Single Parent by Choice: Building Your Family with Donor Eggs

Choosing to become a parent on your own is a decision that comes with its own kind of clarity. You know what you want and you have made peace with how to get there. What you are looking for now is a team that will manage your case with the same straightforwardness.

Single Parent by Choice: Building Your Family with Donor Eggs

Donor Nexus works with single intended parents across all programs. There is no extra process, no additional scrutiny, and no requirement to justify your family structure. Here is what the path looks like.

For single women

Single women using donor eggs typically do so because of ovarian reserve concerns, premature ovarian insufficiency, a cancer diagnosis or treatment, or personal family-planning timing. If you have your own eggs and are considering using donor eggs, your reproductive endocrinologist can help you evaluate whether your eggs or donor eggs give you the best chance of success now.

If you are using donor eggs, the process looks like this:

• Select an egg donor from the Donor Nexus database (fresh or frozen program)
• Arrange sperm—from a partner, a known donor, or a sperm bank
• Proceed with the embryo transfer

There is no gestational carrier required unless medically indicated. You carry the pregnancy yourself.

For single men

Single men building families with donor eggs follow a process similar to gay male couples: donor eggs, your sperm, and a gestational carrier to carry the pregnancy.

Donor Nexus handles the egg donor side. You will work with a surrogacy agency or independently arrange a gestational carrier for the pregnancy. Our team coordinates with your clinic and your surrogacy team seamlessly.

Choosing between fresh and frozen donor eggs

Both programs are available to single intended parents. The decision comes down to the same factors as for any intended parent: timeline, embryo yield goals, and budget.

For single parents focused on having one child, a frozen egg cohort is often a practical and efficient starting point. For those thinking ahead to siblings or who want maximum embryo yield from a single cycle, a fresh donor egg cycle may be worth the longer timeline and higher upfront cost. Your case manager can help you work through the math.

• Learn more in this blog post: Fresh vs. Frozen Donor Eggs: Understanding Your Options

What to know about legal protections

Work with a reproductive attorney before your cycle, not after. Single intended parents have the same parental rights as couples in donor egg IVF—but those rights are established through proper documentation at the start of the process. A reproductive attorney who specializes in third-party reproduction will make sure your legal foundation is solid before your cycle begins.

If you are using a gestational carrier, a pre-birth order or other legal instrument will establish your parental rights before the birth. This is state-specific and non-negotiable—do not skip this step.

The emotional side

Single parents by choice often share that the decision to move forward solo was the clearest, most intentional choice they made on the entire path to parenthood. Our team has walked this road with single parents many times—you will not need to explain yourself or over-justify anything to us. If you want to connect with a therapist who specializes in third-party reproduction and single parenthood, we can refer you to one.

Frequently asked questions

Is there any additional screening or approval process for single intended parents at Donor Nexus?

No. Single intended parents go through the same registration and intake process as any other intended parent. There is no additional gatekeeping based on family structure.

Do I need to use a sperm bank, or can I use a known donor?

Both are options. If you use a known sperm donor, there are legal steps required to protect both parties—a reproductive attorney can guide you through this. Sperm banks offer anonymous or open ID donor options, with varying levels of medical and personal information available.

Can I use the embryo donation program as a single parent?

Yes. The Donor Nexus embryo donation program is open to single intended parents. Some embryo donor families specify preferences about recipients—your case manager can walk you through what is available.

What if I want to have more than one child?

Plan for this from the start. If multiple children are a goal, a fresh donor egg cycle typically produces more embryos, giving you the opportunity to freeze surplus embryos for future transfers. Discuss your family-building timeline with your case manager and clinic before committing to a program.