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Q. What is Donor Nexus?
A. Donor Nexus is an egg donor agency and egg bank dedicated to providing affordable egg and embryo donation through shared fresh egg donor cycles, frozen egg donor cycles, and frozen donor embryo cycles. We are committed to providing not only affordable egg donation, but superior outcomes utilizing only the most elite IVF physicians and laboratories available at any price.
Q. How do I begin with the egg donation process?
A. You may register with our online egg donor database to begin searching for your egg donor. You will then receive an email from Donor Nexus with more information about the program you are interested in. We are available for consultations in person, over the phone, or via Skype.
Q. Can I meet the egg donor before I confirm the match?
A. Yes! Donor Nexus is happy to offer in-person or Skype meetings for intended parents to get to know the egg donor prior to confirming the match, as long as the egg donor agrees to the meeting. To facilitate the meeting, we will collect a non-refundable $500, which will be put toward our cycle fees if the intended parent moves forward with our agency.
Q. Are there any guarantees when using a first-time egg donor?
A. As part of our Traditional Fresh Egg Donation – Agency Fees Only Cycle, we offer a First Time Egg Donor Guarantee to intended parent(s) who choose a first time egg donor. Our guarantee: If your chosen first time egg donor does not pass one of her prescreen evaluations, we will transfer 100% of your deposit onto another Donor Nexus egg donor of your choosing. Learn more: First Time Egg Donor Guarantee
Q. Who are Donor Nexus’ clients?
A. Donor Nexus clients are loving families and individuals who are seeking to grow their families through the assistance of egg donation and embryo donation.
Q. What about non-traditional families?
A. Donor Nexus supports the right of all loving families to access care, including traditional married couples, unmarried couples, same sex couples, and individuals seeking a single parent family.
Q. Who are Donor Nexus’ egg donors?
A. Donor Nexus egg donors are young women aged 19 to 29 years that are fit, healthy and happy. They are college students, young working women and sometimes mothers themselves. They are young women who wish to do something to help others. They are young women that believe in Donor Nexus’ mission of providing egg donation to the many thousands that need it but cannot afford traditional egg donation.
Q. How does Donor Nexus find egg donors?
A. Donor Nexus does not advertise for egg donors. Many egg donors approach Donor Nexus on their own when they hear about the program. Many others are referred to Donor Nexus by their current egg donor agency. We are proud that some of the largest and most reputable egg donor agencies in the United States have chosen to partner with Donor Nexus by trusting their egg donors to our program. Both egg donors and agencies are drawn by our reputation for providing outstanding clinical care and extremely high pregnancy rates with both fresh and frozen eggs.
Q. How does Donor Nexus screen egg donors?
A. Donor Nexus adheres to the absolute highest egg donor screening standards in our industry. Remember, Donor Nexus is a partner in your cycle, as they will be placing the non-assigned eggs from each donor in their egg bank.
Q. What program is right for me?
A. Donor Nexus specializes in Shared Hope Fresh Egg Donor Cycles. Shared egg donor cycles are optimal for those who are seeking affordable egg donation. We match at least two intended parents to a single egg donor. The number of intended parents linked to one egg donor is determined by the IVF physician. This allows the cost of IVF with an egg donor to be reduced by half while still providing the prospective parents with a success rate with the fresh transfer of over 80%.
Donor Nexus also offers Frozen Egg Donor Cycles, which is for those who wish to cycle at a time that is convenient for the intended parent. With the Frozen Egg Donor cycle, you do not have to synchronize your cycle with an egg donor or other intended parents.
Donor Nexus also offers Embryo Donation Cycles. All of the embryos are located at the HRC Fertility, Newport Beach laboratory. The embryos were all donated by previous IVF patients who are hoping to help other intended parents either start or complete their family.
Donor Nexus also offers Traditional 1-on-1 Egg Donor Cycles & Premier Egg Donor Cycles. These programs match one intended parent to one egg donor. The intended parent will receive all the eggs retrieved from the egg donor. This program is ideal for those who are hoping for more than 2 children or who wish to perform genetic screening on the embryos.
Q. How do your costs work?
A. With all of our programs, we collect a one-time global fee. This fee can be paid in up to three installments. We offer a variety of payment options. Please see our ‘Financial Breakdown’ page for more information.
Q. Who is HRC Fertility?
A. Founded in 1988, HRC Fertility is the largest IVF program in the western United States with 8 offices across southern California. HRC Fertility has pregnancy rates that are in the top 10% of all IVF centers according the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an independent government agency. All covered care is performed at HRC Fertility and all egg retrievals and embryo transfers will be performed at HRC Fertility’s newest and most state of the art facility located in Newport Beach, California.
