Surrogate Mothers Online Q & A: What is involved in being an egg donor?

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Surrogate Mothers Online Q & A

Q & A: Medical Issues - Egg Donation

Topics may include the risks involved in egg donation, side effects from meds, questions about protocol, etc.

17. What is involved in being an egg donor? - Lisa in MI - Top

Dear Lisa,

The process in which to become an egg donor is as follows:

1) You place an ad on SMO or turn in an application with an agency. An agency will require a couple of good pictures of yourself and possibly your children.

2) Psychological Screening and medical screening performed by an agency or by your own independant agreement. The medical screening takes place at the RE's office and includes blood tests on both you and your partner. You will also have an ultrasound, and Pap smear.

3) After completing all the tests, you will be put on a waiting list for a prospective couple. This can take between 3-6 months on average. Once you are picked, you will be asked to call the Dr's office on the first day of your period (Day one).

4) After all of your consent forms have been signed, you will be started on medication approximately 20 days after the first day of your menstrual cycle.

5) The Dr (RE) may decide to put you on either Lupron or birth control pills, to suppress your cycle and to match your cycle to that of the recipient. You will then begin the egg building drugs called Pergonal, Metrodin, Fertinex, Humegon, or Gonal-F. These drugs are given by injection directly into the back of your upper hip (except Fertinex which is a tiny needle). You usually start these on day 3 or 5 of your menstrual cycle and it use the meds for between 7-11 days depending on your protocal. During this time you will have blood draws before 9am every other day, to check your hormone levels, as well as interior ultrasounds to check the folicle development.

6) 36 hours before egg aspiration or retrieval you will be given a shot of HCG (profasi) which must be taken at the precise time the Dr. tells you. This is given so that the eggs will be ready for pick up at the scheduled retrieval, and not release on their own.

7) The retrieval - You will be more then ready for your retrieval, as you will feel "full" and bloated. The RE will give you a sedative in an IV and you will fall asleep. Your legs will be strapped down and spread apart. During this time an ultrasound guided needle will be put inside your vagina and the needle will be pushed through the wall of your uterus, and into the first ovary. The needle will then extract the eggs from each follicle (usually between 5-10 each ovary). Not every follicle will contain an egg, and not all eggs will be good. Some will be immature,and some over-ripe. Then the u/s guided needle will repeat the same procedure in the other ovary. You will wake up and have a small amount of spotting. You may experience some discomfort, and even a little pain. The bloating can last between one week up to three. It really depends on your body. Using a heating pad helps, as well as plenty of fluids.

I have been a donor twice, and have found the process extremely rewarding.

Lisa - Updated: January 21, 2000
Topics may include the risks involved in egg donation, side effects from meds, questions about protocol, etc.

17. What is involved in being an egg donor? - Lisa in MI - Top: Dear Lisa,

The process in which to become an egg donor is as follows:

1) You place an ad on SMO or turn in an application with an agency. An agency will require a couple of good pictures of yourself and possibly your children.

2) Psychological Screening and medical screening performed by an agency or by your own independant agreement. The medical screening takes place at the RE's office and includes blood tests on both you and your partner. You will also have an ultrasound, and Pap smear.

3) After completing all the tests, you will be put on a waiting list for a prospective couple. This can take between 3-6 months on average. Once you are picked, you will be asked to call the Dr's office on the first day of your period (Day one).

4) After all of your consent forms have been signed, you will be started on medication approximately 20 days after the first day of your menstrual cycle.

5) The Dr (RE) may decide to put you on either Lupron or birth control pills, to suppress your cycle and to match your cycle to that of the recipient. You will then begin the egg building drugs called Pergonal, Metrodin, Fertinex, Humegon, or Gonal-F. These drugs are given by injection directly into the back of your upper hip (except Fertinex which is a tiny needle). You usually start these on day 3 or 5 of your menstrual cycle and it use the meds for between 7-11 days depending on your protocal. During this time you will have blood draws before 9am every other day, to check your hormone levels, as well as interior ultrasounds to check the folicle development.

6) 36 hours before egg aspiration or retrieval you will be given a shot of HCG (profasi) which must be taken at the precise time the Dr. tells you. This is given so that the eggs will be ready for pick up at the scheduled retrieval, and not release on their own.

7) The retrieval - You will be more then ready for your retrieval, as you will feel "full" and bloated. The RE will give you a sedative in an IV and you will fall asleep. Your legs will be strapped down and spread apart. During this time an ultrasound guided needle will be put inside your vagina and the needle will be pushed through the wall of your uterus, and into the first ovary. The needle will then extract the eggs from each follicle (usually between 5-10 each ovary). Not every follicle will contain an egg, and not all eggs will be good. Some will be immature,and some over-ripe. Then the u/s guided needle will repeat the same procedure in the other ovary. You will wake up and have a small amount of spotting. You may experience some discomfort, and even a little pain. The bloating can last between one week up to three. It really depends on your body. Using a heating pad helps, as well as plenty of fluids.

I have been a donor twice, and have found the process extremely rewarding.

Lisa - Updated: January 21, 2000

Unless stated otherwise, all responses in the SMO Q&A are courtesy of one or more of the following hosts:

Sherry - Experienced gestational surrogate currently working on her 2nd surrogacy arrangement

Linda - New Mommy to twins born via gestational surrogacy and egg donation

Jennifer S. - Experienced AI surrogate

Lynn - New Mommy to a daughter born via traditional surrogacy

Tracie - 5 time egg donor (triplets, 2 sets of twins and 2 singletons) and 3 time surrogate (2-AI, 1-IVF).

Lisa - Experienced egg donor and previous gestational surrogate currently working on her 2nd surrogacy arrangement (Lisa was our former ED host, prior to July 1999.)
Disclaimer: Responses from SMO Q&A Hosts do not necessarily represent the opinions and ideas of SMO. Neither the Q&A hosts nor SMO guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the responses given here. As such, neither SMO nor the Q&A hosts are responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. Neither SMO nor the Q&A hosts shall be liable or responsible to any person or entity for any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly by the information or ideas contained, suggested, or referenced in these responses.

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