IVF with an egg donor: will the baby look like me?

By Reproclinic Editorial Committee

There are women who, due to different factors, need to use an egg donor in order to get pregnant. Using this method of assisted reproduction, the question that may arise is: Will the baby look like me? Keep reading to discover it. 

 

IVF with donor of ovules

In Vitro Fertilization with an egg donor is one of the techniques of assisted reproduction that is more likely to be pregnant. By at the age of 35, eggs lose quality, making it difficult to be mothers. Thus, fulfilling the dream of forming a family is possible, thanks to other women who donate their eggs in order to be fertilized.

At the time of carrying out this process, the expectant mother must undergo an endometrial preparation treatment for the implantation of the embryos, and be able to carry out a successful pregnancy.

Will the baby look like me?

The big question for future moms who use this method is if the baby will look like them, since the fertilized egg is from another person. The answer is that it is very likely that it resembles the mother. And that is justified thanks to the Barker hypothesis, a theory that explains that during the first days of pregnancy, the pregnant mother is able to modify the DNA of the embryo.

In fact, there is another theoretical concept to take into account and that justifies this fact. It is about epigenetics: the study of the different factors and mechanisms that regulate the way in which genes are expressed, without any alteration in the sequence of the DNA. It is the set of chemical reactions and processes that modify the behavior of DNA without altering its sequence.

For this reason, there are many families who have had children through egg donor who affirm that their children are very similar to them. Especially in terms of behavior, customs, etc.

 

Anyway, if you still have questions about the IVF method with an egg donor, we will be happy to help you and accompany you on the way to motherhood.

 

Medical Director at Reproclinic
Specialist in Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine