As you look to select an egg donation agency, here are some things we recommend considering:
Do you have the opportunity to meet the owners of the agency and learn about their company culture?
Like every type of business, each fresh egg donation agency in Canada is different in how it operates. There are higher volume agencies that do less upfront screening and spend less time on their matched files, therefore offering a lower price point. There are agencies that pre-screen Egg Donors based on their fertility and genetics and work hard to move your match forward as quickly and effectively as possible. Do they have personal experience with building a family through fresh egg donation? Do they have medical professionals on their team in case you need answers? It is important to know the answers to questions like these before proceeding. Generally, a certain amount of hours are built into the fees charged to manage your file, and you receive the level of service you pay for.
What is their customer service like?
Does the agency operate like it is just another for profit company? Do they empathize with your questions and struggles and provide caring guidance and responses in a timely manner? You should be very comfortable with the person managing your egg donation match as well their entire staff. While every agency has standard hours of operation, will they work with you off hours in situations that warrant it? Are they as committed as you in this process?
Is the agency concerned about the health and well-being of the Egg Donors?
It is vital to ensure that the agency is equally concerned about the Egg Donor and their health. To ensure the optimal health of the Donor, they should be waiting for at least three months between egg donations. This allows for sufficient recovery time for the Donor and for the Donor’s ovaries to recover, often leading to better results for the Intended Parent(s). The side effects the Donor experiences from the medications, procedure and recovery can also be minimized by waiting this period between egg donations. Furthermore, some agencies (like Fertility Match) will have a consultation with you before giving you access the database to ensure Donor privacy and security. Others may provide access to a database right form their website.
Watch for red flags
There should be no charge for you to review potential egg donors. It is important to review the agency’s policies in full and ask any questions you have before signing any agreements, contracts or waivers. You can even have their contract reviewed by your lawyer if you have any concerns. Also, check out their online presence and reviews. While every company gets the occasional negative review, positive online reviews should be mainly what you are seeing.
Contact us for reliable fertility services.
Fertility Match is an expert fertility clinic, offering fertility consulting in Canada. If you are an intended parent or a potential egg donor, we can help. Contact us for egg donation in Kingston and surrounding areas. We are on a mission to help build happy families, one baby at a time!