Q. Do you work with other fertility clinics besides HRC Fertility?
A. Yes, we do! We have worked with many other fertility clinics across the nation and our egg donors are available to travel to your clinic. Please contact Donor Nexus for a breakdown of fees.
Q. When will my doctor and/or nurse coordinator be notified of the match?
A. Once we receive your preliminary forms, completed contract and first installment of funds, we will send your doctor and nurse coordinator an official match sheet. The donor is officially matched only once we have received these 3 items.
Q. I’ve had pre-testing completed, how long is my pre-testing valid?
A. Generally, pre-testing is valid for up to 12 months.
Q. Do you have age restrictions for patients who would like to carry?
A. Each physician has his/her own age limits when treating patients. Generally, if a patient is over 50 years old, the physician will order additional tests to ensure the patient is healthy enough to carry. The additional testing includes a stress test, EKG, chest X-ray, mammogram, and pap smear. Most of these tests can be completed by your primary care physician.
Q. How long do you need to wait after a successful delivery to try again?
A. If you had a vaginal delivery, you need to wait at least 9 months. If you had a c-section, you need to wait at least 12 months. If you are breastfeeding, you must stop breastfeeding and have 2 normal periods before you complete your pretesting.
Q. What is Shared Hope™?
A. Shared Hope™ is our shared egg donor program. A shared egg donor cycle, commonly referred to as a split egg donor cycle or a tag along egg donor cycle, is a cycle where more than one couple is matched to an egg donor. This allows the cost of IVF with donor eggs to be reduced by half while still providing the prospective parents with a success rate with the fresh transfer of over 80%. In a traditional egg donor cycle, one couple selects an egg donor and takes on all the cost of the donor’s screening, medications, legal fees, travel and other related medical expenses. The result often leaves the couple with many unneeded embryos, left over embryos that they will never use. The couple also assumes all the financial risk for screen failures and dropped cycles.
Q. How many eggs do I get?
A. With Shared Hope™, intended parents receive 6 fresh, mature eggs that can be injected with sperm. Donor Nexus assumes all cost and risk for donor screen failures and dropped cycles.
Q. What else do I get?
A. The Shared Hope Fresh Egg Donor Cycle includes:
• Donor Compensation and Reimbursement
• All donor prescreen tests
• Donor medications
• Donor legal counsel
• Establishment of escrow account to hold and release funds to donor
• All donor medical care including all cycle monitoring
• Donor temporary medical insurance to cover any complications
• Donor egg retrieval
• Anesthesia for donor egg retrieval
• Fertilization of donor eggs with ICSI
• Culture of embryos
• Embryo transfer
• Recipient monitoring ultrasounds and blood tests done at HRC Fertility
• Recipient’s initial blood pregnancy test if done at HRC Fertility
Q. What guarantees do I have?
A. With the shared fresh cycle our goal is to get you at least six (6) fresh eggs suitable for fertilization, from which we plan to have at least two (2) viable embryos for
implantation/transfer/freeze on Day 5 before PGT-A testing, if completed.
Cycle Guarantees are as follows:
It’s rare, but if you don’t get at least 6 eggs, and you get fewer than 2 embryos, and your cycle doesn’t result in a positive pregnancy… refunds are as follows:
• $5,000 refunded if only 5 eggs were injected
• $8,000 refunded if only 4 eggs were injected
• $11,000 refunded if only 3 eggs were injected
• $14,000 refunded if only 2 eggs were injected
• $17,000 refunded if only 1 egg was injected
• $20,000 refunded if no eggs were injected
Also, if you get at least 6 eggs but you end up with fewer than 2 embryos, and your cycle doesn’t result in a positive pregnancy… options are as follows:
• $11,000 credited toward a future treatment with Donor Nexus, or
• $5,000 refunded if you elect not to continue with Donor Nexus
Q. What happens to leftover eggs and embryos?
A. Intended parents may freeze any of their left over embryos for later use. The unassigned eggs will be frozen and placed in the Donor Nexus Egg Bank and made available to other intended parents.
Q. What does it mean when an egg donor’s status says ‘Matched- Waiting for Additional Recipient’?
A. This means that the egg donor has been selected by an intended parent and has begun her prescreening tests. We are now looking for an additional intended parent to link to the cycle.
