Lucy Solie-Vilker
September 17, 2026
The short answer
If you donate your eggs, any child conceived from them shares about 50% of their DNA with you, but you are not the child's parent.
The intended parents are the legal parents, and the mother who carries the pregnancy shapes the baby's development through gestation.
This guide covers what you pass on genetically, who the parents are legally and biologically, what contact can look like, and how Donor Nexus handles each piece.
If I donate my eggs, will the child be biologically mine?
If you donate your eggs, any child conceived from them shares about 50% of their DNA with you, but you are not the child's parent. The intended parents are the legal parents, and the mother who carries the pregnancy is biologically connected to the baby through gestation.
An egg carries half of a person's nuclear DNA (the other half comes from the sperm), so a child conceived from your egg inherits roughly half of their genes from you.
Is an egg donor a "biological mother"? Why the words matter
Your egg provides the genetic blueprint, but you do not carry the pregnancy, you do not have a legal relationship with the child, and you are not raising them. That is why donors, parents and fertility professionals separate three ideas that everyday language tends to lump together.
| Connection | Egg donor | Mother who carries and raises the child |
|---|---|---|
| Genetic (DNA) | Yes, about 50% of nuclear DNA plus mitochondrial DNA | No, when donor eggs are used |
| Biological through pregnancy | No | Yes, nine months of gestation shape how genes are expressed |
| Legal parent | No, rights are waived in the donor agreement | Yes |
| Role in the child's life | None, unless an Open ID or identified agreement allows contact | Parent |
What is my role as an egg donor?
For many of the families who come to Donor Nexus, a donor is the only path to pregnancy, and intended parents carry a lot of gratitude for the woman who made their family possible. Some write letters to their donor even when the donation is nonidentified, like the intended mother and donor in our pen pals story.
At Donor Nexus, we show that same appreciation in how we support donors at every step. You have a dedicated case manager to text with any questions, your own legal counsel at no cost, and compensation you set with guidance from our team. About 70% of our cycles come from repeat donors and through our referral program, a sign that donors feel supported enough to come back or recommend us to a friend.
Who is the mother of a child born from donated eggs?
The mother is the woman who carries the pregnancy and raises the child, or the intended parents when a gestational carrier is involved. She is not genetically related to the baby, but she is biologically connected through pregnancy.
Research into epigenetics helps explain that connection. Epigenetics describes how the environment in the womb switches genes up or down without changing the DNA itself. A 2015 study in Development found that a molecule released by the lining of the uterus can change which of the embryo's genes are active.2 In other words, the mother carrying the pregnancy influences how the genes you provided are expressed.
Victoria Niño, a mother of two through egg donation, describes it this way:
Through biology, I gave my daughter everything she needed. She had a healthy DNA blueprint from her egg donor and her father, but my body gave her life and nurtured her into the human she is.
Victoria Niño, mother through egg donation
Do egg donors have parental rights?
No. Before any medications start, you and the intended parents sign a legal agreement that spells out that you have no parental rights or responsibilities, and that the intended parents do. Parentage laws back this up. The Uniform Parentage Act, adopted in a growing number of states, puts it in one line: "A donor is not a parent of a child conceived by assisted reproduction."3
At Donor Nexus, egg donors receive legal counsel of their own, separate from the intended parents' attorney, at no cost to you. Your attorney reviews the agreement with you before you sign, including the sections on contact, confidentiality and future updates.
The intended parents are listed on the birth certificate. You are not financially or legally responsible for any child born from your donation.
My heart couldn't feel more full. I'm so happy I made this experience possible for them.
Donor J., Donor Nexus egg donor
Will the child look like me or know who I am?
A child conceived from your eggs may share some of your features, such as eye color, hair texture or height, because those traits are largely shaped by genes. The child inherits genes from both you and the sperm provider, so there is no way to predict which features they will have, and things like nutrition can also influence traits such as height.
Whether the child ever learns who you are depends on the type of donation you agree to:
- Nonidentified donation. You and the intended parents do not exchange identifying information.
- Open ID donation. You agree to share identifying information and be open to contact if a donor-conceived person age 18 or older asks for it.
- Identified donation. You and the intended parents exchange identifying information, which allows for direct communication. How much contact you have is agreed on case by case and does not have to mean an ongoing relationship.
You choose your preference on the Donor Nexus application, and our guide to nonidentified, identified and Open ID egg donation explains each option.
A note on anonymity
One point applies to every agreement: the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) cautions that anonymity cannot be guaranteed now that consumer genetic testing is widely available.4 Donor-conceived people can and do find genetic relatives through DNA databases, so keep that possibility in mind.
What happens to your eggs after retrieval?
