Medically reviewed by Dr. Mekhala Iyengar, MBBS, MS, OBG, Infertility Specialist, Indira IVF, Rajajinagar
42-year-old Saloni, who failed to conceive with her own eggs, approached for donor eggs. The donor was an IVF baby herself and had two children with spontaneous conception, and Saloni successfully gave birth to a baby using those donor eggs.1
There is a social stigma in accepting a baby born out of donor eggs, as the mother feels the baby may not inherit her genes and features. This article digs into how a baby can also develop characteristics influenced by the mother.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, infertility affects one out of every six couples in their lifetime, and in India, it is estimated to be 10-15%, making it a major reproductive public health issue that needs more attention in the future.2
Do you think only an egg decides your motherhood? The egg is one of many factors that influence fertility outcomes. If you cannot conceive with your own egg, no problem, there are other treatment options available; you can conceive with donor eggs.
I’ve seen patients walk in unsure, holding onto doubts about donor eggs, and months later, hold their babies with tears in their eyes. The bond formed through carrying the baby through 9 months, feeling every movement, and nurturing life within is incredibly powerful, often dissolving all initial fears. In that moment, the journey makes sense to them. The hesitation fades, replaced by a deep sense of gratitude and completeness.
Dr. Mekhala Iyengar, MBBS, MS, OBG, Infertility Specialist, Indira IVF, Rajajinagar
An egg donor provides eggs to help an infertile couple or woman to conceive. The donor must be married and have at least one child aged three or older.
The donor donates an egg only once in her lifetime.
Not more than seven oocytes shall be collected from the egg donor.
The recipient bears all expenses related to the egg collection procedure and complications arising from it.
The egg recipient is a woman who chooses donor eggs for conception when she is not able to conceive with her own eggs.
She is the one who receives a fertilised embryo formed out of a donor egg and her male partner's sperm.
Though the egg is not yours, your womb gives shelter; know how it matters.
Here, the concept of epigenetics plays a crucial role. The baby's genes are like a seed, and your womb is like soil that provides a nurturing environment, nutrients, and hormones.4
In this way, the recipient can be a gestational and biological mother even though the egg is not genetically yours.
A research study indicates that egg donor IVF pregnancies are frequently associated with advanced maternal age and coexisting medical conditions. In the study population, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia(high blood pressure leading to organ damage and affecting the baby’s growth in the womb), occurred in approximately 16-40% of donor egg pregnancies.
Additionally, diabetes was reported in 24.9% of recipients, hypothyroidism in 11.2%, fetal growth restriction in 12.6%, emergency cesarean section in 56.8%, and elective caesarean delivery in 57.6%.2,7
A baby in the womb may experience restricted growth and be born with low birth weight. However, these risks can be monitored and managed with proper medical care.
Emotional acceptance of donor eggs helps to ease anxiety and minimise the stress, thus resulting in a positive pregnancy and a healthier baby.
The recipient and donor enter into a legal agreement stating that the recipient is the child's legal mother, while the donor has no parental rights.
Even with the best quality donor eggs, the mother's uterus plays a silent yet powerful role because, at the end of the day, it is the mother’s body that nurtures, protects, and gives life to the baby. The concept of epigenetics plays a vital role in the intrauterine environment and influences how genes are expressed. The mother plays a significant biological role beyond DNA.
Dr. Mekhala Iyengar, MBBS, MS, OBG, Infertility Specialist, Indira IVF, Rajajinagar
Women will be recommended for donor eggs for conception as they are not able to conceive with their own eggs, due to many medical reasons.
For women over 35 years old, egg quality and quantity tend to decline with age.
Women under the age of 30 have an 80% chance of conceiving within one year.
At the age of 30, there is a 75% chance in the first 12 months, at 35, it declines to 66%, and 44% at 40 years.8
Ovarian reserve determines the number of eggs present in your ovary. Think of it like a bank: your ovary is the bank, and eggs are your savings.
If fewer eggs remain in the ovary, the quality is also compromised; hence, recommended for donor eggs to use.7
Ovarian reserve is measured with antimullerian hormone(AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) on a transvaginal ultrasound.3
The ovaries produce fewer eggs and lower hormone levels before age 40. When this is expected to happen after age 40, the ovaries do not respond optimally to ovarian stimulation medications.
Women will experience irregular or absent periods for a few months.7
Women are advised to choose donor eggs to avoid transmission of any genetic abnormality from mother to baby.7
If women have experienced repeated IVF failures, then the doctor may advise considering donor eggs.
For women facing repeated IVF failures or declining ovarian reserve, especially after 40, it can transform years of disappointment into real possibilities, with significantly higher success rates driven by better egg quality.
Dr. Mekhala Iyengar, MBBS, MS, OBG, Infertility Specialist, Indira IVF, Rajajinagar
Donor eggs and the recipient’s partner's sperm are collected, and an embryo is created in an IVF lab.
The embryo is then transferred to the recipient’s uterus, which holds the baby, nurtures and provides all necessary nutrients until the delivery.
A success factor is defined as achieving a positive pregnancy outcome and the birth of a healthy baby.