Q. How does it work if I choose an egg donor who lives out of state?
A. If an egg donor lives out of town from your fertility clinic, there are additional travel expenses. These travel expenses are paid by the intended parent to cover the costs of the egg donors’ local monitoring appointments, the egg donors’ flight(s) and her companion’s flight to Newport Beach and the hotel stay for the egg retrieval. Any unused travel expenses will be reimbursed to the intended parent(s). *In the event that the egg donor’s retrieval is delayed, Donor Nexus may need to collect additional funds to cover the cost of the extended hotel stay, change of flight fees, etc.
Q. Many intended parents are worried their egg donor will not retrieve enough eggs for a shared cycle. On average how many eggs does a donor retrieve?
A. The average number of eggs retrieved from an egg donor participating in a shared cycle is 25. Of the 25 eggs, on average, 21 are mature. Donor Nexus only allows an egg donor to participate in a shared cycle if they either have 1. previously completed an egg donor cycle and retrieved a healthy amount of eggs or 2. have completed ovarian reserve testing that demonstrates they will produce enough eggs. If there is a possibility that the egg donor will not retrieve enough eggs and a match has already been confirmed, Donor Nexus will limit the number of intended parents linked to the shared cycle. Please note, Donor Nexus does not match more than 3 intended parents to any shared cycle, unless authorized by the IVF physician.
Q. When will my doctor and/or nurse coordinator be notified of the match?
A. Once we receive your preliminary forms, completed contract and first installment of funds, we will send your doctor and nurse coordinator an official match sheet. The egg donor is officially matched only once we have received these 3 items.
Learn more: Shared Egg Donor Program
Q. What is egg vitrification?
A. Egg vitrification is the most advanced technique of egg freezing available today. All of Donor Nexus’s frozen donor eggs have been frozen via vitrification. Sometimes referred to as “egg flash freezing”, the process of vitrification involves reducing the temperature rapidly. This transforms the egg from a liquid state to a vitreous state instantaneously. The advantageous result of this modern technology is it limits the formation of ice crystals in the egg. When eggs are frozen using older technology, the freezing occurs more slowly and heightens the risk of ice crystal formations. The ice crystals can subsequently destroy the structure of the cell.
Q. Will I have an opportunity to meet my egg donor?
A. The majority of egg donations are anonymous. The only time an intended parent is able to meet their egg donor is if both parties agree to have an open donation. Donor Nexus will facilitate the meeting and be present to act as the mediator. If an intended parent wishes to have an open donation, a new legal contract will need to be drafted.
Q. Can I give my child the opportunity to communicate with the egg donor in the future?
A. We cannot guarantee this opportunity unless you elect to have an open donation with the donor.
Q. How long does the process take once I find an egg donor?
A. The length of time is dependent upon which program you choose.
If you participate in a shared cycle, once the funds and contract are complete, the process takes 3 to 4 months to complete.
If you choose a frozen egg cycle or a donor embryo cycle, once funds and your contract are complete, the time is dependent on the amount of time needed to prepare your uterus or the gestational carrier’s uterus for the embryos transfer. This ranges between 4 and 6 weeks.
Learn more:
Q. When will my doctor and/or nurse coordinator be notified of the match?
A. Once we receive your preliminary forms, completed contract and first installment of funds, we will send your doctor and nurse coordinator an official match sheet. The egg donor is officially matched only once we have received these 3 items.
Learn more: Frozen Donor Egg Cycle
Q. I do not live locally to a HRC Fertility clinic, is the cycle fee discounted since I am not having my monitoring ultrasounds completed at an HRC Fertility office?
A. No, the cycle fee is the same regardless if you have the monitoring appointments at HRC Fertility or an outside clinic.
Q. When will my doctor and/or nurse coordinator be notified of the match?
A. Once we receive your preliminary forms, completed contract and funds, we will send your doctor and nurse coordinator an official match sheet. The match is official only once we have received these 3 items.
Q. Why can’t I see photos of the donor parents?
A. Embryo donation is an altruistic act on behalf of the donor parents. They are not compensated for donating the embryos, or for completing additional forms and questionnaires. Because of this, we receive limited information from the donor parents. All the information that has been provided to us is in the donor embryo profile. In the event the donor parents did provide photos, we will email those to you upon request.
Q. What does it mean if a profile says the donor parents want to have an open or semi open relationship?
A. At times, donor parents will request to have contact with the intended parents once a positive, ongoing pregnancy occurs OR a live birth. The intended parents will be required to sign an addendum which gives Donor Nexus consent to provide their contact information to the donating parents once a pregnancy is achieved. Open or semi open relationships can vary from yearly phone calls and photos to contact for medical necessity. Please inquire with Donor Nexus for more information.
