How does the egg donation process work?

1. The egg donation process begins with filling out an application in order to determine whether you are qualified to serve as a donor.
2. If so, you will have the opportunity to create a profile describing your personal traits and characteristics so that intended parents can get to know you better, physical characteristics, education, family genealogy, etc.. All of this will be required to be verified, requiring that you provide confirmation of information such as acquired education.
3. Your profile will be placed on our secure, login-required database.
4. If matched with a prospective recipient, medical psychological and evaluations will be conducted.
5. Thereafter, you will be expected to begin taking hormones to increase your ovulation and production of eggs, which lasts typically between 3-4 weeks. The doctor provided for you will mentor you on how to perform the daily self-injections needed for the prepare the eggs for ovulation.
6. Once the eggs are ready for ovulation, the doctor provided for you will perform the egg retrieval.

 

How do I determine whether I will qualify to serve as an egg donor?

In order to qualify as an egg donor, you must:

• Be between the ages 18-30
• Be in overall good physical and psychological health, as determined by medical professionals.
• Have regular menstrual cycles
• Be free from sexually transmitted diseases within the past 12 months
• Have not smoked cigarettes within the last 12 months
• Willing to take injectable medication
• Willing to undergo medical and psychological evaluation
• Have no history of drug use
• Be available for approximately 4-10 appointments
• Be available and willing to commit to the process

 

How long does the egg donation process take?

Once matched with an intended parent(s),  the egg donation cycle itself typically last anywhere between 3-4 weeks.

 

How does compensation work?

Compensation for your time, services, and commitment to the process will be between $8,000 to $15,000. A portion of the compensation distributed at the beginning of the hormone injection process, while the remaining will be provided at the end of the egg donation process.

 

Do I have to pay for anything?

No. As an egg donor, your travel expenses and medical treatment, and legal fees are covered.

 

Are there any side effects experienced from the hormone injections?

Although most egg donors do not experience side effects, some may experience symptoms similar to premenstrual syndrome. This can include bloating, moodiness, pelvic discomfort, or weight gain. All of our donors are required to seek the advice of a medical professional to become fully informed of any associated risk.

 

Will I be placed under general anesthesia for the egg retrieval?

The use of intravenous sedation will be administered by an anesthesiologist. We recommend for you to rest for 24 hours there after. You are required to be picked up by someone, and not to drive for 24 hours after performance of the procedure as well.

 

How soon can I expect my body to be back to normal after the egg donation process is finished?

Within 10 days of the egg retrieval, you should expect a menstrual period. Afterwards, your menstrual cycle will return to normal.

 

Can I have sex during the egg donation process?

Due to the high increase in fertility, we recommend that egg donors abstain from sexual intercourse during the egg donation process to avoid pregnancy. The hormone injections will also increase your fertility for a month after egg retrieval, therefore, we recommend either abstaining from sex or using protected sex to avoid any unwanted pregnancy during the month thereafter as well.

 

Will the parents know who I am?

At Surrogacy Concierge, we take great pride in honoring our duty of confidentiality as prescribed by the California State Bar which governs attorneys. In your application, you can opt in for meeting the intended recipients, or for having a more anonymous egg donation process. We want to ensure the comfortability of both parties involved to ensure a smooth and enjoyable process.

 

How many times can I donate?

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends a limit of 6 donations; however, you can freeze eggs and be able to continue to assist intended parents and generate income with these matches.

 

Is there a diet I have to follow ?

Maintaining a healthy and well-balanced diet is especially important during your

egg donation cycle. Leafy greens, other vegetables, and fruit will keep you

healthy. Try to avoid foods a high-sugar and high-carb diet as they will increase any bloating that you may have.

 

Once approved, how does the process work?

The process begins with oral contraceptive pills. The donor will be asked  to call when  their period begins to schedule an ultrasound scan and give a blood sample.  They will begin injections of fertility medications called gonadotropins. This will be followed with ultrasounds and blood draws for estradiol levels every 2 to 3 days for a total of 4 or 5 visits. The ultrasound scans and blood analysis will help the medical team determine the best time for egg retrieval. When your lead follicles reach 13mm, the donor will be instructed to begin the second shot of a medication called Ganirelix to prevent ovulation. They will be advised to take an injection of Lupron to prepare them for egg retrieval.

 

Do I have to be a certain weight to be an egg donor?

In order to be considered for egg donation, applicants have to meet the required Body Mass Index (BMI).Your BMI is calculated using a formula that divides an individual’s weight by their height to provide an indicator of body mass. The required BMI for donors is under 28. A higher BMI may affect egg quality as well as necessitate higher doses of stimulation drugs to create follicles.

 

 

How are the eggs removed?

A vaginal ultrasound and needle guide is used. The needle goes into the vagina and then through the ovary into the follicle, which contains the egg.

 

Is donating eggs painful?

The egg retrieval is done under sedation so a donor will not experience pain during the procedure. After the procedure, a donor will generally feel tired from the sedation and she may experience some bleeding and / or cramping. This usually goes away by the next day but can last up to a week or longer.

 

How many eggs will be retrieved?

The average is 10-15 eggs aspirated per cycle, but donors can produce 16 or more eggs.

 

Can donating affect having children in the future?

No, when an egg donor goes through the process of donating eggs, they receive medication to fully develop all of the eggs in their follicles that are naturally available in that particular cycle. In short, no more eggs are removed than what their body naturally puts out.

 

Will I need to give myself shots?

Yes, the shots are done at home. The egg donor can do them themselves, or have a friend or family member help them.

 

Can I still work or go to school?

Most women are able to continue with work and school without difficulty. However, they  must take the medication as instructed, and on time. They must be on time for all monitoring appointments,  and  must arrange for transportation to and from the egg retrieval. This means that egg donors need to make their egg donor cycle a top priority during the few weeks that it occurs, and  may have to reschedule other events, classes or work times as necessary.

 

I have more questions, but they’re not on here?

Please contact us through email  info@surrogacyconcierges.com or by calling 626-569-1813 and we will happily answer any questions you may have.