Understanding Your Options: Egg Donation vs. Embryo Donation 

If you’re just starting your journey, it’s important to understand these two common third-party fertility options: egg donation and embryo donation.

What Is Egg Donation?

Egg donation involves using eggs from a healthy, screened donor to create embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The intended parent’s partner or a sperm donor provides the sperm. The resulting embryos are transferred into the intended mother's uterus or a gestational surrogate. This allows intended parents to experience pregnancy, childbirth, and early bonding, even if they cannot use their own eggs.

What Is Embryo Donation?

An embryo is the earliest stage of human development, and it forms when an egg (oocyte) is fertilized by sperm. After fertilization, the embryo begins dividing and developing—typically reaching the blastocyst stage around five to six days later, when it’s often transferred into the intended parent or surrogate’s uterus during an IVF cycle.

Embryo donation involves receiving embryos that were previously created by another family through IVF but are no longer needed for their own use. While there is no genetic connection to the intended parents, embryo donation is often a more affordable and accessible option, especially for those who cannot use their own eggs or sperm.

Key Differences and Similarities

Egg and embryo donation offers hopeful parents the opportunity to build a loving family, but the experience, process, and considerations for each option are uniquely different.

• IVF Process: Both egg and embryo donation require IVF and an embryo transfer to achieve pregnancy. However, with egg donation, fertilization occurs after the eggs are retrieved, while embryo donation involves the transfer of already fertilized and frozen embryos.
• Genetic Connection: Egg donation allows for a genetic connection between the intended parent’s sperm source and the resulting child, while embryo donation does not offer a genetic link to either intended parent.
• Donor Selection: Intended parents using egg donation can select a donor based on specific characteristics, such as physical features, education, or personal values. Embryo donation typically involves selecting from pre-created embryo profiles with fewer customization options.
• Timeline: Embryo donation generally offers a quicker path to embryo transfer since the embryos are already created and stored. Egg donation involves synchronizing cycles or coordinating fertilization and embryo development before transfer.
• Cost Considerations: Embryo donation is typically more cost-effective than egg donation because it bypasses the need for donor stimulation, retrieval, and fertilization procedures.
• Legal and Emotional Aspects: Egg donation often involves direct contracts with the donor. In contrast, embryo donation may include varying levels of disclosure or anonymity depending on the original donor family’s preferences.

What About Surrogacy?

Surrogacy is an essential option for intended parents who are unable to carry a pregnancy themselves. It can complement both egg and embryo donation pathways and is often part of the journey for families with medical complications, uterine conditions, or same-sex male couples. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate carries an embryo created using donor eggs and the intended parent’s or donor’s sperm, or a donated embryo. This allows intended parents to experience parenthood even when pregnancy isn’t physically possible.

If you’re considering surrogacy, we’ll connect you with reputable agencies and guide you throughout the process.

Which Option Is Right for You?

The best option depends on various factors, including your medical history, reproductive goals, genetic preferences, financial considerations, and emotional comfort. Our team can help you evaluate your unique needs and choose the right path for your family. Here’s a simplified comparison chart to help you get started.

Egg Donation with Donor Nexus: Program Options

Egg donation allows intended parents to experience pregnancy while receiving the gift of healthy donor eggs. Donor Nexus offers several flexible egg donation programs to fit your timeline, budget, and family-building goals.

Fresh Egg Donation Program

In the fresh one-on-one cycle, one donor is matched exclusively with one recipient couple or individual. The intended parents receive all viable retrieved eggs from that donor in that cycle​. Fresh cycles tend to yield a larger quantity of embryos than other programs. This program is ideal for intended parents wanting genetic siblings or multiple IVF attempts.

• Guarantee: Does not include a specific embryo guarantee, as you receive all retrieved eggs (on average 24). However, the high egg yield typically increases the number of embryos available (typically three to four viable blastocyst embryos per cycle)
• Success rate: 79.4% pregnancy rate and 67.6% live birth rate (combined fresh and frozen embryo transfers, 2012-2022)
• Timeline: Approximately three to five months from donor selection to egg retrieval
• Costs: Starts at $22,300

