Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, egg donors do have a genetic connection to any children conceived from their eggs. They do not, however, have any parental relationship or responsibility to the children.
The recommended number of times a woman can donate her eggs is 6 times.
Some donors, once they have successfully helped someone grow a family, wish to make another donation. It is an incredibly fulfilling feeling, and we understand why such caring and remarkable women want to come back more than once.
Yes, you can still donate eggs if you’ve had a hysterectomy. We would, however, carefully investigate the reason for the hysterectomy at such a young age to determine if you would qualify to be an egg donor.
Yes, you can still donate your eggs if you have had your tubes tied! Tubal ligation only affects your fallopian tubes, not your ovaries and egg production.
You will be under sedation and feel no pain for the actual egg retrieval procedure, which takes just under 30 minutes to complete. Some women experience mild cramping or light bleeding in the days immediately after the process, but these side effects will not last.
The only part of the egg donation process that might be uncomfortable is the at-home hormone injections. A nurse will teach you how to properly self-administer them, and the needle is so small that most women do not report any significant discomfort.The short answer is yes! We understand that, for many women, birth control offers the safest method of protection against unwanted pregnancy, and we would not want you to be deterred simply because you are taking precautions.
Some forms of birth control may need to be removed or changed before you are eligible to donate.
If you are currently using a non-accepted form of birth control for at least 6 months before being eligible to donate. As with all things regarding your healthcare, always consult your OB/GYN before changing your birth control.
Yes, you can donate without health insurance. The recipient parents will be responsible for purchasing an insurance plan that covers all the egg donation expenses.
Your ovaries typically release one mature egg per month. The FSH injections you will self-administer stimulate your ovaries to increase the number of eggs that mature in a single cycle.
The exact number of retrieved eggs will vary from woman to woman. However, the average number retrieved in a single donation ranges from 10 to 20 eggs. Healthy, fertile women in their 20s have hundreds of thousands of viable eggs, so these retrievals don’t even come close to taking all of your eggs.
At Everie, we use a technological enrollment system called EDC Nexus. This database will house all of your medical history and information. Additionally, EDC Nexus will email you every 2 years, prompting you to update your medical information. This allows us to account for any new developments in your health.
Occasionally, a donor might develop a medical condition or receive a diagnosis after completing their donation. We never want our donors to feel guilty about updating their Nexus database with “bad news”, or that they are letting down the recipient parents or donor-conceived child(ren). We want our donors to be as transparent as possible so that recipient parents and donor-conceived children have all the necessary information about their medical history to prepare for any obstacles that might come their way.
Your honesty and commitment to updating your medical information is vital to the genetic inheritability of the donor-conceived child.
The first part of the egg donation process requires you to self-administer a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) via needle injection. FSH is used to stimulate the ovaries so that they produce multiple eggs at once rather than the typical one egg per cycle.
The self-injections might be enough for some potential donors to take a step back and reevaluate whether or not they want to continue with this procedure, as some people might have a fear of needles.
If needles do not make you nervous or uncomfortable, then you have little to worry about, as the needles used to administer the FSH are very thin. While the injection might cause momentary, mild discomfort, it should not cause any significant pain. Plus, one of the clinic team members will teach you the best, most pain-free way to self-administer the injections to keep discomfort at a minimum.
You might experience bloating and irritability during this pre-retrieval phase, as a result of the hormonal injections, but those should be temporary side effects
Pre-Retrieval
1/4
The first part of the egg donation process requires you to self-administer a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) via needle injection. FSH is used to stimulate the ovaries so that they produce multiple eggs at once rather than the typical one egg per cycle. The self-injections might be enough for some potential donors to take a step back and reevaluate whether or not they want to continue with this procedure, as some people might have a fear of needles. If needles do not make you nervous or uncomfortable, then you have little to worry about, as the needles used to administer the FSH are very thin. While the injection might cause momentary, mild discomfort, it should not cause any significant pain. Plus, one of the clinic team members will teach you the best, most pain-free way to self-administer the injections to keep discomfort at a minimum. You might experience bloating and irritability during this pre-retrieval phase, as a result of the hormonal injections, but those should be temporary side effects
On egg retrieval day, you will be brought into the clinic. You will be comfortably sedated while your eggs are extracted using a technique called transvaginal oocyte retrieval.
An ultrasound probe will be inserted into your vagina to guide a needle into an ovarian follicle. The needle, connected to a suction device, will retrieve the eggs. Because you are under sedation, you will not feel any pain or discomfort during this procedure. While this may sound a little complicated and perhaps scary, know that fertility doctors perform this procedure routinely for patients and know how to keep you comfortable both physically and emotionally.
