Using Donor Eggs For IVF
Why Choose Pinnacle Egg Bank:
- Exceptional Donors – We recruit, rigorously screen, and build relationships with donors who possess outstanding attributes from all ethnic backgrounds.
- High Quality Frozen Donor Eggs – The skills and expertise of our clinical and laboratory teams underscore the quality of our frozen donor eggs, which have consistently resulted in high pregnancy rates across multiple affiliate clinics.
- Accessible Pricing – We are proud to offer different packages to meet your unique needs with transparent pricing.
- Blastocyst Guarantee – Our goal is for intended parents to have successful outcomes. Pinnacle Egg Bank guarantees there will be at least one blastocyst to transfer or biopsy from each cohort of six frozen eggs that are secured, or intended parents will receive a replacement cohort of six eggs for future use.
Egg Donor Database - Pinnacle Egg Bank
Our Egg Donor database provides insight into the donors we are currently working with – donating both fresh and frozen eggs. Each profile features not only adult and childhood photos of the donor, but also lists significant medical history and information about immediate family. Our egg donors have an opportunity to tell you about themselves in their own words too; who they are as a person, what it was like growing up in their family, what passions, talents, likes and dislikes they may have and why they decided that donating their eggs was for them.
Although we update our database on a regular basis, we are always speaking to and screening new potential donors. Choosing an egg donor may not be a straightforward process; if you don’t see anyone you feel might be right for you, please contact our egg donation coordinators. We build strong relationships with our donors, get to know them well and – through our free matching service – we’re here to help find the best match for you.
Frozen Donor Egg Package Options & Pricing
Blastocyst Guarantee
$18,650
Embryo Creation Program with Blastocyst Guarantee
$23,500
Package 1: Blastocyst Guarantee
Available for all patients. Includes:
- One (1) cohort of six (6) frozen eggs.
- One (1) blastocyst guarantee per cohort to be transferred or biopsied.
- A supplemental fee of $3,700 per cohort may apply if selecting a donor with increased cycle costs.
Package 2: Embryo Creation Program with Blastocyst Guarantee
Available for Pinnacle Fertility patients only. Includes:
- One (1) cohort of six (6) frozen eggs plus embryology services.
- One (1) blastocyst guarantee per cohort to be guaranteed or biopsied.
- Frozen embryo transfer (FET) is a separate cost determined by your clinic.
- Each additional cohort will be $18,650.
- A supplemental fee of $3,700 per cohort may apply if selecting a donor with increased cycle costs.
Shipping
If your frozen egg cohort(s) need to be shipped, we are happy to coordinate this with your clinic for an additional flat fee of $950.
This fee includes up to $25,000 liability insurance on the shipping tank.
You have the opportunity to purchase an increase to $50k liability insurance for $1,500.
Financing the Egg Donation Cycle
We understand that using donor eggs can be expensive and we have partnered with several fertility financing providers to ensure that our services are more accessible.
How Do Donor Eggs Work?
If you are a woman who no longer has viable eggs for a variety of reasons, including conditions such as age, premature menopause, cancer treatment, or ovarian surgery, donor eggs are a great option. Donor eggs are also used by men who require them to become parents, if they are single men or a gay couple hoping to build a family. The way donor eggs work is that the intended parents select either fresh or frozen eggs from a donor egg bank. The eggs are fertilized using partner or donor sperm to create embryos, which are then cultured in an IVF lab. The embryos are tested for chromosomal abnormalities as well as the sex of the baby if desired, then frozen until they are needed for a planned transfer to an intended mother’s or surrogate’s uterus to create a pregnancy.
Using Frozen Donor Eggs For IVF
Using frozen donor eggs is an alternative to fresh egg donation; because we have already retrieved and frozen the eggs, these are available for use as soon as the recipient (the intended mother or a surrogate) is ready. Live birth rate using frozen donor eggs is now comparable to fresh egg donor cycles, may sometimes be a more financially accessible option and we have seen great outcomes for our patients using frozen donor eggs. You can view our donors who have frozen eggs available in our database here: Pinnacle Egg Bank; we identify the donors by adding ‘frozen’ on their profile.
Using Fresh Donor Eggs For IVF
Using fresh donor eggs means that the eggs retrieved from the donor are fertilized on the day of retrieval. We do not currently offer fresh donor eggs.
