FAQs for Potential Egg Donors

 

1) Why would I want to become an egg donor?

There are plenty of reasons to donate eggs. Maybe the most obvious is money. We compensate our egg donors well, and the prospective parents reimburse all your costs, including travel, medical expenses, and any legal fees.

The psychological benefits of becoming an egg donor are even more profound than the financial ones. Especially if you can’t raise children, egg donation allows you the knowledge and peace of mind that you’ve brought a part of yourself into the world. Egg donation also makes a difference in the life of a loving family, who might otherwise never have children.

2) Who can become an egg donor?

To donate your eggs, you have to apply to our program and be accepted. This is on a case-by-case basis, but we have several things we look for. We want donors who:

• are between 21 and 30 years old
• have a BMI of less than 29, and are taller than 5’2″
• have regular periods, and no reproductive disorders
• do not smoke or use drugs, and have no history of the same
• have no history of mental illness
• are willing to undergo medical, psychological, and drug screenings
• can administer regular injections, follow a doctor’s instructions, and show up for a series of medical procedures
  

3) How do I become an egg donor?

First, fill out the application on our website. This is where we get to know you, your personality, your medical history, and more. After an initial review, we contact you for a psychological evaluation, and give you more information about the benefits and risks of egg donation. We gauge if you’re a good fit for our program, and match you up with prospective parents.

Once we’ve found your match, we do a final medical screening. This gives us an overview of your health, including substance use and any infectious diseases. If you pass this final screening, our lawyers will work with your legal representation, and the family’s, to draw up a contract. Once you’ve signed, we begin the donor cycle on the first day of your next menstrual period.

4) How does egg donation work?

On the first day of your cycle, you begin by administering a injection. This stimulates your ovaries into releasing eggs. You’ll continue giving these injections to yourself regularly until about 36 hours before we retrieve the eggs. We monitor your health closely over time, during regular visits to our clinic.

When it’s time to retrieve the eggs, we put you under twilight sedation at our clinic, and the doctor uses a small needle to remove the eggs. Afterward you may feel fatigue or light cramping. Most donors go back to their everyday lives the next day.