Are you thinking of starting a family by using a donor? Here the sperm bank Cryos answers the most important questions.

Cryos helps women all over the world, no matter their sexuality and marital status, to have children. Here, Cryos’ clinic account manager Milagros Ruete answers some of the most frequently asked questions that she gets about having children with the help of a sperm donor.

Which fertility clinic should we choose?

“Cryos works with many fertility clinics around the world. We can recommend a clinic for you. You can also choose a clinic based on for example location, price and success rates. What’s important is to choose a clinic that feels right for you. 

Once you have found your fertility clinic, you can visit Cryos Donor Search and browse through hundreds of sperm donors,” Milagros explains.

How should we choose a sperm donor?

“Find out what is really important for you. For some people, the extensive screening of the sperm donors that Cryos offers is important. For others, it’s important to see pictures of the donor. If that’s you, then Cryos now offers pictures of selected donors as adults for those women who want more than just baby pictures in order to get a more comprehensive idea about what their future child might look like.”

“The choice is very personal, and it can take time to work out what is most important to you and your family.”

The choice is very personal, and it can take time to work out what is most important to you and your family. Milagros says: “Whatever is important for you when choosing a donor, we offer a great variety of donor profiles to choose from and we hope that this will make it easier to make a decision that feels right to you.” 

What to do when we have found the right donor?

“When you have made your final decision, your clinic will guide you on what straw type and motility is right for your fertility treatment, and then you are ready to order from our website.”

Milagros also explains why it is important to reserve donor sperm when you order: “It is also important to consider reserving sperm for future treatments. Maybe you do not succeed in your first try or maybe you would like siblings in the future. Either way, it’s a good idea to reserve extra straws at Cryos to secure enough sperm from your chosen donor. How much sperm you should reserve depends on your situation.”  

We’ve chosen the donor – how do we get pregnant?

“There are several ways to start a family with donor sperm. After your initial consultation at your clinic, you and your doctor or healthcare provider can discuss the different treatments available as well as what would be best for your specific situation. Some women receive Intrauterine Insemination, others might be recommended to start directly with IVF, while some might start with IUI and later move on to IVF.”

What’s the difference between IUI and IVF treatment with donor sperm? 

“Usually, when the woman is young, healthy and there are no known fertility issues, many clinics will offer IUI treatment. IUI is a cheaper and less invasive option when compared with IVF treatment. In some cases, however, IVF is encouraged to increase the chances of conceiving if there are factors that warrant this type of treatment (for example age or fertility issues).”

How long does the process take?

“The amount of time spent at each stage of the journey is, of course very different and varies from one woman to another,” Milagros explains. “Some women are very thorough when choosing a donor profile and may even involve friends and family members in their decision-making process.”

“In short, it is very difficult to comment on the time it can take to become pregnant. Many factors can determine this: age, lifestyle and general health being just a handful of those.”

What are the most common worries that people using a donor experience?

“I would say that most people worry about when and how to tell donor-conceived children that they were conceived with the help of a donor. That and how to navigate the social complexities about donor conception as well as ensuring the physical and psychological wellbeing of their children.”

Do you have more questions? We are ready to receive your email or call, so do not hesitate to contact us.

This is a sponsored article by Cryos.