EGG DONATION ABROAD
Due to the difficulty recruiting egg donors in Ireland, couples are forced to look to other countries in their search for an egg donor. In an effort to protect their interests and ensure they receive the best care, our team has developed an Egg Donation Support Service.
Couples we assist say that local support helps alleviate some of the stress involved in undergoing donor egg treatment in a foreign country, and that it is helpful to have an experienced clinician acting as intermediary between themselves and the service provider.
Most of the groundwork for treatment is carried out in Ireland, with one trip to the clinic abroad. The simplicity of the service enables couples to avail of donor egg treatment abroad with minimum disruption to their everyday lives.
We have established links with a number of clinics in Europe and the USA, including Shady Grove in Washington.
Shady Grove Fertility is a leading provider of donor egg treatment in the United States, performing over 1,000 cycles a year. Shady Grove Fertility’s success stems from their uncompromising pregnancy and delivery rates as well as their unique financial programs which help make treatment more affordable.
We are also equally happy to work with a clinic of your choosing.
For information on Egg Donation clinics in Europe and the USA, and for a price list covering all elements of the Egg Donation services we offer, please contact our Egg Donation Coordinator.
CONSULTATION
The recipient couple are invited to meet with the Egg Donation Co-ordinator to have the egg donation process explained in detail and assist with donor selection.
COUNSELLING
Having a child through egg donation is a big step, and both couple (and donor if using a known donor) may have questions and concerns which don’t surface until they have attended counselling. Waterstone Clinic’s egg donation counselling service offers the necessary support and advice that is needed whilst undergoing egg donation through our independent and experienced counsellor.
It is a mandatory requirement that the couple and their donor (if applicable) undergo counselling before embarking on treatment.
THE TREATMENT CYCLE
Waterstone clinic fertility specialists will support you throughout your cycle, liaise with the egg donation clinic and perform all scans and investigations deemed necessary by the clinic you are attending. This means you are only required to travel abroad for embryo transfer.
Step 1
Meet with egg donation co-ordinator
Our egg donation co-ordinator will address every aspect of the treatment process. Depending on the package you choose you may have to attend the clinic abroad for consultation and in order to freeze a sperm sample. Equally we can arrange for this to take place at our centre in Ireland.
Step 2
Counselling session
Waterstone Clinic’s egg donation counselling service offers the necessary support and advice that couples need whilst undergoing egg donation through our independent and experienced counsellor.
Step 3
Blood tests
Comprehensive viral screening and other necessary blood tests that may be required.
Step 4
Consent
This session will allow time for further questions to ensure you are fully informed of the process. Once all your questions have been addressed consent forms are signed.
Step 5
Donor selection. Depending on the treatment package chosen, you may have the option to select your donor from a database. Other packages allow selection of your donor in accordance with your physical characteristics such as hair colour, eye colour, skin colour and height.
Step 6
Donor and recipient treatment. Our egg donation support service ensures our expertise in preparing the recipient’s womb for embryo transfer. Our egg donation co-ordinator will liaise with the egg donation clinic to ensure that the donor and recipient’s treatment cycles are synchronised for embryo transfer.
Step 7
Fertilisation and embryo development
At the egg donation clinic the donor’s eggs will be fertilised with the male partner’s sperm. You will be kept informed about the development of the embryos.
Step 8
Embryo transfer
Depending on the egg donation package you have chosen, your embryo transfer may occur at Waterstone Clinic or you may have to travel to the egg donation clinic for embryo transfer. This procedure is similar to a smear test. It does not require any sedation. A fine catheter (tube) containing the embryo(s) is inserted into the recipient’s womb and the embryos are carefully deposited.
Step 9
Pregnancy test and early pregnancy care
Two weeks following embryo transfer you will perform a pregnancy test.
If you are pregnant, Waterstone clinic will perform an ultrasound scan two weeks later (six weeks of pregnancy) to check for the number of pregnancy sacs and foetuses. At eight weeks we perform another pregnancy scan to check for the presence of a fetal heartbeat on ultrasound scan.
In the event that you don’t become pregnant our egg donation co-ordinator will discuss with you your plans for further treatment if desired.
What are my chances of having a baby from egg donation treatment?
Egg donation carries one of the highest success rates of all fertility treatments. This is due to the selection of young donors, many with proven fertility.
The chance of having a live born baby from this treatment is 50-60% per cycle.
Our in house programme live birth rate is 65%.
