Egg Donation
If you are struggling with natural conception and looking for options to help you grow your family, you are not alone.
Our board-certified endocrinologists can help make your dreams of parenthood a reality through egg donation.
Find out if egg donation at the Los Angeles Reproductive Center in Bakersfield and Encino, CA, is the right choice to help you reach your goals.
What Is Egg Donation?
Egg donation is a highly successful form of fertility treatment in which an egg (oocyte) is obtained from a selected donor, fertilized in a laboratory with sperm from the male patient or sperm donor, then transferred into the intended mother’s or gestational surrogate’s uterus. A wide variety of our patients in Encino, the greater Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, CA, regions can benefit from the egg donation process, including single men, single women, and couples.
Reasons to Consider an Egg Donor
Officially called premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) or premature ovarian failure (POF), early menopause occurs when the ovaries cease to function before the age of 40. Premature menopause can be caused by several factors, including genetics, certain illnesses, chemotherapy, and surgery on the ovaries.
In contrast to early menopause, patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) still have regular monthly menstrual cycles and ovulate normally. However, DOR can cause lower anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, high day 3 follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, limited antral follicle count, and a lower supply of eggs, reducing the chances of fertility.
There are many causes of recurrent pregnancy loss, including structural problems with the uterus, inherited genetic mutations, spontaneous genetic errors, and environmental influences. For some patients, egg donation is a way of altering the genetic makeup of an embryo in order to deliver a healthy baby.
We know that a healthy woman in her 40s and even early 50s can successfully carry and deliver a pregnancy. However, as women age, the reduced amount of quality eggs can stand in the way of fertility. With an egg donor, patients who have entered natural menopause can become pregnant and deliver a child of their own.
Egg donation can be a great solution for same-sex male couples seeking to have a child with a biological tie to their family. Depending on the couple’s desires, donor eggs can be fertilized with sperm from one or both partners. The egg donor can also be a family member of one partner, and the egg is fertilized with the sperm of the other.
Some of our patients are single men who have decided that they are ready to start a family on their own. Egg donation is often necessary in order for single men to have a biological child. The process includes combining the patient’s sperm with his donor’s eggs in the laboratory and placing the embryo into the uterus of a surrogate.
Compassionate Care for All Request a Consultation With Our Fertility Specialists
Egg donation for single individuals and couples is a common practice at the Los Angeles Reproductive Center. Our agency is proud to assist all kinds of families and believes that everyone has an equal right to parenthood. Drs. Marc Kalan and Nurit Winkler have dedicated their lives to helping patients navigate the complicated process of fertility and can guide you through this emotional and exciting time.
Our reproductive centers in Encino and Bakersfield, CA, are judgment-free zones where anyone can access the knowledgeable and compassionate care they're looking for. You can request a consultation by sending us a message online or calling:
"Thank you to Dr. Kalan, Dr. Winkler, and Nurse Kimberly for your expertise, care, and kindness. I’m blessed to be expecting a baby boy next year in 2024. Thanks again for all that you do Robyn E.
Selecting an Egg Donor
While it is possible to find almost any characteristic in an egg donor, it is difficult to find everything you want in a single person. It is important to consider each egg donor as a whole person and not focus on any one trait or characteristic. There are many factors that our patients in Encino, the greater Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, CA, areas need to consider during their search, including:
Anonymity
One of the first and most complicated decisions is choosing whether to select an egg donor you know personally or a donor who remains anonymous.
Background
For some prospective parents, it is important to find a donor with a similar ethnic, religious, or cultural background.
Physical Attributes
You may be looking for certain traits or abilities in your donor, such as physical appearance, athleticism, IQ, artistic talent, or resemblance to your own genetic traits.
Medical History
Our agency will thoroughly evaluate the medical history of each potential egg donor, as well as that of their immediate family.
Personality
It is common for prospective parents to seek a donor with similar personality traits as their own.
How are Egg Donors Evaluated?
Medical Evaluation
Egg donors are medically evaluated to determine if they are healthy enough and if they are a viable candidate for egg donation. Egg donors are screened for diseases and potential issues that may be passed to any offspring.
