This episode examines egg donation, egg freezing, and IVF decision-making from a medical and biological perspective with a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist.

We break down how egg donation actually works, what intended parents and donors are rarely told about female reproductive biology, and how eggs are evaluated, selected, and used in IVF treatment. The conversation addresses common misconceptions around egg donors, physical appearance versus medical criteria, and the biological factors that influence embryo creation and fertility outcomes.

This episode also explores egg freezing as a form of reproductive planning rather than a last-resort intervention. We discuss why fertility preservation has become increasingly relevant for women, LGBTQIA+ families, and intended parents navigating IVF, surrogacy, and donor conception. The discussion highlights how medical expertise, informed consent, and accurate education shape better fertility decisions.

This conversation is relevant for individuals considering egg donation or egg freezing, intended parents pursuing IVF or surrogacy, and anyone seeking a clearer understanding of how eggs, fertility, and reproductive endocrinology impact family building. It reframes egg-related fertility decisions as medical and biological issues—not cosmetic, emotional, or trend-driven choices.

12 years ago, the ability to find quality information on egg donation was limited. And I had no idea what I was doing. I spent many hours going through endless profiles of egg donors from different agencies online. Each presented their donors in a different way. Making it very dehumanising and complicated to understand. Choosing my donor, were around costs, and type of relationship with the egg donor.

Key Points Discussed:

Anonymous Egg donor.

Semi-known Egg donor.

Known Egg Donor.

Costs.

Pros and Cons on working with an Egg Donor Agency.

Risk of working with a First time Donor.

Experienced Egg Donors.

Medical Screening.

AFC, AMH, and STIs.

The least expensive way to find a donor. Is to work with a family member or a friend.

Pros and cons of using a friend or family member

In my opinion, the best option to keep costs down is to work with an IVF clinics, donor database. They have no agency fee. , donors have been pre-screened and generally the egg donors live close to the clinic. All of which can save you possibly up to about 30% of the cost of making your embryos.

Pros and cons of choosing. Through your IVF clinic.

Pros. No agency fees. Donors are pre-screened and costs are minimized. There is a limited amount of donors as the clinic will only recruit close to the clinic.

Unlike with surrogates, finding a donor through your clinic, doesn't have a conflict of interest as there are very specific medical data required to be an egg donor. And so that, you know, from the start, whether the donor is a good candidate or not, This medical data goes into her profile alongside educational and genetic history. And a lot more information so that you can make an informed choice. I looked at the photos and her profile and my donor is very Percy.

However, I also noticed how handsome her brother and father were. So I knew that she was the great choice for me.

At this point, I have my sperm and egg donor. And that was the part when everything lay within the hands of the clinic. All I could do was wait. It was emotional and unsettling. As the decision-making was no longer mine. When I chose her. I didn't really think about the impact of her being a first time donor. Making me question. If she. Had understood. What she was getting herself into. Especially with the injections or the effect that the medications would have on her. And if the expert grows successfully.

After 11 days of injections, they retrieved 12 eggs that were then fertilized. These were grown in the lab.

And on day five, I found out how many embryos were going to be frozen.

This was another few days of an emotional roller coaster, because one thing I had not understood. Was that every day they're in the lab. The number of embryos drops. I was terrified that all this time emotion. And effort would end up with me having no embryos. From the initial 12, it dropped and dropped. They thankfully on day five, there was a total of six embryos for freezing.

Why were the embryos frozen? There is no difference in success between fresh or frozen embryos. So the clinic focuses on the egg donor to maximize the number of eggs to retrieve without having to worry about the logistics around the surrogate.

By freezing embryos.

You get the option to do an embryo biopsy or PGT a pre-implantation genetic testing for. Aneuploidy. Which is where a few cells are biopsied from the outer cells of the embryo. And open up to see the number of chromosomes inside. If there are 46. Then the embryo is deemed chromosomally normal.

Why do PGT a. Two main reasons. Number one. Most miscarriages happen in the first trimester due to a chromosome abnormality. So, although PGT does not guarantee a pregnancy. It does minimize the risk of a miscarriage. Number two. By looking at chromosomes, you can tell if they are X, X, Or X, Y so you can tell this X.

This episode examines how IVF, surrogacy, embryo banking, and egg freezing collide with divorce, legal ownership, and unequal access to parenthood.

We break down what happens to embryos and frozen eggs when relationships end, how reproductive decisions made during IVF carry long-term legal and emotional consequences, and why these issues are rarely explained clearly to intended parents before treatment begins. The conversation addresses embryo custody, consent, reproductive autonomy, and the structural gaps that emerge when fertility care intersects with divorce law.

The episode also explores fertility inequality across countries, including the barriers faced by people navigating IVF and surrogacy from Europe, Spain, and Latin America compared to the United States. We discuss why egg freezing has shifted from a niche medical option to a form of reproductive planning—and why access to fertility preservation remains tied to wealth, citizenship, and geography.

This conversation is essential for anyone considering IVF, surrogacy, embryo banking, or egg freezing, as well as for those navigating separation, divorce, or cross-border fertility care. It reframes family building as a legal, medical, and ethical issue—not a lifestyle choice—and challenges the assumption that everyone has equal access to becoming a parent.

Here's the thing about miracles: they're expensive.

All the tears, the flights, the meetings, and the contracts have been leading to this: the day when the surrogate learns that she is pregnant with not one, but TWO babies.

After choosing a surrogacy agency, Richard was told it would take about eight months to be matched with a potential surrogate. Just six weeks later, a fateful message arrived in his inbox.

Once you have an embryo, you need somewhere to put it. Enter the surrogacy agency.

When Richard first dreamed of becoming a father, he thought about the joys of parenthood, the miracle of life, and the responsibility of raising good humans. What he hadn't dreamt of were all the legal contracts.

You knew this was coming. (No pun intended.)

Confused by success rates? Richard was too.