Egg donors are needed to help prospective parents who do not have (good) eggs available of their own. If one of the prospective parents has eggs that can be used for IVF or ICSI treatment, then these can be used for surrogacy. If they have no (good) eggs available, an egg donor is required.
The egg donor and surrogate can be two different women. It's also possible to use the surrogate's egg. In that case, the surrogate and egg donor are one and the same also referred to as traditional surrogacy.
Egg donation involves retrieving eggs following hormonal stimulation from the egg donor's body via puncture. They are subsequently fertilised with sperm from (one of) the intended parent. The fertilised egg (=embryo) is then transferred to the surrogate's uterus. For more information Getting pregnant: donor egg.
A process with an egg donor and a surrogate involves three families: that of the intended parents, of the egg donor and of the surrogate. They need to establish relationships with each other. The same is true of the child born with the assistance of the egg donor and surrogate.
It is therefore important that you, as an egg donor, surrogate mother, and intended parents, have a conversation with each other during the preparation. For tips on how to conduct that conversation, see intended parents, surrogate parents, and egg donor in conversation.
If you, the surrogate, carry or want to carry a baby for intended parents using your own egg, you will in fact also be – in addition to being a surrogate – an egg donor. Fertilisation can happen by inseminating the surrogate with the sperm of the intended parent (or one of the intended parents).
Deciding to become an egg donor isn't something you do casually: children could be born from your fertilised eggs. At some future point, these children may want to know who you are and/or get in touch with you out of curiosity about their origins.
Your decision to become a donor will also impact your nearest and dearest. It's best if your partner and/or children, should you have any, know that you are a donor. So talk this through with them. One day, your donor children may not only want to know who you are, but also want to get in touch with you. If you go through with this, your partner and children (if you have any) will also have to deal with the donor children. And they'll be the half-brothers and half-sisters of any of your own children.
In addition to the practical and emotional sides of the decision to become a donor, it also has legal sides. This is why it is important to get properly informed in advance.
There can be various reasons to consider egg donation. You may know people close to you who are struggling to get pregnant; you may hear, read or see something in the media about donor conception or surrogacy. Or someone may ask you.
Thinking about egg donation begins with asking yourself whether you truly want to be a donor only or whether you actually still feel the desire to have children of your own. If you still want to have children of your own, there's a strong chance you'll be disappointed because as an egg donor, you won't be the child's parent.
If you neither have children of your own nor a wish to have any, then you need to realise that this could change in the future. If you then find yourself unable to get pregnant, you may find it hard to know that your donor child is out there somewhere but that you've got no say over their life.
Donors have no decision-making rights over the child's upbringing. But a donor doesn't have any responsibilities either: you aren't required to provide for it financially, you can't be asked for financial support and the child won't be your heir.
If you have children of your own, they won't have to share your estate with the donor child. If you'd like your donor child to be your heir, you can arrange this. You must then take the initiative to include them in your will.
Anonymous egg donation (A-donor) is not allowed in the Netherlands. During the preparatory stages of a surrogacy process, the intended parents, egg donor and surrogate usually have contact with one another. The law states that once they reach the age of 16, a child has the right to learn the identity of their egg donor.
Therefore, if you have a life partner, it's important to discuss your thoughts about becoming a donor with them. Because your decision could impact the life you share. What does your partner feel about someone else getting pregnant with your eggs? What would this mean for any children of your own? How open are you going to be with the people around you? And how would it be if your donor children wanted to get in touch with you now or at some point in the future?
You can get more detailed information about egg donation from the National information point for donor conception.
De wereld rondom draagmoederschap staat niet stil. Wil je op de hoogte blijven van relevante onderzoeken, nieuws en actuele ervaringen? Schrijf je in voor onze nieuwsbrief.
