Egg Donation Process
There is nothing more beautiful than the gift of life. Essentially, that’s what you’re giving someone if you choose to donate your eggs. You are making someone’s life much happier.
Egg donation is the process of giving your fertilized eggs to another woman, who could not conceive a child.
Overall, the process takes about 2 to 3 months. During the whole process, the donator is monitored and taken care of. If you choose to become one, our donation agency will ensure you have the most comfortable experience possible.
The donation process starts with your application. After you apply, we will match you to a recipient. Afterward, you can move on to the next part.
You needn’t worry, as our egg donor agency in San Diego will guide you throughout the whole egg donation process.
Step 1: Screening Process
Before the fertilization process starts, you need to undergo a few tests. The screening process itself takes around 6 to 10 weeks. The testing includes:
Fertility screening
This part includes blood tests and sonograms, as well as pelvic and physical exams. The purpose of these exams is to check your fertility status and determine whether you’re able to donate.
Medical screening
Then you’ll be tested for hormone levels, infectious diseases, drug and nicotine use, as well as your blood type. You’ll need to redo these tests later in the process as well, in case of an STI.
Genetic screening
In this part, they’ll check your DNA for genetic disorders by running a series of blood tests. Your family history will also be examined for disorders like Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
Psychological screening
You’ll also need to talk to a psychologist. They will evaluate your motives and make sure you fully understand and accept all the pros and cons of egg donation.
Step 2: Ovarian Stimulation
During the ovarian stimulation phase, your body is getting ready for fertilization. You’ll need to take several medications that will trigger the growth of the follicles. These medications include:
Birth control pills
The menstrual cycles of you and your recipient will be synchronized using birth control pills.
Hormonal medications
Hormonal medications are vital for the whole egg donation process. Without them, it wouldn’t even be possible. Here are some reasons why:
- They enable timing control of your cycle, which is crucial. The eggs need to be retrieved at an exact period of your cycle before the ovulation occurs. Timing control allows doctors to predict when that will happen.
- Hormonal medications also stimulate follicle growth. The medication helps them grow quicker and in large numbers. The more follicles your ovaries produce, the more conception opportunities there are.
The hormone is FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), which you’ll need to inject every day for about 10 days.
Step 3: Monitoring
Monitoring is the tracking of your follicle growth progress. It is a fairly straightforward process that includes the ultrasound and blood testing.
Monitoring is also important because it can prevent the Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome.
Ultrasounds
An ultrasound is a painless procedure that uses wave signals to produce an image of your inner structure. Also, it’s completely safe. It doesn’t have any side effects that you should worry about.
Using the ultrasound, the doctor or nurse can check on your follicle growth process and even foresee when the actual ovulation is going to happen. The ultrasound image will clearly show whether the ovarian follicles have grown. If they have, the doctors will be able to measure them.
Blood tests
Blood tests are also used to monitor follicle growth. When follicles grow, they stimulate estradiol secretion. If the blood tests show high estradiol levels, then it’s clear that the development process is going well.
Step 4: Retrieval
When the follicles grow to a certain size and the doctors determine it’s time, you’ll get the HCG shot. The HCG will trigger the final development phase and prepare the eggs for retrieval.
The actual procedure will take place exactly 36 hours later.
This procedure calls for some light sedation, which should numb any pain you might feel. By inserting a small aspiration needle in your vagina wall, the doctor or nurse will slowly recover the eggs from your ovaries. They’ll use the ultrasound to navigate the needle and monitor the retrieval.
This process doesn’t take long — only around half an hour. However, you’ll need to stay at the clinic for another couple of hours until the anesthesia wears off. When you get home, you should rest as much as you can. Besides that, you should avoid strenuous physical activity and overexertion for the next couple of days.