How It Works: The Fresh Donor Egg Process

• Initial Consultation: A comprehensive meeting with our team to discuss your family goals.
• Donor Matching: Browse our online database and select a donor that aligns with your preferences. We offer personalized support and guidance via phone, email, or video conference.
• Donor Screening: The selected donor completes a series of medical, genetic, psychological, and infectious disease screenings. Screening timing may vary based on the donor’s menstrual cycle.
• Medical Preparation and Synchronization: The donor’s menstrual cycle is synchronized with the recipient’s (or surrogate’s) using hormone medications to prepare both parties for the cycle.
• Egg Retrieval Procedure: Once the donor is ready, eggs are retrieved in a short outpatient procedure at the IVF clinic.
• IVF Procedure: Retrieved eggs are fertilized using the intended parent’s or donor sperm. Embryos are grown in the lab to the blastocyst stage (usually 5–6 days post-retrieval).
• Embryo Transfer: Will occur at your chosen fertility clinic. Most physicians require two days of bed rest following the embryo transfer.
• Pregnancy Test and Follow-up: A beta hCG blood test is conducted to confirm pregnancy and ongoing medical follow-up, counseling, and access to resources throughout the early stages of pregnancy.

How It Works: The Fresh Donor Egg Process

The Frozen Egg Donation Program offers a more streamlined and flexible path to parenthood. In this program, you select from a database of donors whose eggs have already been retrieved, vitrified (frozen), and stored—meaning there's no need to wait for a donor to be screened or synced for a fresh cycle. Eggs are shipped directly to your designated clinic for fertilization, and you can proceed with embryo development at your convenience. Thanks to our exclusive partnership with Cryoport, the industry leader in temperature-controlled IVF shipping, your frozen donor eggs are transported and handled with the highest level of care and safety every step of the way.

This option is ideal for intended parents who want to move forward quickly, avoid the uncertainty of fresh donor cycle timelines, and reduce upfront costs. It’s also a great fit for single embryo transfer goals or when fewer embryos are needed.

• Guarantee: We guarantee 1 blastocyst embryo by day 7 that is suitable for transfer, freeze or biopsy per cohort of 6 eggs. If the guarantee is not met, then you may be eligible for one replacement cohort. The guarantee does not include a genetically normal embryo.
• Success rates: 63.5% pregnancy rate, 48.5% live birth rate, 92% egg thaw survival rate, 83% blastocyst rate (per cohort of six frozen donor eggs, 2012-2022). 
• Timeline: Ranges from four to six weeks
• Costs: Starts at $19,500

How It Works: The Frozen Donor Egg Process 

• Initial Consultation: We’ll discuss your needs, goals, and how we can best support you throughout the process.
• Choose Your Donor and Secure Eggs: Select a donor from the online frozen egg bank and secure your egg lot.
• Ship Frozen Eggs to Your Clinic: Donor Nexus partners with Cryoport, a trusted IVF shipping service, to ensure safe transport.
• Fertilization and Embryo Development: Your clinic fertilizes the thawed eggs with sperm (intended parent or donor).
• Embryo Transfer: A single embryo or multiple are transferred into the uterus. Any remaining embryos may be frozen for future use.
• Pregnancy Testing and Monitoring: A beta hCG blood test is conducted to confirm pregnancy (typically 10–12 days post-transfer). Early ultrasounds and follow-up monitoring begin shortly after a positive result.

Premier Egg Donor Program

The Premier Egg Donor Program is designed for intended parents seeking the highest level of selectivity, personalization, and donor qualifications. The exclusive program gives you access to a curated group of elite egg donors with various desirable qualities. These may include: 

• Academically Gifted: Many Premier donors hold advanced degrees or are pursuing higher education at top universities. Their profiles often include GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and academic honors.
• Model Egg Donors: These donors may have experience in modeling, pageantry, or entertainment and are often selected for specific physical traits. They also exemplify a healthy lifestyle, discipline, and strong character.
• Rare Ethnicities: Some Premier donors represent underrepresented or in-demand ethnic backgrounds, such as donors of Asian, Middle Eastern, or mixed heritage, helping intended parents find donors who share similar family roots.

We proudly work with international donors from around the world—including the U.S., Brazil, and other global regions—to ensure a diverse, inclusive, and highly selective donor pool.

Premier donors are available for fresh and frozen cycles, allowing you to choose the timeline and format that best suits your needs. Because these donors are often in high demand, early inquiry and planning is recommended. Pricing is higher than standard programs due to the exclusive nature of the donors and elevated compensation rates. However, financing options and grant resources are available to assist with costs. 

• Premier Fresh Egg Donor Cycle: Starts at $38,500
• Premier Frozen Donor Egg Cycle: Starts at $29,500

Embryo Donation with Donor Nexus 

Donor Nexus offers an accessible Embryo Donation Program with no waitlist and ample personalized support. The program is ideal for intended parents who want a more affordable and streamlined path to parenthood. Unlike embryo adoption, no home study is required, which simplifies the process significantly. Whether you're seeking a nonidentified or open ID embryo donation, our program offers the flexibility to choose the level of donor disclosure that feels right for your family and values.

