In egg donation, instead of using your own eggs, we use the eggs of a donor for your IVF treatment.
There are a number of different diagnoses that may lead a doctor to recommend using a donor egg for your IVF treatment:
Using a donor’s eggs may allow a woman to successfully achieve a healthy pregnancy and have a baby even if they are no longer producing their own eggs.
In cases where patients have failed to achieve pregnancy through IVF or ICSI due to suspected issues with their eggs, this may be attributed to factors such as age or, in some cases, the presence of poor quality eggs from birth. Some genetic conditions in the mother can pose a risk to the offspring if inherited. In such cases, some patients may choose donor eggs to prevent these conditions from being passed on to their children.
At ReproMed Ireland, we offer three different egg donation programmes: Egg Donation Home, Egg Donation Home Plus and Egg Donation Abroad.
At ReproMed we offer two in-house programmes in Ireland which are managed in close partnership with our sister clinic Ovumia in Finland, part of our FutureLife Group.
Choosing one of our in-house programmes eliminates the need to travel overseas for treatment while also benefitting from over 120 years combined medical experience and expertise using identifiable donor eggs in IVF and ICSI treatments.
The donors are Finnish residents aged between 20-35 years of age, who have chosen to donate eggs altruistically to help other women conceive, have a successful pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby.
All our egg donors are screened according to Finnish legislation and to the standards of the EU Tissues and Cells Directive.
in partnership with
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Consultation
Meet one of our fertility specialists at our clinics in Ireland for an initial consultation
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Sign your consent forms & sperm freezing
Attend one of our clinics in Galway or Dublin to complete your consent forms. If using your partner’s sperm, they will also need to sign some consent forms and complete an EU viral screening test
Meet your egg donation coordinator
Your dedicated coordinator will guide you through the egg donation logistics and advise on next steps to start your treatment
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Donor recruitment & matching
Ovumia's team will search for a donor who matches your physical characteristics while consid ering your preferences
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Donor’s egg collection and fertilisation
If using donor eggs from a fresh cycle, the egg collection takes place on this stage and you will receive an update on day 5/6 to confirm the number of frozen blastocysts.
& we will start to prepare you for your transfer
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Frozen embryo transfer
All embryo transfers in this process are frozen embryo transfers. One embryo will be transferred at a time. If you become pregnant, the remaining embryos will be preserved for your future use if you wish to have another child.
First, you will meet with one of our fertility specialists to discuss the egg donation treatment and decide if this is the next step in your fertility journey. Your doctor will answer all your questions and make sure you have all the information you need to make a decision with confidence.
Our dedicated coordinators will guide you through the ins and outs of egg donation and advise on the next steps to start your treatment. There will be a number of forms and consents for you to complete and you will be provided with the costs applicable to you.
We will arrange a date for you to attend the clinic to complete your consent forms. If you opt to use your partner’s sperm, they will need to complete the sperm freezing and viral screening consent forms.
Our colleagues in Ovumia will start the donor matching process when the frozen sperm sample has reached their clinic in Finland (shipped at the end of every month) and once we have a suitable donor for you, she will start the stimulation of her ovaries to obtain the eggs to form your embryos. Your egg donation coordinator will inform you once your embryos have been formed.
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If using donor eggs from a fresh cycle, the egg collection takes place at this stage and you will be updated on day 5/6 to confirm the number of blastocysts.
Donor eggs vitrified cycle - Alternatively you may be offered vitrified donor eggs for your cycle (at no additional cost). These will be matched to your physical characteristics taking your preferences into account and tested in accordance to Irish, Finish and EU tissues and cells directive guidelines. They will be thawed and ICSI will be performed. Similar to fresh eggs, you will be notified on day 5/6 to confirm the number of blastocysts.
After 5 days, when your blastocysts are formed, they are transported back to Ireland and we can then start to prepare your transfer procedure.
This step will be completed in our Dublin clinic, depending on where your treatment is assigned to be completed at. And additional embryos resulting from your cycle will be stored for future treatments if you wish.
Egg donation offers the highest pregnancy success rate compared to all other treatment options
offered by fertility clinics. The average pregnancy success rate for egg donation is up to 65% per treatment cycle.
What is the difference between Home & Home Plus packages?
With the Home package, you are guaranteed at least one blastocyst embryo, but, on average, we have been obtaining 2.7 embryos per couple.
With the Home Plus package, you are guaranteed a minimum of three blastocyst embryos for transfer. These donors have shown good responses to stimulation, making them the choice for programs requiring a higher yield of blastocysts for the recipient.
There is no difference in the success rates per embryo transfer of donors used in either package, the difference is the number of embryos we can guarantee.
If 3 blastocysts are not achieved from the Home Plus package what happens then?
If 3 blastocysts are not achieved we will repeat the cycle again free of charge in order to obtain the number of blastocysts needed to fulfil the guarantee.
Can I get personal information about the donor – job, age, medical history, education, hobbies?
