Egg Donation Process

During the first month after being chosen by a couple to become their egg donor, you’ll take important steps to prepare for the process. These include:

• Medical Screening: Attend an initial medical evaluation at the intended parents’ chosen fertility clinic to ensure you’re healthy for an egg donation cycle.

• Counseling Session: Meet with a licensed counselor over Zoom to discuss the egg donation process and address any questions.

• Legal Consultation: Have a phone or Zoom meeting with your assigned egg donor attorney to discuss and finalize legal agreements, ensuring your rights and responsibilities are fully understood.

During the second month of your egg donation journey, the focus shifts to preparation and synchronization for the egg retrieval. This month is all about regulating your menstrual cycle. It’s an exciting time as you move closer to the retrieval and the life-changing gift you’re about to share

Estimated 5-8 quick morning medical appointments at the fertility clinic. These are brief visits to the couple’s fertility clinic where you will be monitored for your response to the medications.

Starting Hormonal Medications for about 2 weeks. What to expect during the egg donation medical procedure.

• Stimulation Medications Begin: Toward the end of the second month, you’ll start taking gonadotropins, a type of fertility medication. These tiny injections encourage your ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the usual single egg during a cycle.
• Monitoring Begins: You’ll visit the fertility clinic for 5-8 quick appointments while on your medication for ultrasounds and bloodwork to monitor how your body is responding to the medication. These appointments are short and allow the doctor to adjust your dosage if necessary.
• Ultrasounds: Transvaginal ultrasounds are performed to check the size and number of developing follicles in your ovaries.
• Bloodwork: Blood tests measure hormone levels, ensuring your body responds appropriately to the stimulation medications.

The egg retrieval day is finally here! This is an incredibly exciting moment for you and the intended parents! This is the culmination of your amazing journey, where all your kindness and dedication come together to create something truly life changing. For the intended parents, this day is filled with hope and gratitude as they take a giant step closer to their dream of having a baby. For you, it’s a day to celebrate the incredible gift you’re giving. A gift that will be cherished forever.

• Arrival: You’ll arrive at the clinic, where you’ll be prepped for the procedure. You’ll be given mild sedation or anesthesia to keep you comfortable.
• Procedure: The doctor uses a small needle, guided by ultrasound, to gently retrieve the eggs from your ovaries. The procedure usually takes about 20-30 minutes.
• Egg Donor Recovery Time: Afterward, you’ll rest briefly at the clinic before being discharged and you will rest at home for the remainder of the day.

You might be asking, is egg donation painful?

Egg donation is generally not considered painful, though some donors may feel a little bloated or discomfort for a day or two after the egg retrieval. Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of fluids can help you feel better quickly. Any mild discomfort you might feel is often outweighed by the incredible joy of knowing you’ve given an extraordinary gift, the chance for a couple to welcome a baby into their lives. That sense of fulfillment makes every moment of the journey so worthwhile!

Your special eggs, donated during the retrieval, are immediately sent to the embryology lab where the magic begins! The skilled embryologists carefully examine each egg under a microscope to assess their quality and maturity, and only the mature ones are ready for the next exciting step. These mature eggs are then lovingly fertilized in the lab using sperm from the intended parent or a sperm donor. And just like that, the fertilized eggs become precious embryos!

Over the next 3 to 7 days, these embryos are nurtured and closely monitored as they develop. On day 3 or day 5, the embryologists assess their progress to decide which ones are perfect for transfer or freezing. If the intended parents are ready for implantation, one or more of these wonderful embryos may be gently transferred into the intended mother’s uterus or a surrogate. Any remaining viable embryos can be frozen for future use, keeping the door open for more joyful possibilities ahead!

Your generous gift of donating your eggs sets in motion a beautiful journey, bringing hope and happiness to a family-to-be. It’s amazing to think that your gift might soon help create a new life!