Egg Donation Process for Egg Donors: What to Expect?

20–Something or 30–Something? Would like to make an Egg Donation and would like to know what the process is for Egg Donors? Or wondering why to donate your eggs before deciding to donate? Any reason for exploring the Egg Donation process is awesome as being an Egg Donor means being committed to making someone’s dream of having a screaming Bundle after a long infertility journey finally come true. 

5 Why’s to Make an Egg Donation

• Helping Singles and Couples who cannot conceive using own oocytes
• Without You Being a Mom for Someone is Simply Impossible
• Making a Blueprint in Someone’s Infertility Story is Awesome
• Making the Most Precious Gift to Someone Ever: — 10 perfect little fingers, 10 perfect little toes, big beautiful brown eyes
• An Alternative to Egg Vitrification & Destruction of Your Vitrified Oocytes

Legislation Matters 

Each country has specific regulations and Legislation in Assisted Reproduction including Gamete Donation. Some countries have more limits imposed on donations like anonymous and only altruistic without getting any financial compensation. Some countries have both anonymous and open Egg Donations with financial compensation paid to the donor. And in some countries, Gamete Donation is banned by law. So, before deciding to make an Egg Donation, do spend some time researching some info on legislation in your country or the country you would like to come for donating your oocytes and learn about the criteria they have for egg donors. 

Traveling Egg Donors: Who Are They? 

If you do want to be an Egg Donor but it is impossible in your country, you still have a chance to Donate. In some countries ART law allows foreigners to be gamete donors. This means that you can become an International Egg Donor invited to some fertility clinics located abroad for Egg Donation. 

What Are the Donor Criteria? 

The legislative framework of Gamete Donation also imposes some criteria for the donors. It can be age limit, the donor’s health standards, comprehensive screenings, a limited number of Egg Donations, and so on. But the Standard criteria for Egg Donors in most countries include the following 5 things: 

• Being between 18 and 30–32 years of age
• Being healthy both physically and mentally 
• Having an adequate body mass index
• Having a normal ovarian reserve and regular ovulation
• Not suffering from any hereditary or infectious disease that can be transmitted to the child 

Egg Donation Process for Egg Donors: Your Step–by–Step Guide 

Donating for the first time can be a little bit anxious thing because you don’t know how to get in touch with IVF clinic or Egg Donation Agency, how and where to donate, what criteria are set for the donors, what is the process, will they continue the cycle after getting your screening results, what stimulation will you undergo, does Egg Retrieval hurt, what happens next, what if my country doesn’t allow Egg Donation, will there be any compensation for paying my studying at college/university, just want to help my sister to be a mom, and so on. Having the answers to all these questions will make it easier to make the right decision. So, let’s explore Egg Donation process to understand what to expect. 

Step 1 – Contacting clinic

After contacting the clinic by sending an email with your contact information or calling Reception, you will be scheduled for an Interview (if you are living abroad it will be online, and if you can come to discuss the details, it will be offline). 

Step 2 – Initial Interview 

During the interview, you will discuss the legal framework, the requirement of law, what is a quality donation, and your further steps. The Egg Donor Coordinator will explain in detail the whole process so you will be completely sure before making the decision. 

Step 3 – Health Assessment

You will undergo a standard donor screening before donating your eggs. Some clinics start with a psychological assessment, performed by a psychologist. Some clinics start with a physical assessment and then perform a psychological one. 

Each Egg Donation cycle starts with a brief interview with a gynecologist. Your family, personal, and gynecological medical history will be reviewed. If you did some tests in the past, or earlier this year, they will be also reviewed. 

Plus, standardly, you will undergo: 

• General exam, including blood pressure, height, and weight measurements. 
• Breast exam.
• Pelvic exam.
• Pap smear.
• Collecting samples for subsequent analysis (cytology) to rule out any infection that may flare up during or after egg retrieval.
• Tests for Chlamydia.
• 3D ultrasound scan to confirm that there are no abnormalities or malformations. 

Tests to estimate the Ovarian Reserve:

Pelvic ultrasound scan to count the number of Antral Follicles produced during the first 5 days of the ovarian cycle (Days 3–5 of menses). Average counts of 6 to 12 antral follicles visible on high–resolution ultrasound scanner are considered normal to start the cycle. 

Blood Tests for measuring the levels of the hormones to evaluate the Ovarian Reserve & Functioning (AMH, FSH, LH, and E2). 