Your part of the process ends at egg retrieval. What happens next depends on the program you choose, and at Donor Nexus that choice is yours.
| Fresh donor matching | Frozen egg bank | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses your eggs | One family you are matched with, who receives all the eggs from your retrieval | Intended parents who choose a cohort of your frozen eggs later |
| What happens after retrieval | Eggs are fertilized right away at the intended parents' clinic | Eggs are vitrified (flash-frozen) and stored until selected |
| Your timeline | Several months, because you wait to be matched | Often 8 to 12 weeks, because no match is needed first |
| Your compensation | You set it with guidance from our team, with no cap | You set it with guidance from our team |
| Payment | By ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of retrieval | By ACH or wire within 5 to 7 days of retrieval |
In both programs, travel and lodging are covered separately from your compensation, and one case manager stays with you from application to retrieval. You can compare the two in more detail on our egg donation programs page, or read how the egg donation process works step by step.
Since 2012, Donor Nexus has completed more than 1,000 egg retrievals, and about 70% of cycles come from repeat donors and donor referrals.
How do parents explain the egg donor to their child?
Most parents who use donor eggs tell their child early, in simple and positive language, that someone gave them a very special gift so their family could grow. Parents tend to describe the donor as a kind person who helped. ASRM supports telling children about their donor conception.5
Some families share nonidentifying details, such as your hobbies or why you chose to donate, which is one reason your profile questionnaire matters. If you are curious how parents approach these conversations, our article on talking to your child about donor conception shows the other side.
Frequently asked questions
If I donate my eggs, is the child biologically mine?
No. A child conceived from your egg shares about half of your DNA, but the biological connection through pregnancy belongs to the mother who carries the baby, and the intended parents are the child's legal parents.
Will the child have my blood or my blood type?
The child could share your blood type, since blood type is inherited through the genes in the egg and sperm. No blood passes from you to the child, and our article on egg donor blood type explains more.
Will a child conceived from my eggs look like me?
Traits like eye color, hair texture and height are largely shaped by genes, and half of the child's genes come from you. The other half come from the sperm provider, though, so there's no way to predict which features the child will have.
Do egg donors have any parental rights?
No. Before your cycle, you sign a legal agreement giving up any parental rights and responsibilities, and you review it with your own attorney at no cost to you. Many states' parentage laws also say a donor is not a parent of a child conceived through assisted reproduction.
Will the child know who I am?
That depends on the type of donation you agree to. In a nonidentified donation no identifying information is exchanged, while in an Open ID donation you agree to share identifying information if a donor-conceived person age 18 or older asks for it.
Could a donor-conceived child find me through a DNA test?
It's possible, even in a nonidentified donation. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine advises that anonymity can't be guaranteed now that consumer DNA testing is widely used, which is why Donor Nexus asks you to think through your donation type and future contact before you sign.
Can I find out if a baby was born from my eggs?
Some donors ask to be told about pregnancies or births, and some intended parents agree to share updates. Clinics hold pregnancy data, so it depends on your agreement and the intended parents.
Does donating eggs affect my own fertility?
Current research has not found that a single donation cycle reduces a donor's future fertility, because the medications recruit eggs from that month's group that would otherwise be lost. Our guide to donating eggs and future fertility covers the research, and your doctor can talk through your own situation.
Sources
- MedlinePlus Genetics. Mitochondrial DNA. U.S. National Library of Medicine. medlineplus.gov
- Vilella F, Moreno-Moya JM, Balaguer N, et al. Hsa-miR-30d, secreted by the human endometrium, is taken up by the pre-implantation embryo and might modify its transcriptome. Development. 2015;142(18):3210-3221. journals.biologists.com
- Uniform Parentage Act (2017), as adopted in Washington State. RCW 26.26A.605, Parental status of donor. app.leg.wa.gov
- Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Interests, obligations, and rights in gamete and embryo donation: an Ethics Committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2019;111:664-670. asrm.org
- Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Informing offspring of their conception by gamete or embryo donation: an Ethics Committee opinion. Fertility and Sterility. 2018;109:601-605. asrm.org
Disclaimer
This article is general information about egg donation and is not medical or legal advice. Laws vary by state and country, so talk with your doctor and your own attorney about your situation before you sign a donor agreement.
Egg donation involves a screening process. Not all potential egg donors are selected. Not all selected egg donors receive the monetary amounts or compensation advertised. As with any medical procedure, there may be risks associated with human egg donation. Before an egg donor agrees to begin the egg donation process, and signs a legally binding contract, she is required to receive specific information on the known risks of egg donation. Consultation with your doctor prior to entering into a donor contract is advised.
Keep reading
Lucy Solie-Vilker
Lucy Solie-Vilker is the CEO of Donor Nexus, where she's helped build one of the most established platforms in egg and embryo donation. Since 2012, her work has contributed to more than 2,000 babies born to Don…
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