Does Egg Donation Impact Future Fertility?

We’re often asked if donating your eggs impacts your ability to have babies in the future. To get straight to the point: No, donating your eggs does not decrease your chances of getting pregnant.

Here’s why:

Egg Donation Does Not Impact Egg Supply
By the time of puberty, a woman will have about 300,000 eggs. Over the course of her reproductive lifetime, around 500 of these will be ovulated. Every time a woman ovulates, her body starts to mature about 15 to 20 eggs. Only one is released, while the rest are reabsorbed into the body. During an egg donation cycle, the body will mature about 10 to 20 eggs. Overall, there are the same amount of eggs left in a woman’s body following a natural ovulation cycle and egg donation cycle.

The Medical Process: Fertility Treatment and Risks
If you choose to donate eggs, your medical team will decide which fertility medications will best stimulate your ovaries to mature more eggs during a cycle. The medications are administered by injections, which will only impact your hormones during the cycle they are taken. Once you stop taking them, your body’s hormones will bounce back to normal. Your period may not immediately go back to its regular schedule, but the fertility medications will no longer be stimulating your ovaries.

Like any medical process, nothing is risk-free. In rare instances, a woman’s body reacts negatively to the medications, leading to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and ovarian torsion. During your phone consultation with our team, we will review the risks and answer all of your questions.

Own Your Fertility
If you’re dreaming about one day having a family of your own, in addition to helping a couple or individual create their own family, egg donation is a great way of learning about your own fertility. Your screening will include genetic screening, fertility testing and a consultation with a fertility physician. If you complete an egg donation, you will learn much more about your ability to produce viable eggs and know more about your reproductive health than most women ever will.

While nothing can guarantee pregnancy, a healthy lifestyle is medically tied to higher fertility rates. For example, women who smoke or have a caffeine intake of more than 200 milligrams a day have been connected to lower fertility rates. Other factors impacting hormones include weight, level of fitness and personal reproductive health.

Get an overview of the egg donor program at Growing Generations and learn more about the steps it takes to help those seeking an egg donor to build or grow their family.

Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9118-female-reproductive-system
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/female-fertility/art-20045887
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ovarian-hyperstimulation-syndrome-ohss/symptoms-causes/syc-20354697

Posted by Dr. Kim Bergman in Resources for Egg Donors on 03/10/18

Kim Bergman, PhD, a licensed psychologist of 26 years, has specialized in the area of gay and lesbian parenting, parenting by choice and third party assisted reproduction for over two decades. Dr. Bergman has created a comprehensive psychological screening, support and monitoring process for Intended Parents, Surrogates and Donors. She is the co-owner of Fertility Counseling Services and Growing Generations and is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Psychological Association, the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, the Lesbian and Gay Psychotherapy Association, and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. She is on the national Emeritus board of the Family Equality Council. Dr. Bergman writes, teaches and speaks extensively on parenting by choice. Along with co-authors, she published “Gay Men Who Become Fathers via Surrogacy: The Transition to Parenthood” (Journal of GLBT Family Studies, April 2010). Dr. Bergman’s is the author of the upcoming book, Your Future Family: An Essential Guide to Assisted Reproduction (Red Wheel Press 2019). Dr. Bergman created her own family using third party assisted reproduction and she lives with her wife of 35 years. Her two daughters are in college.