Family History
Obtaining the family history of potential egg donors is an important step to determine if there may be potential risks of issues such as diseases or genetic issues. This helps us ensure a higher chance of a healthy baby.
Psychological Evaluation
Psychological screening is important to determine if the donor understands the process and if they are mentally fit enough for egg donation. This is an important step to guard against complications down the road
Egg Donation Is More Successful
Than You Might Think...
While each stage of the process comes with different success rates, our agency will do everything possible to increase your chances of having a child.
The Egg Donation Process
Take a look at the steps involved for egg donor recipients at our fertility agency in Bakersfield and Encino, CA.
While each stage of the process comes with different success rates, our agency will do everything possible to increase your chances of having a child.
"Both doctors we saw and all the staff were very professional, lovely to interact with and we felt like they cared for us during the whole process. We were luckily to find such a wonderful clinic and blessed with two beautiful children. Thank you so much."
Andrew H.
Ready to Get Started? Request a Consultation at Our Fertility Clinic Today
At the Los Angeles Reproductive Center, we understand there are a variety of reasons why a patient may be unable to use their own egg. Egg donors allow patients greater flexibility in the IVF process and make IVF possible for patients who cannot use their own egg, as well as for same-sex couples or single parents who want to achieve their dreams of growing their families.
We are dedicated to helping our patients begin and expand their families. We combine advanced technology, intensive training, and deep compassion to help you successfully conceive and deliver a healthy baby. If you are ready to start your journey in growing your family through egg donation, or if you wish to discuss using an egg donor, contact our fertility center by using our online form, or call us to request a consultation.
Keeping Your Treatment Affordable
Using a donor can increase the cost of your fertility treatments. Each IVF cycle will differ by patient due to their unique needs. Once your doctor develops a treatment plan, we can better determine what your IVF costs will be when using a donor.
Our fertility clinic wants to make the dream of starting or expanding a family possible for all our patients, so we offer in-house payment options and accept most insurance providers. We'll be happy to help you navigate your coverage in order to maximize your benefits.
"I can't complain about Dr Kalan. He was very sweet, responsive, knowledgeable, and caring about his work and his patients. If there was a problem he wanted to be thorough and would talk to you about any additional testing he recommended to be done. He spoke in ways that helped me understand things. He even gave me a call after my baby was born to see how we were doing. 100% i recommend Dr Kalan. its because of him i have my beautiful rainbow baby! Thank you Dr Kalan for helping us on our journey to parenthood!! You truly are a blessing!!" Melie S.
Frequently Asked Questions About Egg Donation
Will I be my baby's legal parent if I use a donor?
California is considered an assisted reproduction-friendly state. For example, in California, there are laws in place meant to protect parents having a child through assisted reproduction even if they are not married, or if one of the potential parents will not be biologically related to the child. In the eyes of the law, you will be considered the legal parent of a child conceived from an egg donor as long as you use a licensed doctor or clinic.
Will the egg donor be a legal parent?
Your donor will have no parental rights to any child conceived during the process. Contracts will be signed during screening before the donation is made. All legalities and contracts will be discussed before your treatment begins at our Encino clinic to ensure you are legally protected and understand your rights.Will a baby conceived using a donor egg look like me?
Because your baby will be conceived using a donor, it will not look like you in the way a biological child may. However, during the screening process, you can choose a donor with physical traits similar to yours to increase the odds that the child will resemble you.
If you choose a family member as your egg donor, you can also increase the odds that the baby will have some similar characteristics. It is important to remember that there is no guarantee of resemblance even if you choose a donor with particular traits, such as hair color, eye color, height, and more.
Can I meet my egg donor before deciding?
This depends entirely on individual agency policies and the individual egg donor. Some women who donate their eggs prefer to remain anonymous, and some agencies have policies that prohibit the egg donor from meeting the couple.
If it is important for you to know your egg donor, choosing a family member or friend may be a good option, but it is best to communicate this desire at the beginning of the process.
If my insurance covers fertility treatment, will it cover egg donors?
This depends on the insurance plan and provider. In most cases, the cost of donor eggs is not covered by insurance. We will verify your coverage and work with you to help make your treatments as affordable and accessible as possible.
"Dr. Kalan is amazing and supportive."
Ellie M.