Retrieval
2/4
On egg retrieval day, you will be brought into the clinic. You will be comfortably sedated while your eggs are extracted using a technique called transvaginal oocyte retrieval. An ultrasound probe will be inserted into your vagina to guide a needle into an ovarian follicle. The needle, connected to a suction device, will retrieve the eggs. Because you are under sedation, you will not feel any pain or discomfort during this procedure. While this may sound a little complicated and perhaps scary, know that fertility doctors perform this procedure routinely for patients and know how to keep you comfortable both physically and emotionally.
The Recovery
3/4
Once you wake from the sedation, you might feel tired or groggy. Your clinic team will be there when you wake up, ready to take care of you and address any needs you may have. You will need a support person to take you home afterwards, as you are not allowed to operate a vehicle.
After the retrieval you may experience some mild vaginal bleeding and/or cramping. While this might last for a week or more post-procedure, many women report these symptoms are similar to feelings they have during their periods and usually subside by the following day.
What Are Egg Donation Risks?
4/4
More often than not, donors only experience mild to moderate side effects of the FSH, including bloating and irritability, as aforementioned, and sometimes breast tenderness, bruising at the injection site, and an upset stomach. Aside from these possible side effects, the primary risk of using FSH is a condition called Ovarian Hyper-stimulation Syndrome (OHSS). OHSS can cause weight gain, uncomfortable bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and ovary tenderness. These symptoms typically go away after a week. In extremely rare cases, a donor might develop a severe case of OHSS. This causes more intense symptoms, such as blood clots, abdominal pain, rapid weight gain, enlarged abdomen, persistent nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. The risk for OHSS, however, is very low. You will be carefully monitored by your physician, ensuring your FSH levels are the appropriate amount for your body and your health. During the roughly ten days of self-administered injections, you will be seen by your physician each day for close monitoring. This helps prevent OHSS and any other adverse side effects from going unnoticed or untreated. Another rare but potential risk is a condition called ovarian torsion, which occurs when the ovary, and sometimes the fallopian tube, twist on the tissues that support them. This cuts off the ovary’s blood supply. If gone untreated, an ovarian torsion causes tissue in the organ to die. To err on the side of caution, we ask our donors to stop exercising — this even includes yoga — for about a month to limit the chances of a torsion occurring. Lastly, pregnancy is actually a risk while going through the egg donation process because you are going to be super fertile during this time. So, just keep that in mind and take the proper precautions. It’s natural to worry about the long term side effects of egg donation, but the likelihood of developing any complications is very low. However, we want our donors to feel comfortable and informed when making this momentous decision and are here to support you in any way we can.
Does It Hurt To Donate Eggs?
You will not feel pain or discomfort during egg retrieval because you will be comfortably sedated. While the fear of pain or adverse side effects may be one of the biggest deterrents for potential egg donors, we assure you that every step of this process is not only safe but minimally invasive with minimal discomfort and few rare side effects.
We’ll walk with you step-by-step through the process and address any concerns: Is egg donation painful? What is egg donation like? What are the possible side effects and risks of egg donation? What is recovery from egg donation like?
What To Expect
How to Find an Egg Donor Bank or Egg Donation Program
Donors typically find out about the egg donation process through one of three ways: an online search, referral, or advertisements.
If they are not referred to a specific agency, many donors begin searching for an egg donor bank or agency through location-specific searches. However, you shouldn’t limit your search to locations close to you, as an egg donation agency will cover any and all travel expenses for you to donate your eggs with them.
Your search for the right bank or program should be driven by your own research, asking questions, and finding a place that values who you are as an individual and the magnitude of what you're doing — a place like Everie.
Getting Started
Once you have found a place that resonates with you or, perhaps, you find several that interest you, you will begin by filling out their application.
Egg Bank vs. Egg Donation Agency vs.
Egg Donor Program
First, let’s break down the different offerings available to you to donate your eggs: an egg bank, an egg donor agency, or an egg donor program.
An egg bank
Typically only accepts frozen egg donations as they focus on the storage of frozen eggs and having them readily available. This can make it more financially accessible for some recipient parents.
An egg donor agency
Will accept both fresh and frozen egg donations. An agency typically refers to a program that matches donors to recipients but doesn’t perform the clinical services.
An egg donor program
Can be either an agency or a full service center, where clinical services are coordinated. Many clinics have their own egg donor programs.
Everie is an egg donor program because we manage both fresh and frozen eggs and coordinate clinical services through our clinical partnerships. This combination allows us to be a full service option for our donors!
Where Can I Donate My Eggs?
If you’re curious about becoming an egg donor, finding the right place for you might help make up your mind one way or the other. The right place will make you feel cared for, encouraged, and should fairly compensate you for your donation.