As a general rule, it takes some time for assisted reproduction patients who resort to egg donation to accept that this treatment will be their only chance of having children. They must go through a process of acceptance on a psychological and emotional level.
But the truth is that today motherhood transcends biology. The fact that our child does not carry our DNA does not make it any less ours, nor does it imply that our motherhood will be different. It does not even imply that we will not see characteristics reflected in it. Egg donation only means that another woman will help us achieve the pregnancy that naturally resists us.
Some of the most common questions that mothers who are going to start an egg donation treatment have to do with the donor: What will the girl who will donate her eggs to me be like? What tests will they do on her? How will they select her? Will my baby look like me?
The first thing you should know is that Spain has una de las leyes de reproducción asistida mejor reguladas y abiertas de Europa. El marco legal español garantiza la confidencialidad y obliga al anonimato cruzado en la donación de óvulos: la donante no podrá conocer la identidad de los futuros padres, así como estos tampoco podrán conocer la identidad de la donante.
The selection of the donor for the recipient is made by the fertility clinic (through a multidisciplinary team of doctors and nurses). Candidates for donation must meet certain requirements:
- Be between 18 and 35 years old.
- Have good physical and mental health.
- Not having a history of genetic or metabolic abnormalities.
- Not being in a disadvantaged social situation.
- Not being adopted.
After a gynecological visit, the donor undergoes a blood test to determine her health status and is medically assessed. She also undergoes a complete psychotechnical interview. All of this information will appear on her donor file, which is as complete as possible. It includes her race, blood type and physical characteristics. Once all the results are in and the medical staff give their approval, the donor becomes part of the donation program.
As a complement, a genetic compatibility test (called HERES) is performed to determine the mutations that the patient may carry.
How is the selection made?
When a woman or couple is going to undergo an egg donation treatment, the physical characteristics of the recipient are taken into account (height, weight, eye colour, hair colour and texture, skin colour and type). In addition, the woman usually provides a full-body photo of her face when she was between 20 and 30 years old. All of this is necessary to ensure that the physical features match those of the donor as closely as possible.
A compatible blood type is also assigned so that the newborn’s blood type is a combination of the blood types of the future parents. In addition, possible genetic mutations between the donor and the recipient’s partner are analyzed in order to avoid rare diseases in the baby.
It is not unusual for some women to ask about the donors’ education, tastes or intelligence. In this regard, it should be noted that education, intellectual and educational level, beliefs or interests are not considered determining factors. It will be the environment, education and interactions with their social circle that will influence these characteristics of the child.
How is the procedure performed?
Once the patient begins taking medication for endometrial preparation, the potential donor who has been selected will also begin stimulation. On the day of the donor’s follicular puncture (when the eggs are extracted), the recipient’s partner must leave a semen sample at the clinic. If necessary, semen from a bank will be used.
At that moment, and if everything has gone well, the fertilization of the eggs is carried out in the laboratory. When they reach the blastocyst stage (in five or six days), they will be transferred to the patient. To do this, her endometrium must have thickened by at least 6 millimeters and the ovaries must be at rest. If not, the embryos will be vitrified and transferred when the recipient is ready again.