A Genetic Test of Ovarian Reserve can be performed if necessary.

Other tests: 

• Blood Group and Rh factor 
• Complete Blood Count/Hemoglobin (CBC/Hb)
• Coagulation tests
• Prolactin (measures the level of the hormone prolactin produced by the pituitary gland. High levels of prolactin can indicate infertility.)
• TSH (Thyroid–Stimulating Hormone) Test
• Screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other viral & infectious diseases (HIV, Syphilis serology, Hepatitis B (HbsAg), Hepatitis C (HCV), Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Virus, 
• Chromosomal & Genetic Tests to exclude the possible presence of abnormalities and hereditary diseases: 
• Chromosome Analysis (Karyotyping)
• Fragile X Syndrome Testing 
• Testing for Thalassemia
• Carrier Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
• Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS) for detecting more than 600 autosomal recessive diseases
• Genetic Compatibility Test (GCT) for screening of more than 2300 genes linked to more than 3000 hereditary diseases 

Step 4 –  Post–screening Interview

As soon as your screening results are ready, you will have an appointment with a fertility specialist to discuss the results. And if the results are normal, you will start the Stimulation stage. 

Step 5 – Ovarian Stimulation: Single or Duo–Stimulation Protocol 

It usually starts on the second or third day of your menses and ends on day 14 if you have a regular cycle. Whilst stimulation, you are injected every day with gonadotropins (FSH and HMG) which are the hormones involved in reproduction regulation. They usually go along with medication so the follicles don’t ovulate spontaneously once they are fully developed and can be captured during ovarian puncture and Egg Retrieval.

If after an initial stimulation in the follicular phase, you don’t obtain an optimal number of oocytes, you might be transferred to undergo Duo–Stimulation Protocol. It is an Ovarian Stimulation Protocol in which 2 stimulations and 2 Oocyte Collections are performed during a single menstrual cycle (approximately 24–28 days). The first stimulation is done in the follicular phase and the second stimulation in the luteal phase. This kind of stimulation Protocol is designed for boosting the number of eggs produced by your ovaries.

Step 6 – Monitoring and Testing

For obtaining an optimal number of oocytes, you will attend follow–up appointments with your gynecologist for making ultrasound scans and blood tests during the stimulation stage. Both scans and tests are performed to determine the response of your ovaries to stimulation and correct the doses of hormones and medication you are taking. 

Step 7 – Trigger Shot

When an ultrasound scan confirms the existence of several follicles sized 18 to 20 millimeters and the uterine lining is at least 7mm, you will be given a Trigger Shot for triggering ovulation. A Trigger Shot is an injection of hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) hormone routinely done before Egg Collection. Standardly, Egg Collection is performed 36 hours after the Trigger Shot. 

Step 8 – Egg Retrieval

Egg Retrieval also called Follicular Aspiration is performed under the guidance of ultrasound under local anesthesia and sedation medication for making it completely painless while the eggs are retrieved together with the follicular liquid. This process takes only 15–30 minutes and doesn’t require hospitalization or staying at clinic overnight. 

Step 9 – Fresh Egg Donation or Egg Vitrification & Storage 

After Egg Donation, your oocytes will be used in a fresh or frozen IVF cycle. If used in a fresh cycle, they will be placed in the Petri Dish for IVF or injected with sperm in ICSI, IMSI, or PICSI cycle at IVF lab. If you donated eggs and they are not used in a fresh cycle, they will be cryopreserved and stored in the bank while waiting for being used in IVF with the donor’s eggs. 

Step 10 – Getting Compensation 

If the legislative framework of Gamete Donation includes financial compensation for donors, you will get paid for donation. Egg Donor compensation varies from country to country and can be up to $10,000 per cycle or even higher depending on egg quality & quantity. For altruistic donation, the donor doesn’t get any financial compensation. 

By donating your eggs you will help infertile Singles and Couples who cannot produce the oocytes because their ovaries simply don’t work or they don’t have ovaries at all, or there are no oocytes left in their ovarian reserve, Singles and Couples who have undergone Cancer Treatment, Singles and Couples with chromosomal and genetic abnormalities who want their baby to be free from their disease. In any case, you will make a Miracle by donating your eggs as almost every oocyte you donated after being fertilized, in 9 months can be someone’s beautiful and screaming baby.