How to Choose an Ideal Sperm Donor?

The decision to start a family is not one to take lightly – and having to decide not only whether and when to have a child, but who you will use as a sperm donor, can make the process all the more daunting. Though sperm donors are much more common than egg donors, deciding whose sperm you will use to have your baby is still no easy feat. After all, there are lots of things to consider: What is the age of the donor? Does he have any health issues? What is his height? Race? Though some of these factors may not matter to some couples, they may be important to others. That’s why we’ve put together a complete guide to choosing the ideal sperm donor, with all the aspects of a donor you should consider before saying yes.

Medical History

First and foremost, one of the most important aspects of a potential donor is their medical history. Do they have any current illnesses or medical conditions, including mental illnesses? While most sperm banks will eliminate donors who are severely unhealthy, every person carries genes that can result in a medical condition. For this reason, it’s also important to look at their family history – do they have a family history of heart disease? Cancer? Addiction? All of these factors should be heavily considered when choosing an ideal sperm donor for your future baby.

Race/Physical Attributes

While some couples do not have any preference regarding the race or ethnicity of their donor,  some couples prefer a donor who has similar traits and characteristics as themselves or their partner. If you want your child to look a lot like you, it’s important to do thorough research on your donor’s characteristics and that of their family. The height, weight, and athletic prowess of your donor can have a huge impact on your child, so you must also take these into consideration if having a child with a certain look is important to you. However, it’s important to note that any time you use a sperm donor, you can never be sure what genes your child will get and what they will look like. If this is especially important to you, adoption may be a better option as you will likely be able to see the child before completing the process.

Personality

Looks aren’t the only thing inherited by children from their parents – personality, including personality type, are heavily influenced by genetics. Some sperm banks allow you to see your sperm donor’s Myers-Briggs personality type, while others offer essays where the donor has written about himself to give you a better idea of who he is on the inside. In this essay, your donor may include his talents, sense of humor, shyness or outgoing spirit, history of anger issues, or any other aspect of his personality that may influence your future child. However, it’s important to note that there is no guarantee your child will be outgoing because their sperm donor was outgoing – even if both parents have similar personalities, a child can have a temperament all their own. That’s the exciting part of parenthood!

Intelligence

Lastly, sperm donors’ intelligence can influence the intelligence of your baby. Though children can become smarter through reading, active play, and other types of learning stimulation, some children are born with more exceptional intelligence – and much of that is genetic. While you probably won’t be able to access the IQ of your donor, you will be able to gather plenty of information from the essay, from its content (how well they did in school, what their career is, etc…) as well as how well the essay is written. Do they have an extensive vocabulary? Do they use correct grammar? Again, the intelligence of a baby is not a formula – even Albert Einstein’s children could have been born with an average or below average IQ. However, to better the chances of your child being dealt an intelligent hand, do thorough research into their donor.

As a future parent, you have thousands of decisions to make. What color will you paint the nursery? Will you co-sleep? When will you allow your child to go to his or her first sleepover?

However, the most important decision you can make right now – aside from the very decision of choosing to have a baby – is who you will choose to father it. The father of your baby, whether they ever meet or not, will have a huge impact on your whole family’s life. After all, your baby will have half of their genes!

If You Decide to Adopt, Hiring an LGBT Adoption Lawyer in Texas Can Be Helpful

Finding an ideal sperm donor can be a challenge. If you are deciding between using a sperm donor and adoption, an experienced LGBT adoption lawyer in Texas at Eddington & Worley may be able to help. Call our office today for more information on what options are available to you.