If a woman no longer has her own eggs or their quality has significantly declined, donor eggs can be used to achieve pregnancy. The use of donor eggs is often recommended for women over 43, as egg quality declines significantly at this age and the probability of conceiving with her own eggs remains below 1%.
Donor eggs are also used in cases where conceiving with the woman’s own eggs would put the child at increased risk of inheriting a genetic disorder.
Hundreds of fertility treatments using donor eggs are performed in Estonia every year, which is why there is a constant need for egg donors. The Ovumia Tallinn clinic operates an active donor program, and both fresh and frozen donor eggs can be used in treatment.
You may be eligible to be an egg donor if you are a healthy woman between the ages of 20 and 33 and have no history of hereditary diseases among your close relatives. First, we will thoroughly assess your health and identify any potential contraindications.
All consultations, tests, and visits are free of charge for the donor. Our clinics are comfortable and modern, and each donor is supported by a personal nurse throughout the entire process.
You will receive the results of all tests conducted during the process, as well as a comprehensive overview of your reproductive health—providing you with valuable information about your fertility. We also ensure that you remain well-informed throughout the entire donation process and receive clear, understandable information about each stage.
It is very important to us that every donor feels cared for, involved, and safe.
As a first step, we ask you to fill out a short questionnaire, which will help us assess whether you might be a suitable egg donor. Once we receive the form, a fertility specialist from our clinic will contact you via your preferred method—either by phone or email—and send you some initial information to review.
In addition, we ask that you complete a more detailed health questionnaire, which will help us assess your health status and suitability for donation. A doctor will discuss the results of your previous tests and the questionnaire with you and provide an overview of the next steps in the donation process.
Before your eligibility as a donor is confirmed, you will meet with a nurse and a doctor who will explain the entire donation process to you and answer all your questions. As part of the initial health screening, an ultrasound will be performed and an AMH blood test will be taken, which provides an overview of your ovarian reserve and helps assess whether egg donation is medically safe for you. In addition, tests will be performed to screen for infectious diseases (hepatitis B and C, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia).
If the results of the tests and health check indicate that you are eligible to be a donor, you will meet with our donor coordinator, who will explain the treatment process, potential risks, and psychological and ethical aspects to you as many times as necessary. At this stage, you will also sign the consent form for donation. Additionally, a blood sample will be taken for chromosome testing.
The donor begins hormone therapy via injection at the start of her menstrual cycle, which lasts approximately 10–12 days. The goal of the treatment is to stimulate the simultaneous maturation of multiple eggs in the ovaries. During a single donation cycle, you will visit the clinic 2–3 times to monitor the development of the eggs and the progress of the treatment.
Egg retrieval is performed under ultrasound guidance using a needle inserted into the ovaries through the vaginal wall. The egg retrieval procedure is performed under short-acting intravenous anesthesia and typically lasts about 15–30 minutes.
After egg retrieval, a nurse will monitor how you are feeling in the recovery room for approximately two hours. Due to the medications administered during the procedure, you must not drive for 24 hours. If necessary, the treating physician will issue a sick leave certificate for 1–2 days.
After egg retrieval, our team will stay in regular contact with you. A nurse will contact you within a few days and again in about a week to check on your recovery. If you need further evaluation or experience any discomfort, we will quickly schedule a follow-up appointment for you at the clinic.
Menstruation usually begins 1–2 weeks after the procedure, and by that time, you will generally feel back to normal. The donor receives all test results and an overview of her fertility—this is valuable information that helps her better understand her health and reproductive capacity.
At every stage, we provide clear and understandable instructions, so you know exactly what is happening and what the next steps are. It is important to us that you feel cared for, supported, and safe throughout the entire process.
For most women, egg maturation and retrieval proceed without complications. A small percentage may experience mild side effects due to hormone therapy. Under the influence of hormone therapy, the ovaries temporarily enlarge, which may cause tension or discomfort in the lower abdomen. Egg retrieval carries a small risk of complications, which will be discussed in detail during your pre-donation consultation with a doctor.
Under Estonian fertility treatment legislation, donors are compensated for the discomfort associated with the donation process. However, the main reason for donation is the desire to help—the greatest reward is giving someone else the chance to start a new life.
Donor eggs are needed when a woman does not have viable eggs or their quality has declined to the point where pregnancy has not been achieved even after repeated attempts. Sometimes donor eggs are also used when the patient has a serious hereditary condition that she wishes to avoid passing on to her child.
The results of treatment with donor eggs are very good. If at least one embryo develops to the point of transfer, up to 72% of recipients have a baby.
In total, over 80% of couples who have used donor eggs have the child they desire.
In Estonia, egg donation is anonymous by law—the donor’s personal information is not disclosed. The donor is entitled to compensation. At the Ovumia Tallinn clinic, the compensation starts at 900 euros and depends on the number of donation cycles.
Parents and the child are informed only of the following characteristics of the donor: nationality, skin color, education, marital status, whether she has children, height, body type, and hair and eye color. The donor has no rights or obligations regarding the child. With consent, it is also possible to donate eggs non-anonymously—please contact our specialists for more information.
Donation is regulated by the “Artificial Insemination and Embryo Protection Act.” According to this law, gametes obtained from a single anonymous or non-partner donor may be used in Estonia to help up to six different women give birth.
