Yes, in standard IVF the child is genetically related to you if your own eggs and sperm are used; donor gametes change that link.
People ask this because assisted conception can mix several roles: genetic, gestational, and legal. The short take: with your own eggs and sperm, the baby shares your DNA just as in a natural conception. When donor eggs, donor sperm, embryo donation, or a gestational carrier come in, the genetic link shifts. Below is a simple map to make sense of it.
Genetic Links In Common IVF Paths
Here is a quick reference that shows who passes genes to the child in typical situations. It keeps the language plain and avoids clinic jargon.
| Situation | Genetic Link To Intended Mother | Genetic Link To Intended Father |
|---|---|---|
| Own eggs + own sperm | Yes | Yes |
| Donor egg + partner sperm | No | Yes |
| Own egg + donor sperm | Yes | No |
| Embryo donation (donor egg + donor sperm) | No | No |
| Gestational carrier (your embryo) | Yes | Yes |
| Gestational carrier (donor embryo) | No | No |
| Mitochondrial donation (MDT) | Nuclear DNA: Yes; Mitochondria: Donor | Yes |
Biological Parentage In IVF: What It Means
Biology can refer to genes, pregnancy, or both. In everyday talk, people usually mean DNA. With your own eggs and sperm, the embryo carries nuclear DNA from both of you. A gestational carrier carries the pregnancy but does not contribute genes when a donor embryo is not used.
Clinics and registries use terms that can feel opaque. The CDC ART glossary defines patient cycles, donor cycles, and other basics that help decode reports. Reading that page gives you the exact language clinics follow.
How The Genetics Work
Nuclear DNA And Mitochondria
Nuclear DNA carries nearly all inherited traits. Eggs also carry mitochondria, which have their own small set of genes. In rare cases where mitochondrial disease is a risk, the UK permits MDT, which places parental nuclear DNA into a donor egg with healthy mitochondria. The child’s traits come from the nuclear DNA of the parents; the donor’s role is limited to the cell’s power units. The HFEA page on mitochondrial donation explains the method and its oversight.
Donor Gametes And Embryo Donation
Using a donor egg removes the genetic link to the person who carries the pregnancy, while keeping the link to the sperm source. Using donor sperm does the inverse. With embryo donation, both genetic links come from donors. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine notes that embryo donation does not create a DNA tie to the intended parents, though they may still carry the pregnancy and become parents in law and in life.
What Makes Someone A Parent In This Context
Three roles often overlap:
Genetic Parent
The person whose gametes supply DNA. One or both intended parents may fill this role, unless donor material is used.
Gestational Parent
The person who carries the pregnancy. This may be the same as the genetic mother, or a gestational carrier.
Legal Parent
The person recognized by law. Laws vary by country and state, especially with donor material or a gestational carrier. Clinics usually require agreements before treatment starts.
Why People See Mixed Answers Online
Headlines often compress a nuanced topic. A child conceived with your own eggs and sperm shares your genes. A child conceived with a donor egg shares DNA with the donor, not the recipient, even if the recipient carries the pregnancy. Content that ignores these branches can feel confusing. The chart above clarifies who supplies DNA in each branch.
Common Scenarios And Clear Answers
Own Eggs And Partner Sperm
This mirrors natural conception in terms of DNA. The embryo carries half its nuclear genes from the egg source and half from the sperm source. Pregnancy may happen in your uterus or with a gestational carrier; that choice does not change genetics when your embryo is used.
Donor Egg With Partner Sperm
The embryo carries genes from the egg donor and the sperm source. The person who carries the pregnancy bonds, breastfeeds, and delivers, but the DNA is donor plus partner.
Own Egg With Donor Sperm
The embryo carries genes from the egg source and the sperm donor. Many solo parents and couples use this route.
Embryo Donation
Embryos created by other patients are transferred to recipients who wish to build a family. There is no DNA tie to the recipients, yet pregnancy and birth occur in the recipient’s body or in a carrier.
What About Traits, Looks, And Health?
With your own eggs and sperm, traits track the same heredity rules you learned in school. With donor material, traits come from the donor and the other gamete source. Carrier screening and family history guide choices. Mitochondrial genes affect energy parts of cells, not eye color, height, or personality. Over time, family photos often reveal shared features that reflect DNA inherited at conception.