The legislation currently in place in both Ireland and Finland means that the donors must be identifiable. This does not mean that you will get the personal details of your donor however. This simply means that when your donor-conceived child turns 18, they will have access to the donor's contact information for potential communication.
The patient can receive the donors hair colour, eye colour, height & ethnicity information when a donor has been assigned to them.
Do donors get paid to donate their eggs?
The donor’s decision to donate their eggs is altruistic and not commercial, although they do receive a modest reimbursement to cover their expenses incurred.
gamete donation and allocation of these gametes to recipients. In Ireland, we await the introduction of legislation in the field.
We at ReproMed adhere to what the Irish Fertility Clinics call the three-family rule. This means that a donor can be allocated to a maximum of three families in Ireland. Once this quota is reached the donor cannot donate to any more families in Ireland. We have ensured that we are the only clinic in Ireland who work with Ovumia so we have full oversight of the donors ensuring the Three Family Rule is strictly adhered to.
Donors can also donate in other countries if they so choose, and may have children of their own in the future. This practice applies to both egg and sperm donation.
Donors undergo rigorous screening in accordance with EU tissues and cells regulations. This screening encompasses a thorough review of their medical history, testing for numerous infectious diseases. Additionally, our collaboration includes comprehensive gynecological and psychological assessments, karyotyping, and evaluation for cystic fibrosis.
One of the forms that you will be required to complete is a Donor Recipient Characteristics form. This gives us a physical description of you and you partner (if applicable) and every effort is made to choose a donor who matches you and your partner’s physical characteristics as closely as possible.
According to Finnish Law we can only create donor-derived embryos up to the time of your 47th birthday. We can however perform the embryo transfer here in Ireland after that time. Typically, here in ReproMed we will treat patients up to the age of 50, considering the general health of the individual.
Regardless of your age, your consultant may ask you to carry out specific tests outside of those we have listed in this information document. You may also be asked to see a Maternal Fetal Specialist prior to commencing treatment if your doctor thinks this would be prudent in your case and in your own interests.
How long does it take to find an egg donor?
Once full fees have been paid, partner sperm is frozen (if using partner sperm), all documents are completed & sperm has been shipped, Ovumia will begin the search for your egg donor. It takes approximately 1 – 2 months for the Home package and 2 – 3 months for the Home Plus package to recruit a donor from this point. (repatriation of embryos is every 4 - 6 weeks)
Do I need to travel to Finland?
No, all of your treatment will happen here. We will ship the sperm there and your embryos back. The only instance that travel may be required would be if the sperm sample was too poor to survive the freeze-thaw process and we needed to have a fresh sample produced for treatment.
Do I need to see a fertility counsellor?
Yes, counselling is mandatory for patients using donor gametes (eggs or sperm). It is highly important that you (and your partner, if applicable) attend for implications counselling so that you can discuss any potential questions that may arise before, during or after your treatment and into the future with any potential offspring. Our patients who attend counselling do find that it helps them to emotionally prepare for treatment.
Why are viral screens required for the male partner only?
This is a requirement in Finnish Legislation to show that the sperm sample being used to inseminate the donor’s eggs was free from infectious diseases and safe for use in the laboratory. Screening is performed for HIV, Hepatitis B & C, Syphilis and Chlamydia (urine). These must be tested within 90 days of the sperm freezing, we usually complete them on the same day to save you multiple appointments in the clinic.
How will I know if the sperm sample meets the guarantee requirements?
During the sperm freeze process, a small portion of the sample produced is thawed and assessed to ensure the sperm meets set criteria after is has been frozen. In the vast majority of cases, these test thaws are completely normal. You will only receive a portal message from our egg donation coordinator if the result of this test thaw is not optimal. You may be provided with an option to repeat the process should this be deemed appropriate to your particular case.
Can I still send my frozen sperm to Ovumia even if it does not meet the Guarantee requirements?
Yes, you can, but if no embryo/s are created no fees will be reimbursed as your sample did not meet the guarantee criteria. We will advise you if your sample does not meet the guarantee criteria.
If I am using donor sperm does it meet the criteria for the guarantee program?
Yes, if using donor sperm, it does meet the criteria for the guarantee program.
The donor sperm search is the same as the egg donor search.You can choose the physical characteristics of your donor while consid ering your preferences. The donor sperm is already frozen in the sperm bank so it is easier to find/match to the patient.
The Children & Family Relationships Act (2015) (CFRA) was introduced in May 2020, this Act makes it illegal for Irish clinics to provide donor treatment using anonymous gametes, therefore all of our gamete-donation treatments are now identifiable and fully compliant with this legislation.
Typically, ‘anonymous gametes’ is the term used to reference gametes (eggs or sperm) donated by an individual who does not wish to be contacted by any resulting offspring in the future. Identifiable donation is the opposite and allows the resulting child to contact the donor once they turn 18 years of age.
Donors agree to be contactable by any offspring resulting from their donation and treatment in Ireland, once the child reaches the age of 18.
The donor consents for his/ her details to be put on an Irish register held at the Department of Health for this purpose.
