Donor & Surrogacy Solutions

Olive works with Donor Egg Bank USA, Pacific Northwest Fertility and Asian Egg Bank, which provide eggs from healthy donors throughout the USA and abroad. These programs will either ship frozen eggs to Olive where they are fertilized, or we will ship sperm to their clinic for fertilization and have the  embryo(s) shipped to us at Olive. In all cases, the embryo transfer happens at Olive Fertility.

The Process

Choosing a Frozen Egg Donor

Egg donors are selected by reviewing an on-line bank of donors. Many different ethnic groups are represented in the egg bank, and donors undergo a rigorous medical, genetic, and psychological screening process. When you review an egg donor profile, you learn about the donor's education, medical history, and personal interests. You can also see pictures of donors to choose one that bears a close physical resemblance to your own family.

Before an Egg Donor is Chosen

We make sure your uterus is healthy, your hormones are balanced, the sperm is healthy and you have spoken to a reprodutive counsellor. Then you will choose your egg donor.

Once you choose your egg donor, we will make sure she is a good candidate and a genetic match.  You will then pay for you eggs and embryos are made.  It will take around 4-6 weeks until the embryos are ready before you can start a frozen embryo transfer cycle. 

You then take estrogen tablets for about 2 weeks. We check the lining of the uterus with an ultrasound, and if the uterus looks ready, we add progesterone (injections and vaginal tablets). The embryo(s) is then transferred into your uterus a few days later. Two weeks after the embryo(s) is transferred, we find out if the cycle was successful.

Success Rates

If you are concerned about the viability of using fresh vs. frozen donor eggs, know that our pregnancy success rate with frozen donor eggs is about the same as with fresh egg cycles.

The live birth rate is about 50% per embryo transfer and most women get more than one embryo transfer from a single “lot" or group of eggs. The donor egg programs we work with have programs where you can buy individual "lots" of eggs (6-7 eggs), or you can pay a higher fee and get up to 6 lots, with your money back if a successful pregnancy does not occur. These programs are called Assured Refund programs (DEB) or Guaranteed Live Birth (PNWF). If you choose the Assured Refund Program, there is a greater than 90% chance you will have a baby.  For More information please contact Sue McKeachie our egg donor nurse coordinator.

One for individuals who are unable to achieve a pregnancy with their own eggs is to use eggs from a directed egg donor (DED). The egg donation process has worked for many families. It could very well be the right choice for you if you are able to secure the right donor.

The Process

The Directed egg donor comes to an Olive Centre for medical, genetic, and psychological screening. Health Canada requires we complete specific screening for your donor within a time frame in relation to the egg extraction/retrieval. This includes: physical examination, blood and urine testing, and an extensive health and family history questionnaire. This will require two trips for out-of-town patients: one for screening and one for the egg the IVF and egg retrieval process.

The known egg donor then goes through an IVF process where she injects hormones to stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs. The eggs are retrieved, then fertilized with sperm from either the intended parent(s) or from donor sperm. The resulting embryos are grown in the lab for 5-7 days until they reach the blastocyst stage.

The blastocysts are then either frozen for a future transfer into your uterus, or biopsied for PGT-A (chromosome) testing, and then frozen.

In Canada, known egg donation must be altruistic (payment of a directed donor is prohibited beyond reasonable expenses related to treatment).  Counselling and a legal agreement are completed before starting any medications.

In order to become a directed egg donor at Olive, the egg donor must:

• Be a non-smoker under 36 years of age
• Have a BMI under 40
• Have an adequate ovarian reserve as determined by an Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) blood test, and/or an antral follicle count (AFC) ultrasound

1. Intended parent connects the DED team with the donor.
2. Screening phone call with a nurse
3. Referral from a family doctor to Olive Fertility Centre in Vancouver, self referral required if donor does not have Canadian health care (ADD LINK to self referral page HERE)
4. Blood work, including AMH blood test (cost around $100)
5. Optional genetic carrier testing
6. Phone call with an Olive physician to discuss the process and treatment
7. Review of the treatment plan with the DED team, review of educational videos and consent forms.
8. Counseling session and legal contract are organized
9. Directed Egg donor comes to clinic to complete questionnaire, physical examination, injection teaching and medication purchase.
10. Start the IVF-egg retrieval process!

Donor sperm can be used by:

• Single women
• Family unit or couples where sperm is absent (such as lesbian couple or couple where intended sperm provider has issue with sperm quality or quantity)
• Family unit where intended sperm provider has a hereditary disease

Donor sperm insemination is the same as intrauterine insemination, except that the source of the sperm is a donor rather than someone within the family unit.

There are two options for donor sperm: Directed Donor (a person you know) or Anonymous Donor.

If you are using a directed or known donor, the potential donor will need:

• Infectious disease testing
• Semen analysis
• Consultation with a counselor to discuss the implications of donating sperm.

A directed donor may have parental rights and obligations, so these implications should be considered seriously. Legal consultation is required.

Anonymous sperm donors are extensively screened for infectious disease, medical problems, psychological problems, and diseases that can run in families (e.g. genetic disorders).

Sperm banks provide information on the sperm donor's race, height, weight, personal history, academic performance, and many other demographic details. Also, depending on your preference, you may choose to see photos of the donor and read an essay they have written about themselves.

There are two types of anonymous sperm donors: open and closed. An open donor, also called identity disclosure donors, will allow the child to contact them once they reach the age of majority (18). Closed donors do not permit this contact.

Sperm can be stored indefinitely. Healthy babies have been created from sperm stored for over 20 years.

It depends on your age and fertility status but success rates are between 5%-25% per month if you are under the age of 45.

After your Olive physician has assessed your fertility, you will see a reproductive counsellor and our donor sperm nurse to get started. Depending on the results of your testing, your doctor will suggest a treatment plan, ranging from simple intrauterine insemination (IUI) to IVF-ICSI.

It takes about one month of preparation to get started with donor sperm insemination.