psychologically) and often those clinics offer package solutions with these donors. This can save time, money and nerves. Clinics that have their own donors can be found in the USA and Mexico. Fertility centers in Canada unfortunately do not have this option and they work with egg donor agencies. Thirdly, compare the clinics within the country with other clinics there, have the programs explained to you and also their success rates.
Furthermore, some fertility clinics offer guarantee packages. Also an important point for the right choice of the clinic is; does it have international experience, i.e. has it already worked with clients from other countries, does it know the legal regulations there. Finally, it makes sense to choose an IVF clinic that is well connected with the surrogacy agencies. This is important in the USA and Canada. In Mexico it is different, because there everything is under one roof: Egg donors, IVF - clinic and surrogacy agency.
Our tip: Talk to various clinics and their doctors, make a list of questions that are important to you.