To get a positive outcome, the doctor does careful monitoring of both the recipient’s and donor’s menstrual cycles to ensure that the timing of ovulation, egg retrieval, and embryo transfer aligns perfectly.
Along with this, the doctor focuses on the following factors.
Infertility clinics are categorised under assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics.
Choose the ART clinic that is registered and licensed under the ART Act 2021. The Indian government framed the ART Act to safeguard the rights of the donors, recipients, and the child born.
Choosing the type of oocyte or embryo alone does not determine success rate; factors like uterine receptivity, embryo quality, and maternal age also play an important role. ⁹
Success rates - 55-56% live birth.
Fresh oocytes are used promptly for embryo formation right after the egg retrieval; there is no freezing and thawing step involved.
Utilising donors’ fresh oocytes in recipients necessitates extensive monitoring, synchronising both donor and recipient menstrual cycles, and precise timing.5
Success rates - 41-55% live births
Unlike the fresh oocytes, frozen oocytes are frozen using the vitrification cryopreservation technique(a technique to store collected oocytes in a very low temperature without forming ice-like crystals, so that oocytes survive when they are brought to room temperature before transferring to the womb) in a lab for future use, which offers flexibility in timing and can be thawed whenever the recipient is ready for embryo transfer.9
Every problem has a solution, as infertility is increasing day by day. Similarly, research on how to overcome infertility is also increasing, but people in India, specifically, are not ready to accept fertility treatments, especially in rural areas, and are highly dependent on conventional methods of conception, even though they have been found to have infertility factors.
People need to think more broadly, as acceptance of egg donation remains limited, and many people are still unable to accept IVF procedures. In fact, India is a popular destination for medical tourism related to egg donation and fertility treatments, mainly due to lower costs and the availability of experts. However, acceptance of fertility procedures among Indians remains relatively low.
Upon considering all this, educating people about the advanced fertility treatments is set as an utmost priority, and thus encouraging them to choose fertility procedures at the right time so that many pregnancy complications can be avoided.
Does conceiving using donor eggs lack emotional bonding with the biological mother?
A biological mother is the woman who conceives using donor eggs and carries the pregnancy until delivery. The egg may come from another woman, but it is your womb that provides shelter and nourishment. Through the science of epigenetics, we now understand that the intrauterine environment can influence how the donor’s genes are regulated. In this way, the biological mother actively shapes and nurtures the baby’s development throughout pregnancy.
Does using donor eggs increase the IVF success rate?
A donor egg is recommended for women who are not able to conceive with their own eggs due to multiple medical reasons. Using only donor eggs for IVF does not determine the success rate; it also depends on the uterine acceptivity of the recipient, hormonal factors, and emotional factors of the recipient.
Disadvantages of using donor eggs?
The recipient will not be able to accept the child born with donor eggs, as there is a social stigma that there will be no genetic and emotional connection with the biological mother, as the genes of such a child are derived from the egg donor.
Kavoussi, S. K., K. C. Odenwald, R. B. Summers-Colquitt, et al. 2015. “Live Birth Following IVF/ICSI Using Oocytes from a Donor Who Was Conceived via IVF: A Case Report.” Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics 32 (11): 1677–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0590-3.
Flindris, S., C. V. Christos, M. Kalinderis, et al. 2026. “Pregnancy Outcomes Following In Vitro Fertilization: A Multicenter Comparative Analysis Between Donor-Oocyte Recipients and Self-Oocyte Patients in Greece.” In Vivo 40 (1): 452–64. https://doi.org/10.21873/invivo.14209.
Kahn, L., S. Aziz, B. Jones, et al. 2025. “Do Very Young Oocyte Donors Negatively Impact Live Birth Rates in Their Recipients?” Human Fertility 28 (1): 2434524. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647273.2024.2434524.
Moghadam, A. R. E., M. T. Moghadam, M. Hemadi, and G. Saki. 2022. “Oocyte Quality and Aging.” JBRA Assisted Reproduction 26 (1): 105–22. https://doi.org/10.5935/1518-0557.20210026.
Puteri, N. n.d. “Optimizing Outcomes in Egg Donation Cycles: A Focus on Donor and Recipient Factors.” Vol. 10, no. 5.
Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. 2021. The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. Accessed April 11, 2026. https://dhr.gov.in/document/acts-circulars/assisted-reproductive-technology-regulation-act-2021.
Cheina, S., A. Z., A. G., C. D., C. G. M., and B. C. 2026. “Pregnancy Chances and Obstetrical Outcomes After Egg Donation According to the Maternal Indication.” Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction 55 (3): 103102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogoh.2025.103102.
Delbaere, I., S. Verbiest, and T. Tydén. 2020. “Knowledge About the Impact of Age on Fertility: A Brief Review.” Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences 125 (2): 167–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/03009734.2019.1707913.
Kostoglou, K., G. Michos, R. Najdecki, et al. 2025. “Comparison of Cumulative Live Birth Rates Between Fresh and Vitrified Donor Oocytes.” Cureus 17 (4): e82589. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.82589.
