What is epigenetics and what does it have to do with egg donation?

When the baby’s genetic make-up is different from yours, it is normal to wonder how much your baby will look like you. Thanks to epigenetics it is possible to know what kind of information you share with your future child.

Epigenetics is the name given to the study of how genes are expressed and exchanged between mother and fetus. Research has shown that environment and behavior influence the way genes develop.

In this article we talk about how epigenetics takes center stage in egg donation treatment. Although the mother has not contributed the DNA herself, it is her body that carries the pregnancy and where the baby develops, so her environment, her behavior and her choices affect the way those genes are used.

How to accept that your baby will not carry your genes?

The use of donor eggs (egg donation) to achieve pregnancy is an assisted reproduction technique that has helped many women all over the world to become mothers. The donor’s egg is fertilized in the laboratory in an IVF procedure with the sperm of the partner or of a donor (double donation) to generate embryos that are transferred to the patient’s uterus in order to achieve the desired pregnancy.

This means that the mother must accept the fact that her baby will not have her genes, but the genetic make-up of the donor. Psychological counseling can help a great deal in this process. You can read more about this subject in our post on how to cope with the emotions of egg donation treatment.

However, genetic make-up is not everything. The way the genes are used and interpreted will depend on the biological mother (the recipient woman), and this is where epigenetics becomes important.

What is epigenetics?

Genes are the codes where the essential information for building our bodies is stored. The genes we possess are inherited from our genetic mother and father, which makes us resemble them both inside and out.

However, this DNA code needs to be read, expressed (interpreted) and put to use, and this is where epigenetics comes into play. Epigenetics refers to how the code is used, which genes are switched on and which are switched off. This switching on and off is reversible and is influenced by factors such as diet, lifestyle, etc. Bearing this in mind, we can see how the biological mother and the environment of the womb have a great epigenetic influence on her growing child.

In addition, from the moment the blastocyst attaches to the uterus and begins its 9-month journey, there is genetic information that is exchanged between the mother and the embryo growing inside her. The molecules secreted by the mother act on the baby’s appearance, both psychologically and physically.

Connection with your baby

An easy way to think about how epigenetics connects you with your baby conceived through donor eggs is to imagine a song of which you know more than one version. Each version of that song has the same basic notes and lyrics, but the final version is different depending on how the artist interprets and performs it. In a similar way, as your developing baby grows inside you, your lifestyle will influence how some genes are modified.

This ability of our bodies to switch our genes on and off occurs throughout our lives, which means that both nature (genetic make-up) and nurture (how the mother influences gene expression) work together in harmony to influence your future baby.

If you have any questions about the use of donor eggs or are interested in our frozen donor egg packages from our egg bank, do not hesitate to contact one of our coordinators, who will be delighted to help you find the perfect donor for you. You can also visit www.ovobank.com and register to see our donors and find out more about how we can help you on your path to parenthood.