Our donor embryo success rates consistently exceed national averages, partly due to our collaboration with leading fertility clinics like HRC Fertility. We’ve proudly supported thousands of intended parents worldwide and can assist with travel arrangements to California for your embryo transfer.

• Guarantee: In the rare event that the embryo(s) do not survive the thaw, we will either thaw additional embryos from the same profile or provide alternative embryo profiles to select from
• Timeline: Around two to three months 
• Costs: Starts at $9,400
• Success rates: 69.5% positive pregnancy rate and 49% live birth rate

Independent Match Embryo Donation

For individuals or couples who have already connected with a potential embryo donor on their own—whether through referrals, online forums, social media, or personal networks—Donor Nexus offers Independent Match Coordination services to guide both parties through the next steps. Our team handles the complex logistics involved, including communication with clinics and laboratories, legal coordination, paperwork, embryo transport, and more for a smooth and professionally managed process from start to finish.

How It Works: The Embryo Donation Process 

• Initial Consultation: Discuss your family-building goals and learn about the embryo donation process.
• Finding and Securing Donor Embryos: Browse our online database to select the best match for your family, with personalized guidance from our team.
• Physician Consultation: We will connect you with a physician at HRC Fertility.
• Pretesting, Confirming Cycle Dates, and Medication: Work with the fertility specialist to prepare for the embryo transfer. You’ll take medications before your embryo transfer (about 35 days) and complete two to three ultrasounds. 
• Embryo Transfer Procedure: You will undergo a quick and minimally invasive procedure to transfer the embryo. The transfer will take place in Southern California, and plan for a four-day stay.
• Pregnancy Test: 10-12 days after transfer, you will have your first blood bHCG level drawn.

Donor Matching and Finding the Right Donor

The Donor Nexus database contains over 300 profiles and is regularly updated for ease of use. It allows intended parents to search for donors based on program type and even filter by hair or eye color. Our donor database app makes it even easier to browse and find the right donor for you. 

Explore our 10 tips for finding the right egg donor match!

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Donor

Selecting a donor is one of the most meaningful and personal steps on your path to parenthood. Everyone’s priorities are different, and the “perfect” donor looks different for every family. Our team will help you find a match that feels right for you—whether that means walking you through our online database or suggesting select profiles based on your preferences. Here are some key factors to consider as you explore your options:

• Physical Characteristics: Height, eye color, hair color, ethnicity, and overall appearance
• Education and Intelligence: Academic background, test scores, degrees, and intellectual interests
• Personality and Interests: Hobbies, values, talents, and lifestyle attributes
• Medical and Genetic History: Family health background and genetic screenings
• Openness Preferences: Decide what level of future contact you’re comfortable with (Nonidentified, Identified donation, open ID option)

Types of Donor Arrangements: Open ID, Nonidentified, Identified

An important part of the donor selection process is deciding what level of contact or communication you feel comfortable having—now and in the future. At Donor Nexus, we offer different types of donor arrangements to support the needs and preferences of both intended parents and donors, ensuring a respectful and thoughtful experience for everyone involved. When viewing donor profiles, you can see what type of contact the donor would be comfortable with. 

Open ID Donation: Allows the child to contact the donor once they reach adulthood. The donor agrees to release identifying information when the child turns 18. This option includes transparency and potential future communication but does not imply an ongoing relationship with the donor. We provide resources and counseling to help intended parents establish healthy, respectful relationships with their donors, setting boundaries that support positive and sustainable connections.

Nonidentified Donation: No identifying information is shared between the donor and intended parents. The donor and the resulting child’s identities remain confidential, though future anonymity is not guaranteed due to advancements in genetic testing and social media.

Identified Donation: Identified donation facilitates an agreed level of communication between the donor and the intended parents. This may include direct contact, such as phone calls or emails, or only sharing personal information for medical reasons. This option allows for future contact if desired, providing more transparency while respecting both parties' boundaries.

Behind the Scenes: The Egg Donor Screening Process

Our egg donors are women ages 19-30 from diverse backgrounds motivated by a genuine desire to help intended parents build their families. All egg and embryo donors undergo a comprehensive screening process that can take up to three months to complete. We prioritize safety, ethics, and transparency to ensure every donor meets our high standards.

