Female Infertility

Infertility is a common problem and approximately 15% of couples trying to conceive seek help due to infertility (WHO). Most of our donor egg clients are heterosexual couples experiencing problems with infertility related to the woman. Using an egg donor may be a good solution if the female infertility problem cannot be solved in other ways.   

What is infertility?  

According to WHO, a couple is infertile when they have tried to obtain pregnancy for a 12 months or more without success. Infertility can be caused by a problem with the sperm quality and/or the woman’s reproductive system. The most common problem for men is failure to produce enough healthy sperm cells to fertilize the egg, while some of the most common problems for women are the absence of ovulation or poor egg quality.  

What is female infertility? 

Female infertility can be caused by several issues. Among the most common reasons are problems with ovulation. This can be caused by different issues like tubal factors, hormonal disorders like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), endometriosis and lifestyle factors. Find out more about these issues and what they mean for the female fertility on our blog. The problem can also be poor egg quality, which often is caused by age, or in some cases cancer treatment. Sometimes it is not possible for the doctor to find an explanation for the fertility issue, and the diagnosis will be “unexplained infertility”. Even though this can be frustrating, it doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed with fertility treatment.   

How is female infertility experienced? 

Finding out that you might not be able to become a mother, will be a great sorrow for most women. Some women will fell that trying to succeed in having a baby despite the fertility problem becomes their only goal in life. Following a fertility treatment procedure with medication, diets and changes in lifestyle can also affect the social life. Coping with infertility can be tough, but support groups and close family and friends can be a great help, since many women also fell a great need for discussing their situation with their loved ones or other people in the same situation.  

Donor eggs for fertility treatment 

For some women and couples donor eggs can be a solution to their infertility. This for example in cases where the issue is caused by poor egg quality. Even though the child will not be genetically be related to you as a mother, you will still carry the child during the pregnancy, give birth and be emotionally attached, and most importantly, be the mother in the life of your child. Your child will still be your child, even though it has been created with a little help. 

Using donor eggs – what to consider? 

If you have decided to use donor eggs in fertility treatment, there are several things to consider. Before choosing your preferred egg donor, you have to consider whether you are interested in seeing as much information as possible about your donor, e.g. including photos, audio recording, extensive Q/A, handwritten letter or if you, on the other hand, prefer to only know the basic characteristics. Read more about the difference between basic and extended donor profiles here.

You also have to consider whether you wish your child should be able to contact the donor later on in life, or if the donor should remain anonymous. Learn more about Non-ID-Release and ID-Release donors here. This choice can be very complexe and you are the only one who is able to decide what is the right for your family. 

Connect with others 

If you experience infertility, we know from experience that it can be a relief and support for many to share their thoughts and to seek support from other people who are in the same situation as you are. Therefore, we recommend to join our Facebook group, Family Dreams, where the members can talk and share their stories with each other.