Using Fresh or Frozen Sperm
Your fertility specialist will be able to discuss the difference between using fresh or frozen sperm. If fresh sperm is being used for fertilization, your nurse will coordinate an appointment for the day of donor egg retrieval. If the use of frozen sperm is approved, we will need the sperm (your partner’s or donor’s) to get to our clinic at least 1 day before the procedure of donor egg retrieval. Once fertilized, we leave the eggs to grow into embryos for 3 or 5 days and they are ready for a transfer into the intended mother’s or surrogate’s uterus. Alternatively, we can freeze the embryos at this point for transfer at a later stage. Live birth rate is comparable in both fresh and frozen embryo transfer, at approximately 65-70% per embryo transfer using fresh donor eggs.
Getting Pregnant With Donor Eggs
The donor egg IVF process is straightforward but does involve quite a few steps. Everything begins with the intended parents choosing their egg donor and deciding if they will use fresh or frozen donor eggs. Other major milestones for the intended mother or a surrogate in getting pregnant with donor eggs include:
- Baseline ultrasound and blood test.
- Retrieval of eggs from chosen egg donor (or thaw, if using frozen donor eggs).
- Eggs fertilization with male partner’s or donor’s sperm. Fertilization confirmation is done the next day to determine which eggs are fertilized.
- Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is done if desired and takes place on day 5 or 6 of development. Embryos are biopsied then frozen, awaiting the results of chromosomal and/or gender testing.
- Embryo transfer: if no PGT is performed, after five days the embryo can be transferred to the egg recipient’s uterus, via a soft catheter guided by ultrasound. Supplemental hormones are usually required for the first 12 weeks after embryo transfer. If embryos are frozen, they are thawed and transferred at a later date.
If you would like more information or are ready to begin your journey to parenthood we are here for you.
Answers to Additional Questions that Intended Parents Often Ask
How long does it take to get pregnant with donor eggs?
Most intended parents are pleased that it does not take too long to get pregnant with donor eggs. Women who have completed all of their prenatal and fertility tests can proceed directly to embryo transfer planning. Typically, if frozen donor eggs are used, transfer can occur within 6 to 8 weeks. If fresh eggs are used, the time is usually 12 to 16 weeks from securing donor eggs.
What are the chances of twins with donor eggs?
Most natural twins are the result of two independent embryos implanting in the uterus, a result of the mother ovulating two eggs. Similarly, with IVF, twins are typically seen when two embryos are transferred to the uterus. Identical twins are relatively rare in nature and IVF, occurring approximately 0.5 to 2.5% of the time respectively. Since egg donation is associated with the highest pregnancy rate per embryo transferred, it follows that the chance of twins with donor eggs is equally elevated when two donor egg embryos are transferred – occurring approximately 50% of the time.
If I use a donor egg is the baby mine?
Yes, absolutely, if you use a donor egg the baby is yours. Although the use of an egg donor to become pregnant is a relatively new medical development, egg donors do not have parental responsibilities or rights. It’s important to work with a well-respected egg donation agency or clinic like Santa Monica Fertility, as established procedures and processes are already in place to help intended parents navigate through the legalities of this process and create an egg donor legal contract that protects all parties.
Is there an upper age limit for being a recipient of donor eggs?
The typical upper age limit for a fertility patient using donor eggs is 55.
Where are donor eggs available and how long does it take to obtain them?
The length of time required for selecting a donor and going through a retrieval cycle for fresh donor eggs varies. Patients who want to shorten the time involved in selecting a donor may wish to use frozen eggs which are available immediately.
Is there a way to reduce the cost of egg donation?
When intended parents (IPs) choose to secure frozen donor eggs this often means they are sharing a cycle (expenses and eggs) with another/other individual(s). Overall reducing the IPs costs.
How is the cycle of the recipient synchronized with the donor?
Birth control pills and other hormones may be used to manage the recipient’s periods and ensure she is ready to receive the donated eggs at the appropriate time.
Does the recipient contribute any genetic material?
The recipient does not contribute to the genetic material of the embryo in a traditional sense. However, the environment of the recipient’s womb can have a substantial effect on how the embryo’s genes are expressed as it develops. You can learn more about egg donation epigenetics in our dedicated blog here.
Search Our Bank for Exceptional, Fully-Screened Egg Donors
We work with exceptional, fully medically and psychologically screened egg donors to offer highest quality frozen donor eggs.
