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How to Select an Egg Donor
Selecting an egg donor is a flexible process that involves reviewing a donor’s physical and metaphysical traits, such as appearance, personality, and medical history. Our doctors and staff at the Fertility Center of San Antonio can help you review your options and assist you in making the decision of a lifetime. At our San Antonio, Texas practice, we are happy to discuss all aspects of your egg donation process with you, including whether to choose an anonymous donor and the legal aspects you should consider.
Our team understands the importance of the egg donor selection process.
Anonymous vs. Known Egg Donor
The first important decision is whether you prefer a known or anonymous egg donor. Known donors are usually relatives or close friends. However, they may also be an egg donor chosen through a donor database that agrees to direct contact with the intended parents.
You may prefer this route to give the child an opportunity to form a relationship with their donor. There is also a trust factor. Intended parents may feel they can rely on the known donor to follow through on their word and be forthright during the screening process. It is important to keep in mind that defining the donor’s role in your child’s life can be difficult and requires careful documentation.
At Fertility Center of San Antonio, we have an extensive database of donors who we rigorously screen to ensure a healthy result for our patients.
In contrast, an anonymous egg donor is chosen through an donor database and their identity is never revealed to the intended parents. Choosing an anonymous donor affords more confidentiality and a clearly-defined relationship between the donor and intended parent.
Factors When Selecting an Egg Donor
At Fertility Center of San Antonio, we have an extensive database of donors who we rigorously screen to ensure a healthy result for our patients. When reviewing profiles, we advise intended parents not to focus too much on a specific trait, such as height or eye color. Parents who loosely follow their characteristics checklist and choose a donor with intuition guiding them are usually the happiest long-term.
Physical Appearance
One of the most important donor considerations is physical appearance. If your family has certain physical traits, like brown eyes, tan skin, and dark hair, then identifying a donor with those qualities may be important to you. If physical appearance is not a concern, your options for a donor will be wider.
Medical History
When screening egg donors, our team performs a medical review as well as testing for certain health problems, infectious diseases, and potential genetic conditions. Despite this, intended parents should review donor profiles with an eye towards how the donor’s medical history combines with your family’s history. For instance, specific aspects of a male’s medical history make them more compatible donors.
Blood Type
It may be advantageous to match your blood type with the donors. This allows you to donate blood to your child should the need arise. It can also afford greater privacy, since some parents are uncertain if they will tell their child about using an egg donor. The child may discover they are not fully biologically related to the parents if their blood type is not a possible combination of their mother’s and father’s blood type.
Personality
We recommend choosing a donor that you can relate to or feel that you could be friends with or close with in some way. When examining donor profiles, try to assess the donor’s personality by examining how they answers questions, rather than simply the facts provided.
Donor Location
After the search for a donor has been narrowed down to a few candidates, location becomes a more important factor. Choosing a local donor that is a suitable match will cost less than choosing a donor out of your geographical area.
We Can Walk You through the Process
Learn more about egg donation and choosing an egg donor by making an appointment at our center today. You can call us at (210) 692-0577, or send us a message online.
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