Egg Donation Process: What to Expect

Conception and pregnancy can be a challenge for many couples, and sometimes such couples require help in this journey. One of the ways you can help a couple struggling with conception is by donating eggs. If you choose to offer this gift to a couple, it is very important to understand what is required of you as an egg donor. 

Key Takeaways

• Many couples and individuals rely on egg donation to conceive a child for a variety of reasons, ranging from infertility to a desire to prevent genetic diseases.
• The egg donation process consists of extensive testing, a course of hormone treatments, and a brief, simple extraction procedure.
• A typical egg donor is someone between the ages of 21 and 31 who is in generally good health and does not have a predisposition toward inheritable diseases. 

What Is Egg Donation?

Put simply, egg donation is the process by which a healthy and fertile woman donates healthy eggs or oocytes to help another woman conceive a child. The recipient of the egg receives the eggs during assisted reproductive treatments like IVF. This could be for the intended parent or through a surrogate who will carry the baby for the parents-to-be. 

Egg donation works for:

• Assigned females at birth (AFAB) going through menopause
• AFABs who have responded poorly to hormone treatments
• AFABs who have not responded to IVF
• AFABs with genetic disorders they don’t wish to pass on to their children
• AFABs with no reproductive organs like ovaries
• Same-sex couples looking to start a family. 

Just like with other assisted reproductive treatments, the egg donor receives medications to help release several eggs for the egg retrieval process. The eggs are then suctioned from the ovaries and removed. The removed eggs are tested in a laboratory. These eggs can then be used in IVF or other ARTs or frozen for future use.

Egg donation in the United States is regulated by both state and federal governments in order to protect both the donor and any future recipients.

Egg Retrieval Process

Regardless of the motivations behind the procedure, the process of egg donation is relatively similar from case to case.

Pre-screening

Before being accepted as a donor, you will go through a screening process. In many cases, you will be required to fill in a detailed questionnaire that contains information on your family and health background. You may also be required to go through psychological and genetic counseling. The final step will contain certain lab tests such as:

• Blood tests to check blood type, basic blood chemistry, and infectious diseases. 
• Urine tests to look at kidney function 
• An ultrasound to measure your ovarian reserve and function
• Genetic testing to check for genes that can be passed to a child such as cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia.

Before the egg retrieval process can begin, several tests must be conducted to assess the viability of retrieval and the health of the extracted eggs. Bloodwork is done to check for things like genetic conditions and abnormalities, as well as the quantity of eggs in the donor’s ovaries.

Preparation

Once the donation clinic or healthcare provider determines you’re a match, you will be given birth control pills to suppress ovulation. The next steps involve:

• Daily self-injections of hormones for 7 to 14 days after week three of your cycle.
• An injection with a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) for approximately 8-10 days to grow the egg follicles.
• Daily monitoring to ensure the follicles are growing within the set parameters. A fertility clinic like Ivy Fertility will monitor the follicles using vaginal sonograms and blood tests.
• Screening for a sexually transmitted infection
• Another STI (sexually transmitted infections) screening.

After you go through this preparation process successfully, your eggs are now ready for retrieval. 

Egg Retrieval

The healthcare professional must determine the optimal time to retrieve the eggs by checking the diameter of the follicles. When the follicles are ready, a final hormone shot with HCG is administered and the egg retrieval process begins, usually 36 hours after the shot. 

The procedure is done under light sedation and typically takes anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. Using an ultrasound as guidance, a probe is inserted into the ovary through the uterus and a long needle is used to puncture the follicles containing mature eggs. 

The eggs are extracted through the needle and placed in a stable environment for further assessment and potential fertilization. After retrieval, the donor is monitored for at least an hour before being discharged. 

Who Is Eligible for Egg Donation?

Screening criteria for egg donors differ from facility to facility, but one thing they have in common is the age of the donor. They require healthy individuals between the ages of 21 and 31 without significant medical conditions. Other preferences can include:

• Non-smokers
• No genetic diseases. 
• No sexually transmitted infections

In addition to physical well-being, fertility clinics screen prospective donors for psychological criteria as well. The process of retrieving donor eggs is lengthy and can lead donors to ask challenging questions about their role in prospective childbirth, and it’s important to evaluate how these factors might play a role for any would-be donor.

Is Egg Donation Safe?

Egg donation is relatively safe, donors can face some side effects from the hormonal injections and the procedure itself. These side effects are often short-lived and can be alleviated with Tylenol or other over-the-counter pain relief medication. In some extreme cases, doctors may prescribe painkillers to assist with recovery following the retrieval procedure.

Side effects can include:

• Bleeding during retrieval
• Pain or minor bruising 
• Nausea
• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which is characterized by weight gain, swelling, and abdominal pain. While typically relatively mild, about 1 percent of donors experience a more severe form of the condition which may require medical attention to alleviate. 

While the egg retrieval process is safe, there is always some inherent risk associated with procedures involving anesthesia and these kinds of medical equipment. However, a retrospective study found fewer than 1 percent of people experienced complications from the procedure.

Therefore, any acute discomfort from the egg retrieval process should go away within a day or two, and milder discomfort, moodiness, and swelling will be resolved by the beginning of the donor’s next menstrual cycle.

What Are The Legal Implications of Egg Donation?

Egg donation carries some legal ramifications as this involves a potential child. For this reason, many clinics require donors and recipients to sign a contract stipulating the nature of the donor’s relationship to a child born from one of their eggs, many stating the donor will have no relationship with the child. 

These contracts also describe how the donor will be paid and the nature of any other expenses associated with the procedure. Additionally, the contract also stipulates what will happen should the donor choose to back out of the process. Before signing the contract, you can discuss it with a lawyer to understand what you are getting yourself into. 

Egg Donation FAQs

What age can I donate eggs?

You can donate eggs between 20 and 30 years. However, the timeframe differs between clinics. 

How often can you donate eggs?

You can donate eggs up to 6 times in your lifetime, but you must wait two to three months before you donate again. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine offers guidelines on when and how often one can donate eggs.

Will the recipient meet me?

No, especially if you are donating to a clinic. Egg donor arrangements are typically anonymous, meaning you won’t know the recipients and they won’t know you. Only necessary Information about you is shared with the recipients. Personal information like your name or where you live is usually kept private. 

Can I get pregnant during donation?

Yes! You can get pregnant during the process and you must avoid intercourse from the time you start the hormone medication until 3 weeks after your egg retrieval. This will prevent an unwanted pregnancy and make sure the cycle proceeds as planned.

Bottom Line

Navigating the intricate journey of fertility can be a challenging process for many individuals and couples striving to conceive. With advancements in medical science and personalized care approaches, selecting a trusted partner becomes paramount.