Q. What about non-traditional families?
A. Donor Nexus supports the right of all loving families, including traditional married couples, unmarried couples, same sex couples, and individuals seeking a single parent family. At times, donor parents will request that certain prerequisites are met by the intended parents. These prerequisites will be listed on the donor embryo profile.
Q. What does FDA Ineligible mean?
A. FDA ineligible means that the donor parents did not have specific FDA labs drawn at an FDA certified laboratory prior to the embryo(s) being created. Because most donor parents do not create embryos with the intention of donating them in the future, they do not have this blood work completed. All donor parents have completed State Mandated Infectious Disease Screens which includes the testing of: HTLV 1 and 2, Hepatitis B and C, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, and HIV. Please contact your nurse coordinator or physician for a more detailed explanation.
Q. What if the embryos do not survive the thaw?
A. In the rare chance that the embryo(s) does/do not survive the thaw, we will either thaw additional embryos from the same profile or we will provide you “back up” embryo profiles to select from. If there is not another embryo profile of your liking and you do not complete an embryo transfer, you will receive a partial refund/credit.
Q. Do you take insurance?
A. No, Donor Nexus does not accept insurance. However, our partnering clinic, HRC Fertility, does accept insurance. If you think you have infertility coverage, HRC Fertility can run a benefit check to determine if your frozen embryo transfer cycle, medications, and/or pretesting is covered. Depending on your coverage, we will remove the frozen embryo transfer and medication costs from your cycle fee. HRC Fertility will then bill your insurance directly for those services.
Q. Do I receive a refund if I back out?
A. Yes, you will receive a partial refund if you decide not to move forward with your Donor Embryo Cycle. If you do not receive medical clearance from the physician at HRC Fertility, you will receive a 100% refund. If you decide not to move forward for other reasons before your cycle medications are ordered, you receive a full refund minus a $1,500 administration fee. If you decide to cancel your cycle after you start medications but before the embryo(s) is/are thawed, you will receive a 50% refund.
Q. What does the grading of an embryo mean?
A. The grading of an embryo is determined by the embryologist at the time the embryo is frozen. It is a method used to evaluate the quality of the embryo. At HRC Fertility, the embryo grading is as follows:
• Fully Hatching Blastocyst (FHB), Hatching Blastocyst (HB) BB or better = A
• Expanding Blastocyst (XB) BB or AA = A-/B+ X
• Blastocyst (B) BB or AA = B/B-
• Early Blastocyst (EB) AA or BB = C+/C
• Compacting (Comp) = C-
Donor Nexus can provide you with an overall grading of the embryo. The exact embryo grading and success rate will be discussed with you by your physician during your initial consultation.
Q. I’ve had pre-testing completed, how long is my pre-testing valid?
A. Generally, pre-testing is valid for up to 12 months.
Q. Do you have age restrictions for parents who would like to carry?
A. Each physician has his/her own age limits when treating patients. Generally, physicians will transfer embryos into women who are up to 53 years old. If a patient is over 45 years old, the physician will order additional tests to ensure the patient is healthy enough to carry a pregnancy. The additional testing includes a stress test, EKG, chest X-ray, mammogram, pap smear, and letter of medical clearance from a high risk obstetrician.. Most of these tests can be completed by your primary care physician.
Q. Can I ship my embryos to another clinic?
A. No, we are not able to transfer embryos to an outside clinic.
Q. Can I use a gestational carrier/surrogate to transfer donor embryos?
A. Yes, we have many recipients who transfer donor embryos into gestational carriers/surrogates.
Q. How is the process different if I use a gestational carrier (GC) / surrogate?
A. HRC Fertility requires every GC to undergo a medical evaluation prior to starting medications. The medical evaluation is more in depth than the pretesting that is required to transfer the embryos into your uterus. HRC Fertility charges $2,600 USD for the medical evaluation, regardless if you have some or all of the testing done at an outside clinic. Because of this, we recommend the GC travel to Southern California for the one day medical evaluation. The GC will need to travel a total of 2 times to Southern California, once for medical screening and once for embryo transfer.
Q. I previously had an HSG (hysterosalpingogram) completed, can I use the report for my uterine cavity evaluation?
A. No, a HSG test is performed to determine if your fallopian tubes are open. A uterine cavity evaluation (sonohysterogram/mock transfer/hysteroscopy) is performed to check for any uterine anomalies such as polyps, septums, or fibroids that could impede the embryo from implanting.
Q. How do I know that I am getting the correct embryo profile that is being thawed and transferred?
A. On the day of your embryo transfer, your HRC consent forms will include your donor embryo profile number. Please be sure to write down your donor embryo profile number in advance.
Learn more: Embryo Donation Program Overview