This legislation also requires that we disclose several pieces of information to the Department of Health at several junctures:
We must disclose any donor assisted treatment being performed in Ireland, regardless of the outcome. The “performance” of the treatment is considered to be the time of embryo transfer in the case of IVF/ICSI, or at the time of IUI.
We must disclose the details of the recipient parent(s), and if their treatment results in a pregnancy, together with an expected due date.
We are also responsible to notify the Department of Health about the details of the resulting offspring so that this information, together with that of the donor and the parents can be recorded on the National Donor-Conceived Person Register.
The Department of Health has assumed responsibility for both the issuing of consent forms (in the form of Statutory Instruments) and for the collation, destruction and retention of data. The Department has informed clinics that while data is collected regarding the treatment attempt, and outcome, the only instance in which data will be retained and registered on the National Donor- Conceived Person Register is if there is a live birth as a result of the treatment.
There are three statutory instruments which will be used during your donor treatment in Ireland:
SI 544 (Schedule One): This is the consent form that the donor must sign to confirm that he/she consents to the use of their gametes in Ireland; were fully informed of the implications of this and their obligations to be compliant with the CFRA (2015).
SI 545 (Part 1 & 2): This is made up of two consent forms, one to be signed by the intending mother and one to be signed by the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the intending mother (where applicable) to declare parentage of any resulting offspring.
SI 546: This is a certificate that ReproMed (the treating facility) will issue to you when your child/children are born, you will need to contact ReproMed for this.
Because of the required disclosures outlined above, we will have to contact you at different times after your treatment is completed in order to stay compliant with the legislation. We will ensure to do so with the utmost discretion and respect for you and the outcome of your treatment and pregnancy.
When you are going through the consenting process with us, this will be explained to you in detail and we will do our best to answer any questions you may have about the impact of this piece of legislation.
Egg donation Home (No need to travel) - €10,500
Includes:
- Guarantee of at least 1 blastocyst embryo for transfer (On average couples get 2.7 blastocysts per treatment cycle)
- Donor wait time of 1 – 2 months
- Sperm freeze & shipment (if using partner sperm)
- Donor selection, egg retrieval, ICSI, freezing of embryos
- Repatriation/ return shipping of embryos
- Egg donation coordination & consent appointment
- Ultrasound scans during your first treatment cycle
- Embryo transfer procedure (one)
- Pregnancy blood test (one) & early pregnancy scan (one)
- Post-treatment review (if required)
- Storage of embryos for the first year
Egg donation Home plus (No need to travel) - €14,000
Includes:
- Guarantee of at least 3 blastocyst embryos & guarantee of 1 for transfer
- Donor wait time of 2 – 3 months
- Sperm freeze & shipment (if using partner sperm)
- Donor selection, egg retrieval, ICSI, freezing of embryos
- Repatriation/ return shipping of embryos
- Egg donation coordination & consent appointment
- Ultrasound acans during your first treatment cycle*
- Embryo transfer procedure (one)
- Pregnancy blood test (one) & early pregnancy scan (one)
- Post-treatment review (if required)
- Storage of embryos for the first year
Initial consultation - €200
Embryo Glue - €150
Donor sperm - €1,450
PICSI - €155
SpermMobil - €150
EmbryoScope - €500
FETs (after initial attempt) - €1,600
Fertility/implications counselling - €120
All ReproMed egg donation programmes are eligible for:
- Vhi discounts of up to €2,750
- Payment Plan Options (Humm)
- To be submitted for tax rebates of 20% (Med 1)
*Counselling (Mandatory) – We have 2 payment options for counsellors. We will send you the information for ReproMed's affiliated counsellors once you confirm that you would like to proceed with the program.
We are partnered with:
Rediaivf
Payment for this programme is made in two instalments unless you are availing of our payment plan option. 50% of your treatment fee is due prior to consents being completed which is the point at which the matching process for your donor begins. The remaining is due at the time that your donor is matched to you.
If you choose to cancel treatment at the following stages, the costs as follows are:
· Cancelled before consents completed €500
· Cancelled after consents completed but before shipment to Ovumia €1,000
· Cancelled after shipment to Ovumia and donor matching has commenced €3,000
· If you become pregnant during the donor matching process and wish to stop the programme, the €3,000 cancellation fee applies.
· If you become pregnant after embryo creation full fees apply, the embryo/s will be in storage in ReproMed until you wish to use them & this will cover your first frozen embryo transfer.
· *If your treatment is cancelled during your FET cycle a charge of €150 per scan performed will apply.
Fees for diagnostics, counselling, medications or consultations with our doctors are due at the time of service including viral screening for male partners.
A storage fee of €450 will be due one year after your embryos are accepted into ReproMed’s lab, and every year of storage thereafter.
Your first embryo transfer is included in the cost of the egg donation programme. Any subsequent embryo transfers are billed separately
ReproMed is a recognised training facility for medical and clinical students. If you have any issues or
concerns with the education of students during your treatment cycle, please inform one of our staff.