Being selected as an egg donor is the first step in an exciting journey to make someone’s dream of becoming a parent come true. The team behind Egg Donation, Inc. are motivated to make sure your egg donation experience is every bit as rewarding and positive as it is for the intended parent to find their perfect match.
At EDI, we give you 1:1 support. From the initial step of creating a profile, you will be paired with our Egg Donor Coordinator who will be with you every step of the way. There’s no greater gift than giving someone a chance to have the baby and when you begin your egg donation journey with us you become part of a sisterhood like none other.
Once you are matched, the time commitment will vary, but typically will be 1-3 months and will require 6-8 clinic appointments. Although that sounds like a big commitment, much of it is mostly waiting. Here’s how the egg donation process works:
Getting Started: You will need to complete an online application and submit it along with photos of yourself. Our donor coordinator will review your submission and schedule a time to meet with you in person, Skype, or FaceTime.
Initial Screening: If you are a first-time donor (or a repeat donor who has not cycled in a while), once selected, you will have an initial screening visit to the doctor’s office. If you are traveling for the cycle or if the Reproductive office is a distance from your home, you may have some of your pre-testing visits at a local clinic that your case manager will identify for you.
Medical Screening: When your pre-testing results are optimal, and you have been psychologically cleared, the cycling doctor will want to meet you for the first time to conduct his own medical and genetic screening.
Legal Process: When you have been medically cleared by the doctor but before beginning stimulation medications, there is a legal process to go through. You will be assigned an attorney who will finalize the legal contract between you and the intended parents. When the intended parent’s attorney receives the signed contracts, he or she will issue a clearance letter that enables the doctor to start the medical cycle.
Synchronization and Stimulation: Your doctor will create a medications calendar for you. These medications will stimulate your ovaries to produce the eggs needed for the donation. The medications you’ll take include birth control pills to synchronize your cycle with that of the carrier, along with daily injections of hormones that increase the number of follicles developing in your ovaries.
Finally, you will inject HCG, which prompts the final stage of maturation and egg retrieval timing. HCG is a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates ovulation. The doctor will provide you with complete instructions on how to use these medications and answer any other questions you might have. During this time, you will also be monitored to test hormone levels and egg growth.
Egg Retrieval: When the eggs are mature, you will return to the cycling doctor for the egg retrieval, which is usually scheduled early in the morning. The egg retrieval procedure takes about 20–30 minutes and requires about one to two hours of postoperative recovery. The egg retrieval is performed vaginally, and the eggs are aspirated with an ultrasound guided needle. During the procedure, you will be under light sedation. You will need to have a companion drive you to and from the procedure, and we recommend that you clear your schedule, so you may rest for the remainder of the day. It is very common to experience some cramping and spotting following the process.
Our egg donation program has helped thousands of future parents, from all around the world, experience the miracle of life. Being a part of the most comprehensive egg donation program in the industry is an extraordinary feeling and we invite you to contact us about becoming an egg donor. We look forward to hearing from you!