Medical Evaluations: Donors undergo comprehensive health assessments to verify they are physically and genetically suitable for egg donation. These include ultrasound evaluations of the ovaries and uterus, ovarian reserve testing, infectious disease and STI screenings, drug screening, and genetic carrier panels. 

Psychological Evaluations: Donors are given psychological assessments to guarantee they are emotionally prepared for the donation process. This includes a detailed personality evaluation to assess mental and emotional readiness.

Legal Screening: A legal consultation informs the donor of her rights and responsibilities. She will work with a reproductive law firm to review her contract and understand her agreement.

Genetics, Epigenetics, and Bonding Beyond DNA 

Egg donors contribute 50% of a child’s genetic material and provide the foundational blueprint for physical traits, natural talents, and potential health predispositions. But science and experience show love, connection, and biology go beyond genetics. In fact, your body plays a powerful role in your child’s development through epigenetics during pregnancy.

The Influence of Epigenetics

Epigenetics examines how environmental factors influence gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence. The intended mother's health, nutrition, and overall prenatal environment can impact which genes are "turned on" or "off," affecting the baby's development. 

For example, a healthy diet and reduced stress can positively influence gene activation and potentially impact the child's long-term health and development. Research suggests that this prenatal environment may have a more profound impact on a baby's development than genetics. For intended parents who worry that their child may not share any biological traits with them, epigenetics provides a comforting answer to these concerns.

Nurturing Beyond Genetics

The love, care, and support you give as a parent play the most powerful role in shaping your child’s growth and development. It's your guidance, presence, and everyday nurturing that help build their values, emotional resilience, and sense of self. While genetics may be one piece of the puzzle, the experiences you share, the lessons you teach, and the unconditional love you provide truly define what it means to be a family.

How Donor Nexus Supports You Throughout the Journey

At Donor Nexus, we believe everyone deserves the chance to grow their family regardless of marital status, sexual orientation, or background. We know there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building a family, so we offer a variety of flexible programs and provide compassionate assistance from your first inquiry to your final transfer. Here are the ways we support you on your path to parenthood.

• Global intended parent support: We offer flexible coordination for international clients and assist with travel planning, clinic referrals, and virtual consultations to make the journey smoother no matter where you’re starting from.
• Dedicated coordinators: You’ll have a dedicated coordinator who will guide you through every detail of the process, offering clarity on procedures, timelines, program options, and what to expect.  
• IVF Clinic Partnerships: We partner with some of the top fertility clinics in the country to ensure you receive expert medical care at every stage. If you haven’t chosen a clinic yet, we’ll recommend one that fits your goals.
• Legal Guidance: Our team helps facilitate the legal aspects of your donation or embryo match process, ensuring all agreements are handled properly and carefully. We work with legal professionals to create secure, legally sound contracts that protect the interests of all parties.
• Flexible Payment Options: Many of our programs offer installment payment plans to make costs more manageable over time
• Financing Options: We partner with CapexMD, a trusted provider of fertility financing, to offer flexible loan options specifically designed for fertility care.
• Grants and Financial Resources: We provide resources and referrals for IVF grants and charitable funding programs that may be able to offset some of your costs.

• Insurance Coverage Consultations: We can help you evaluate whether any part of your fertility journey may be eligible for coverage through your health insurance or employer benefits. Our team can assist in navigating what’s covered and where out-of-pocket costs may apply.

Stories of Hope: Real Families, Real Journeys

In egg donation, a healthy young woman chooses to donate her eggs to help another individual or couple deliver a child. The eggs are retrieved through a safe, minimally invasive medical procedure and are either fertilized immediately through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or cryopreserved (frozen) for future use. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the intended parent.

In cases where the intended parent is unable to carry a pregnancy, the embryos created from donated eggs may be transferred to a gestational carrier (surrogate) who carries the embryo on their behalf. 

Your Path Forward Starts Here

The journey to parenthood through egg and embryo donation is a deeply personal and transformative experience filled with challenges and triumphs. While the path may look different than you once imagined, it can lead to something extraordinary: a lifetime of love.

We believe every hopeful parent—single, married, unmarried, or in a same-sex partnership—deserves compassionate support and access to options that align with their values and goals. With the right guidance and a trusted partner by your side, you can move forward with clarity. 

If you're ready to move forward or even just explore what’s possible, Donor Nexus is here to help. We've helped thousands of intended parents take their first steps, and we’d be honored to walk alongside you. Together, we can help you bring your family-building dreams to life.