Egg Donors vs. Egg Banks

Egg donors provide eggs to family, either directly, or by adding their eggs to a repository of eggs called an egg bank.

If you want to have a child through IVF or surrogacy, finding an egg donor is often one of your first steps.

You can get help finding an egg donor bank or fertility clinic when you contact a surrogacy professional.

Once you have embryos ready, you can get matched with a surrogate in an average of 1 - 6 months. Having the family you’ve been dreaming of may be closer than you imagined.

Keep reading to learn more about the differences between egg donors and egg banks.

Egg Banks or Egg Donors: What’s the Difference?

What is an Egg Bank?

An egg donor bank is a storage facility for cryogenically frozen donor eggs. Egg banks use donor profiles to help connect families with donor eggs when they do not have eggs or have eggs with a low likelihood of pregnancy.

What is an Egg Donor?

An egg donor is someone who volunteers to provide eggs for another person or couple to create an embryo for pregnancy. You can get frozen donor eggs from an egg bank or fertility clinic, or partner with an egg donor agency where the egg donor’s eggs are retrieved after they’ve been selected, allowing them to be fertilized while fresh.

Fresh vs. Frozen Eggs for IVF

The main difference between fresh and frozen eggs for IVF is when they are fertilized. Frozen eggs are stored until they are ready to be fertilized after thawing.  

Fresh eggs are fertilized after retrieval.

Success Rates of Fresh vs. Frozen Eggs

While there can be differences in fresh vs. frozen donor eggs, pregnancy can be achieved no matter which option you choose—though they may yield different results based on individual circumstances.

Fresh eggs often lead to higher fertilization rates and better embryo quality since they are used shortly after retrieval. However, advances in egg freezing have significantly improved the quality of frozen eggs, making their success rates comparable to fresh eggs in many cases.

Pros and Cons of Fresh vs. Frozen Donor Eggs

Frozen eggs are often more convenient and in some cases, giving your family flexibility during embryo creation and the transfer process.

For instance, if fresh eggs are combined with sperm and embryos are formed for immediate transfer, the timing must be planned ahead so that the carrier or surrogate’s uterus is prepared for pregnancy.

Since there is some inherent variability in timing when a woman’s uterus will be ready for pregnancy, this can mean the timing may be off and the embryo transfer may be delayed. If eggs or embryos are not frozen, they may not be viable when the uterus is ready to receive them.

Pros of Fresh Eggs

• Can lead to higher fertilization rates
• Can lead to better embryo quality

Cons of Fresh Eggs

• Can lead to increased costs
• Can lead to delays
• May be more difficult to find a donor
• May be more difficult to arrange with a donor
• May require multiple rounds of egg retrieval

Pros of Frozen Eggs

• Convenience
• Flexibility in timing
• Potential for reduced cost
• Comparable quality to fresh eggs with modern freezing techniques

Cons of Frozen Eggs

• Possibility of some eggs not surviving the thaw or reduced fertilization rates and embryo quality

You can discuss your options with medical professionals when you choose a fertility clinic.

Finding an Egg Donor Bank Near Me

Finding the right egg bank is an important step in your journey to parenthood. You can get help finding an donor egg bank or fertility clinic when you reach out to a surrogacy professional. Once you have embryos ready, we can help you get matched with a surrogate in an average of 1 - 6 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are donor eggs better than own eggs for IVF?

Donor eggs may or may not have a higher likelihood of pregnancy than your own eggs. Things like age at the time of retrieval, health, and egg quality can all affect the likelihood of a successful pregnancy.

What is the difference between an egg bank and an egg donor?

An egg bank is a centralized system of eggs that have been cryopreserved for future use—often a medical company. An egg donor is someone who is volunteering to donate their eggs to another couple, person, or an egg bank. When you choose to use an egg donor rather than choosing pre-frozen eggs, you may be able to transfer fresh eggs.

What is the difference between IVF and egg donation?

Egg donation is the process of retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries, usually to make embryos. After embryos are formed, they can be transferred to a woman’s uterus with a small tube in a process called In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), which can create a pregnancy.

What are the disadvantages of using donor eggs?

Using donor eggs can sometimes bring emotional or legal considerations since you would be using an egg that is genetically linked to another person. You can address these considerations ahead of time as you choose your egg donor and create an agreement that is comfortable for you and the donor.