Can You Have Kids After Donating Eggs?

If you’ve been researching the pros and cons of being an egg donor, you may have found a couple of articles saying egg donation can lead to infertility. What’s the deal? Can you get pregnant after donating eggs, whether you plan to conceive next year or ten years down the line?
By giving someone else the chance of becoming a parent, you certainly don’t want to sacrifice your own ability to become a parent in the future. We have honest and scientific news to tell you: no evidence suggests egg donation leads to infertility. In this study done on egg donation, for instance, of a group of 60 egg donors, “54 later became pregnant within a year of trying to conceive, and three more women became pregnant within 18 months of trying to conceive, all without reproductive assistance. The remaining three women in the study became pregnant with the help of fertility treatments. For two of these women, the treatments were needed due to fertility problems in their male partner.” Yes – you can get pregnant after donating eggs.

Debunking Egg Donation Myths with Facts

Below are two major misconceptions we see about egg donation, which lead people to think they won’t be able to get pregnant after donating eggs:

1. Egg Donation Hormone Medications Will Screw Your Body Up

Myth: Some people out there think hormone medications from an egg donation cycle can cause complications later in life.
Fact:  These medications have no long-term impact on your hormone levels. During an egg donation cycle, your estrogen levels will be temporarily elevated for about 2 weeks. What proof shows there are no long-term effects? Plenty. While more long-term studies on egg donors are needed, there are tons of studies on IVF spanning almost 5 decades. The first half of the IVF process– the medications and egg retrieval – follows the same exact protocol as that of egg donation. All these studies confidently show no long-term consequences.

2. Egg Donation Wipes Out Your Egg Supply

Myth: People often think that by donating eggs, a donor would be giving up eggs that she would have otherwise been able to use in the future to get pregnant after donating eggs.
Fact: On average, at puberty, a woman will have an ovarian reserve of approximately 300,000 eggs. Of which, only about 300 to 400 will ever mature and be released during her lifetime. The remainder of the eggs will die and never be used. During a controlled stimulation for an egg donation cycle, some of those eggs that would normally die will be recruited to mature instead.
Out of an abundance of caution to maximize the safety of our donors, we limit the number of times a donor can donate in her lifetime to six times. This is in compliance with ASRM, the governing body of reproductive medicine.

Egg Donation Research Tips

As you continue your research, we have this advice to share:

1. Question the Egg Donor Program’s Expertise

As with ANY medical procedure out there, there is a rare chance of a medical complication occurring. However, complications such as OHSS or ovarian torsion arise in less than 1% of individuals, and an even smaller percentage of women experience complications that can impact fertility. So, in extreme and exceptionally rare circumstances, yes: egg donation can lead to infertility.
However, know this. Not all egg donor programs are the same, and complication rates vary among them. As you consider egg donation programs, make sure to find out what expertise that egg donation program has. Fairfax EggBank is one of the largest and most experienced egg banks in the world. We have over 30 years of experience in egg donation and have worked with thousands of donors. A major reason for our success is that we take extreme care of our donors and monitor them very closely to prevent any complications from occurring so that we can get the best outcome possible.

2. Conduct Research Wisely

We encourage you to thoroughly research egg donation so that you can make an informed decision about whether egg donation is for you. But, question the validity of articles you come across whether they are positive or negative in nature. Is the website credible? Can the author prove her/his argument through scientific evidence? If you’re not sure, then don’t hesitate to ask us directly.
Fairfax Eggbank provides counseling and information sessions to ensure aspiring egg donors know what all the benefits and risks of donating are. NO donor goes into our program uninformed, and we deeply believe in transparency and honesty about our process.

Talk to Our Experts at Fairfax Eggbank to Learn More About Fertility Risks and Egg Donation

We hope you’re encouraged and empowered by this information. Yes, you CAN get pregnant after donating eggs as it won’t affect future fertility. Feel free also to browse our FAQ section, where you’ll find answers to the most pressing questions aspiring egg donors have. If you’re ready to take the next step, fill out our application. We look forward to receiving it!