Choosing an Egg Donor: How to Select the Perfect Match for Parenthood

The perfect egg donor is waiting for you at Extraordinary Conceptions. Our egg donation services include the nation’s largest privately owned donor database, hands-on support and more. We’re here to help you every step of the way.

How to Select an Egg Donor with Extraordinary Conceptions

If you are hoping to build your family through egg donation, you are likely feeling a mix of emotions: excitement, nerves, curiosity, overwhelm and maybe some anxiety. That’s all very normal—and we’re here to support you throughout this process.

Many parents worry about how to select an egg donor who matches their family’s needs. At Extraordinary Conceptions, we understand what a massive decision this is and offer as many channels of support as possible to help you make the best choice for you. Our team is staffed with folks who have personal, lived experience with Assisted Reproductive Technology and can help your family with the empathy and efficiency you deserve. With us, you have all the time and space necessary to find the perfect egg donor for your family—and someone to hold your hand whenever you need.

What is Egg Donation?

“Egg donation” refers to a process where a woman’s egg is used to help form a new life. This egg is implanted via IVF into either an intended parent or a surrogate, depending on the circumstances.

The lead-up to the egg donation process is fairly involved. To ensure a smooth experience, your donor will undergo screening, take medications, and will be closely monitored. You will also work together with your respective attorneys to draft a legal contract. Once these steps are complete, your donor will undergo a retrieval procedure, which will be followed by implantation.

Why Do Parents Use Egg Donors?

There are many reasons why parents might use an egg donor. For some parents, it’s due to medical complications or fertility struggles; many families who come to us have spent a long time trying to conceive before considering donation. Other parents choose egg donation because they are in a partnership where no ovaries are present or have reached an age where conception is more challenging.

Young business woman working on laptop in office

How to Choose an Egg Donor That’s Right For You

It’s essential to find an egg donor who matches all of your needs. This is easy with Extraordinary Conceptions! Once you’ve registered with us as an intended parent, you’ll have full access to our entire egg donor database. This allows you to browse through it on your own time and take as long as you need without any external pressure.

Not sure what to look for in an egg donor? Every family has different needs. We advise families to consider the following factors when picking an egg donor:

  • Anonymous or Known Donation
    What role, if any, do you want your donor to have in your family’s life?

  • Physical Appearance
    For many families, it’s critical to choose a donor with physical attributes similar to their own. Because of this, we offer intended parents the chance to view childhood photos of their potential donors. If you choose a known donor, you’ll also be able to meet her.

  • Medical History
    Your IVF physician will have your chosen donor undergo genetic testing, so you can be aware of their medical history and background.

  • Donor Personality
    Hoping that your child will have similar traits to your family? Our database includes information about our donor’s personality. Whether you are looking for a donor who loves to laugh, prioritizes education, or has a natural musical ability, we can help you find her.

  • Location
    If you want your donor to live near your IVF clinic, we can make sure that happens. At the end of the day, finding a good match is the most important thing. We can help you work with details like location so that travel costs are kept to a minimum.

  • Experience
    Some parents find it reassuring to work with a repeat donor who has successfully responded to all the medications and helped another family bring a child home. However, it’s good to remember that every repeat donor was once a first-timer. Everyone on the Extraordinary Conceptions database has fulfilled each and every egg donor requirement and is a great choice— regardless of experience!

How to Get Egg Donor Support With an Agency

We recommend that intended parents wishing to use an egg donor do so through an agency. Not only does this protect you and your family, but it’s a lot easier and less of a headache! A reputable agency has the needed experience and will support you throughout your process because it has connections to crucial resources like lawyers and IVF doctors, as well as well-vetted egg donors.

Sweet baby boy in bear overall

Frequently Asked Questions: Picking an Egg Donor

Egg donors come from all different walks of life (and from all over the world), and most deciding factors for families are unique and personal to their needs. That being said, a good egg donor is, first and foremost, a caring person who wants to make a massive difference in another family’s life. They deeply understand the joy of having a child and have the compassion to help make this a reality.

Other factors to consider when it comes to choosing a good egg donor include a healthy medical and family history, proven fertility and a willingness to be flexible with travel and schedules.

Yes, of course! All egg donors must meet specific criteria. Some of this is legally mandated, and other criteria may be specific to your fertility clinic. These regulations were developed to protect everybody involved: the egg donor, the intended parents, and, of course, your coming baby.

At Extraordinary Conceptions, we know what to look for in an egg donor. Every donor in our database has gone through an extensive application and interview process with us. That allows our intended parents to rest assured that anyone they match with meets all requirements and is a good fit to be an egg donor.

By requirement, all of our egg donors:

  • Are between the ages of 18 and 29
  • Have a BMI of 30 or less
  • Do not currently smoke or vape and have not used any tobacco products for several months
  • Have no history of recreational drug use
  • Are in good physical health
  • Do not currently take Depo Provera
  • Have no history of genetically transmitted diseases
  • Have had no STDs over the past year and no history of HIV/AIDS
  • Are not currently breastfeeding

Yes! No matter where in the US you are, we can help you find the right egg donor (or surrogate!) match for your family. We serve families across North America—and that’s only where our services begin. Our team welcomes parents and donors from all over the world. We are headquartered in San Diego, California and have representatives in Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Europe and the UK. While our center is USA-based, we work with intended parents, egg donors and surrogates from all over the world. We even offer unique “hybrid” programs which are based out of multiple countries.

To ensure that everyone who works with us has a smooth experience, we’ve ensured to employ a global and multilingual staff. At Extraordinary Conceptions, we speak your language… literally!

Intended parents can breathe easy when trying to find an egg donor with Extraordinary Conceptions.

We offer two exclusive programs to guarantee a successful experience with us. The first of these is called S.A.F.E (Single Agency Fee Experience,) and it promises families that, in most cases of an unsuccessful egg donation cycle, they can keep trying until they achieve a positive result—without paying an additional fee*. We developed this program to relieve some of the pressure from choosing an egg donor and provide additional reassurance to our families. Extraordinary Conceptions also offers families our Stress-Free Program, which lets parents pay only a partial up-front fee.

Every step of the way, we have you in mind. If you have any questions about our services, please get in touch. We look forward to becoming a part of your journey! Thank you for including us in this special time in your life; it is truly an honor.
*Special Terms Apply

Read About Becoming an Intended Parent!

Take a look at what some of our own surrogates have said about their experience with Extraordinary Conceptions:

“Seeing the parents hold their baby for the first time was the best part of my journey and I knew immediately that I wanted to do this again”
Karen
“Extraordinary Conceptions really made the process of surrogacy a wonderful one. Always making me feel comfortable and being there to answer every single question. Thank you for introducing me to my intended parents and letting me help make their dreams come true.”
Natalie
“I just wanted to thank you guys for working so hard with us to make this happen! I feel so grateful being able to help such an awesome couple.”
Ashley

“Any “difficult” parts of the pregnancy were immediately erased the moment I saw the look on my Intended Parents’ faces. It was pure joy for all of us!”

Jennifer

We’re Honored to be Part of Your Journey!

Register to become an Intended Parent with Extraordinary Conceptions today, and someone from our team will be in touch with you very shortly. We are honored and excited to help you take the steps to making your family’s dreams come true.

Hands forming a heart