Good Healthcare Requires Treatment of Your Mind, Body, and Soul

Should You Donate Eggs To A Sibling?

19 May 2017 by Hugh Larson

If you're part of a close-knit family, you may find yourself suffering the pain of infertility right alongside your adult siblings -- even if you've been able to conceive. If your sibling has begun to look into fertility alternatives like in-vitro fertilization using a donor egg, you may wonder whether donating your own healthy eggs would be the ideal way to assist your sibling in conceiving a child who is as biologically close to her as possible. Donating an egg in this manner can be a rewarding experience, but you'll want to devote a great deal of thought to this decision. Read on for some of the factors you'll want to consider when deciding whether to donate your eggs to your sister or sister-in-law. 

Are You Medically Compatible?

In theory, donating eggs to a blood relative is a good way to ensure a healthy match. After all, you and your sibling share your parents' DNA , whereas receiving a donor egg from a stranger may make it harder to achieve compatibility. 

However, if you and your sibling have different blood types, Rh factors, or other biological differences, using your egg instead of a donor egg with matching factors may actually lower her chance of conception. Before you go too far down this path, you'll want to have a biometric screening (along with your sister) to ensure using your eggs is a good idea. 

Are You Healthy? 

Donating eggs isn't as simple as undergoing a single procedure. In order for the eggs to be retrieved, they'll need to be larger (and easier to see) than normal; you'll need to spend some time taking hormones that increase the size of your eggs for easier retrieval. 

If you have a history of blood clots, high blood pressure, or other health issues, taking the hormones necessary for a successful egg retrieval can cause long-term health problems. Your doctor will be able to tell you whether you're healthy enough for egg donation. 

Can You Let Go?

One of the most challenging aspects of this process from the donor's point of view is giving up your biological child to be raised by your sibling. If you and your sister have a strained relationship or if you deeply disagree with some of the parenting choices she makes, donating an egg may only further weaken your relationship and ultimately lead to conflict in the child's life.

On the other hand, if you and your sister are very close, you and your spouse are both comfortable with the idea of donating an egg, and you're certain you'd allow your sister to raise her child as she sees fit, donating may be the best decision. Click here for more about this topic.

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