The Role Of Prenatal Care
Regardless of the lab steps, routine prenatal care, screening, and counseling shape outcomes. Genetics is one part of a larger picture that includes age, health, and care plans.
How Treatment Steps Fit Together
Here is a simple overview of steps you may walk through and how each step relates to genetics vs. pregnancy.
| Step | What Happens | Genetic/Gestational Tie |
|---|---|---|
| Ovarian stimulation | Hormones help several eggs mature | Genetic link set by egg source |
| Egg retrieval | Eggs are collected with a needle in clinic | Genetic link set by egg source |
| Sperm collection | Fresh or frozen sample is prepared | Genetic link set by sperm source |
| Fertilization/ICSI | Eggs meet sperm in lab | DNA comes from chosen gametes |
| Embryo growth | Embryos grow to day 3–6 | No new DNA added |
| PGT (if done) | Cells sampled for conditions | No change to DNA source |
| Transfer | Embryo placed in uterus | Gestational link set by carrier |
Answers To Edge Cases People Ask
Mitochondrial Donation And “Three DNA” Headlines
MDT uses nuclear DNA from the parents and healthy mitochondria from a donor egg. The donor’s genetic share is tiny and does not shape traits like eye color. The method exists to avoid severe disease from faulty mitochondria. Regulators in the UK review each case. News reports in 2025 noted a small number of births using this method in that system.
Shared Motherhood In Same-Sex Female Couples
One partner may supply the eggs and the other may carry the pregnancy. The child’s genes come from the egg source and the sperm source. The carrier bonds and births, but the DNA comes from the gametes.
Reciprocal IVF Terms
Clinics may call this reciprocal IVF. Some couples rotate roles with a second child. The genetics for each child follow the egg and sperm sources chosen for that cycle.
When A Carrier Miscarriages Or Delivers
Hard outcomes do not change DNA links. The embryo’s genetic source remains the same from fertilization onward.
How To Talk About This With Kids And Family
Families handle stories in many ways. Some share donor or carrier roles from early childhood. Others wait for a time that feels right. In places like the UK, donor identity rules allow donor-conceived adults to request details at set ages. Your clinic can explain local law and counseling options.
What To Ask Your Clinic
Questions On Genetics
- Whose eggs and whose sperm will be used in this cycle?
- Will any donor material be used? If yes, what screening is done?
- Is MDT relevant to our case?
Questions On Pregnancy And Legal Steps
- Who will carry the pregnancy?
- What agreements are needed before transfer?
- What are the rules where we live about donor records?
How DNA Testing Fits In
Modern tests can confirm who supplied DNA. Paternity testing uses a cheek swab from the child and the alleged father. Maternity testing is similar. These tests compare markers inherited from each parent. Clinics rarely need this when records are clear, yet some families like the certainty. Ancestry kits can reveal relatives too, which is why many programs explain donor identity rules before treatment.
Common Myths And Plain Answers
“If I Carry A Donor Egg, Will The Baby Pick Up My Genes?”
No. The uterus nurtures the pregnancy but does not add DNA to the embryo. Pregnant people still shape health through diet, sleep, stress control, and medical care, yet those inputs do not rewrite genes.
“Does The Lab Add Extra DNA?”
No. Standard lab steps join one egg and one sperm. When ICSI is used, a single sperm is placed inside the egg. No extra genetic material is introduced. MDT is a special case to avoid mitochondrial disease, and it uses a donor egg shell with healthy mitochondria while keeping the parents’ nuclear DNA.
“Will A Gestational Carrier Be A Genetic Parent?”
No, not when your embryo is used. The carrier lends time and care to the pregnancy. DNA comes from the egg and sperm sources used to create the embryo.
Planning Tips That Save Heartache
Ask your clinic for clear written consents naming the egg source, the sperm source, and who will carry the pregnancy. Keep a private copy of your treatment summary, lab consents, and any donor profile or code. Years later, those pages answer questions that memory cannot.
Takeaway
With your own eggs and sperm, the baby shares your DNA the same way it would with natural conception. Donor eggs or sperm change which adult supplies genes. Embryo donation removes the DNA tie to recipients. A gestational carrier carries the pregnancy but does not add genes when your embryo is used. MDT swaps faulty mitochondria while keeping your nuclear DNA. With a clear plan and sound consent, you can match the method to your goals.