Building your family with donor eggs.
Donor egg IVF offers a path to parenthood using eggs from a donor. At RMA of Michigan, we pair evidence-informed care with compassionate support, coordinating each step and guiding you through a process built around you.
What is donor egg IVF? Donor egg IVF lets you build your family using eggs from a donor. The donor's eggs are fertilized in the laboratory with sperm from a partner or a donor, and the resulting embryo is transferred to your prepared uterus. At RMA of Michigan in Troy, your cycle is synchronized with the donor's, and our team guides you through each step.
Understanding donor egg IVF
Donor egg IVF is an option for building a family when using your own eggs isn't possible or recommended. Eggs from a donor are fertilized in the laboratory, and the resulting embryo is transferred to your uterus, which you've prepared to receive it.
The process brings together two synchronized cycles — the donor's, to mature and retrieve eggs, and yours, to prepare the uterine lining. Your care team coordinates the timing closely so everything lines up.
Donor egg IVF builds on a standard IVF cycle and can be combined with genetic testing (PGT-A) or a gestational carrier, depending on your situation. It's a meaningful path for many families.
The donor egg IVF process, step by step
A donor egg cycle moves through five main phases, coordinating the donor's cycle and yours. Your exact timing is individualized.
Matching & Planning
You're matched with an egg donor — through an agency, an egg bank, or a known donor — and your cycle is planned with your care team.
Cycle Synchronization
Your cycle and the donor's are synchronized with medication (such as Lupron), so your uterus is ready when the eggs are retrieved.
Uterine Preparation
Estrogen and progesterone prepare your uterine lining, tracked with bloodwork and ultrasound. A trial catheter maps the path for transfer.
Retrieval & Fertilization
The donor's eggs are retrieved in a short outpatient procedure, then fertilized in the lab with sperm from a partner or donor as embryos develop.
Transfer & Test
An embryo — often a single one — is transferred to your uterus, and a pregnancy test follows about two weeks later.
When donor egg IVF may be considered
Donor egg IVF can be a path forward in several situations. Whether it's the right fit is a decision you'll make together with your physician.
- Diminished ovarian reserve or reduced egg quality.
- Premature ovarian insufficiency or early menopause — when the ovaries stop working earlier than usual.
- Previous IVF cycles using your own eggs that haven't been successful.
- A genetic condition you'd prefer not to pass on.
- Age-related changes in egg quality.
- Building a family with donor eggs, including for some same-sex couples and single parents.
A typical donor egg IVF timeline
Timing varies between patients and cycles. This is a general sequence to help you picture the journey.
Choosing a Donor
You're matched with a donor through an agency, an egg bank, or as a known donor, and screening is completed before the cycle.
Aligning Cycles
Your cycle and the donor's are synchronized with medication so the timing of retrieval and transfer lines up.
Preparing the Lining
Estrogen and progesterone prepare your uterine lining, tracked with bloodwork and ultrasound, and a trial catheter maps the path for transfer.
Donor Egg Retrieval
About 36 hours after a trigger injection, the donor's eggs are retrieved in a short outpatient procedure under sedation.
Fertilization
The eggs are fertilized with sperm from a partner or donor, and the embryos are monitored as they develop over several days.
Embryo Transfer
An embryo, often a single one, is transferred to your uterus in a brief, ultrasound-guided procedure. You can return home to rest afterward.
Pregnancy Test
A progesterone check and then a pregnancy test confirm the result. If you're pregnant, your team follows you for several weeks before transition to your OB.
Donor egg IVF questions, answered
Whose eggs and sperm are used?
The eggs come from your donor. The sperm can be from a partner or a donor — whatever fits your family-building plan. Your team will help you map the approach that works for you.
Will I be genetically related to my child?
With donor eggs, you won't share a genetic link with the child, though you carry the pregnancy and give birth. If a partner's sperm is used, there can be a genetic link on that side. Many families find this path deeply meaningful.
How is the donor matched to me?
Donors are matched through an agency, an egg bank, or as a known donor, based on your preferences. All donors are screened before matching, and your team can talk through the options with you.
How many embryos are transferred?
Often one. RMA of Michigan most often performs an elective single embryo transfer (ESET) to support a healthy pregnancy. Your physician will review embryo quality and the plan with you before transfer.
Is the embryo transfer uncomfortable?
The transfer is brief and similar to a Pap smear — most people feel little discomfort, and it's done without sedation. You can return home to rest for the remainder of the day afterward.
Can remaining embryos be frozen?
Yes. Embryos that continue to develop normally can be cryopreserved (frozen) for possible transfer in a future cycle. Your team will talk through storage and what it involves.