Resources
Full Glossary
Assisted Reproduction; Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
Medical procedures and techniques used to help couples and individuals grow their families such as in vitro fertilization egg donation and surrogacy.
Blastocyst
A rapidly dividing group of cells that will develop into an embryo; in IVF blastocysts are cultured from fertilized eggs in a lab setting and then transferred into the recipient parent or gestational carrier’s uterus.
Donor Egg IVF
A form of IVF that uses donated eggs rather than the recipient parent’s eggs.
Donor-Conceived Individual
An individual conceived from donated eggs and/or sperm.
Egg Bank
An egg donor program that specializes in frozen egg donation.
Egg Donor
A woman who voluntarily donates her eggs for use in assisted reproduction.
Egg Donor Agency
An egg donor program specializing in fresh egg donation.
Egg Donor Program
An assisted reproduction entity that facilitates the donation of eggs by matching an egg donor with recipient parents.
Egg Recipient
The recipient parent or gestational carrier who will be carrying the pregnancy.
Egg Retrieval
A surgical procedure to collect multiple mature eggs for use in IVF.
Embryo
A developing human baby from the period of uterine implantation to its progression into a fetus.
Embryo Transfer
A procedure wherein a fertilized egg at the blastocyst stage is inserted into the recipient parent or surrogate’s uterus.
Embryologist
A medical professional who specializes in fertility treatments.
Fertility Clinic
A specialized medical facility that provides assisted reproductive services including IVF and other fertility treatments.
Fetus
An unborn baby that has developed from an embryo.
Fresh Egg Donation
A type of egg donation in which eggs are fertilized immediately after retrieval. The developed blastocysts can be transferred within days of retrieval or preserved for future use.
Frozen Egg Donation
A type of egg donation where frozen eggs are cryogenically preserved upon retrieval and thawed and fertilized at a later date.
Gestational Surrogacy
A type of surrogacy in which a woman (the surrogate or “gestational carrier”) carries a baby for someone else and has no genetic link to them.
Gestational Surrogate
A surrogate who does not contribute biologically to the child she is carrying. Also known as a gestational carrier.
ID Release Donor
An egg donor who withholds her identity and contact information until any child conceived from her eggs comes of age and requests to know more about her.
IVF Cycle
The collective stages of treatment to retrieve and fertilize eggs and develop and transfer an embryo for assisted reproduction.
Implantation
The process by which a blastocyst attaches itself to the uterine wall thereby beginning the egg recipient’s pregnancy.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
A medical procedure that fertilizes eggs in a lab setting and cultures them into blastocysts for use in assisted reproduction.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
An IVF technique used on thawed frozen eggs that involves manually injecting a single sperm directly into an egg.
Known Donor
An egg donor who chooses to disclose her identity to the recipient parent(s) and their donor-conceived children.
Known Egg Donation
A type of egg donation in which the egg donor’s identity and contact details are shared with the recipient parent(s) and available to their donor-conceived children at any time.
Legal Parentage
Parental rights and responsibilities established either biologically or through a formal legal process such as adoption pre-birth orders or surrogacy and egg donor contracts.
Mutual Match™
Everie’s egg donor matching process that involves a two-"yes” rule; both the egg donor and the recipient parent(s) must provide informed consent in order to work with one another.
Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing (PGT)
A series of tests completed before the embryo transfer procedure; these tests look for chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders and can even detect the embryo’s gender.
Recipient Parent(s)
The individual or couple who receives the donor’s eggs to grow their families through assisted reproduction.
Semi-Known Donor
An egg donor who is willing to share limited identifying information with the recipient parent(s) and their donor-conceived children. For example a semi-known donor might only share her first name and choose not to provide her contact details.
Sperm Donor
A man who voluntarily donates his sperm for use in assisted reproduction.
Surrogacy
An arrangement wherein a woman carries and gives birth to a child on behalf of another individual or couple.
Surrogacy Agreement; Surrogacy Contract
A legally binding agreement between the surrogate and the individual or couple who intend to have legal parentage over a surrogate-born child.
Surrogate
A woman who carries and gives birth to a child on behalf of an individual or couple.
Vitrification
The “flash freezing” process to cryopreserve eggs and blastocysts for future use.
Assisted Reproduction; Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
Medical procedures and techniques used to help couples and individuals grow their families such as in vitro fertilization egg donation and surrogacy.
Blastocyst
A rapidly dividing group of cells that will develop into an embryo; in IVF blastocysts are cultured from fertilized eggs in a lab setting and then transferred into the recipient parent or gestational carrier’s uterus.
Donor Egg IVF
A form of IVF that uses donated eggs rather than the recipient parent’s eggs.
Donor-Conceived Individual
An individual conceived from donated eggs and/or sperm.
Egg Bank
An egg donor program that specializes in frozen egg donation.
Egg Donor
A woman who voluntarily donates her eggs for use in assisted reproduction.
Egg Donor Agency
An egg donor program specializing in fresh egg donation.
Egg Donor Program
An assisted reproduction entity that facilitates the donation of eggs by matching an egg donor with recipient parents.
Egg Recipient
The recipient parent or gestational carrier who will be carrying the pregnancy.
Egg Retrieval
A surgical procedure to collect multiple mature eggs for use in IVF.
Embryo
A developing human baby from the period of uterine implantation to its progression into a fetus.
Embryo Transfer
A procedure wherein a fertilized egg at the blastocyst stage is inserted into the recipient parent or surrogate’s uterus.
Embryologist
A medical professional who specializes in fertility treatments.
Fertility Clinic
A specialized medical facility that provides assisted reproductive services including IVF and other fertility treatments.
Fetus
An unborn baby that has developed from an embryo.
Fresh Egg Donation
A type of egg donation in which eggs are fertilized immediately after retrieval. The developed blastocysts can be transferred within days of retrieval or preserved for future use.
Frozen Egg Donation
A type of egg donation where frozen eggs are cryogenically preserved upon retrieval and thawed and fertilized at a later date.
Gestational Surrogacy
A type of surrogacy in which a woman (the surrogate or “gestational carrier”) carries a baby for someone else and has no genetic link to them.
Gestational Surrogate
A surrogate who does not contribute biologically to the child she is carrying. Also known as a gestational carrier.
ID Release Donor
An egg donor who withholds her identity and contact information until any child conceived from her eggs comes of age and requests to know more about her.
IVF Cycle
The collective stages of treatment to retrieve and fertilize eggs and develop and transfer an embryo for assisted reproduction.
Implantation
The process by which a blastocyst attaches itself to the uterine wall thereby beginning the egg recipient’s pregnancy.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
A medical procedure that fertilizes eggs in a lab setting and cultures them into blastocysts for use in assisted reproduction.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
An IVF technique used on thawed frozen eggs that involves manually injecting a single sperm directly into an egg.
Known Donor
An egg donor who chooses to disclose her identity to the recipient parent(s) and their donor-conceived children.
Known Egg Donation
A type of egg donation in which the egg donor’s identity and contact details are shared with the recipient parent(s) and available to their donor-conceived children at any time.
Legal Parentage
Parental rights and responsibilities established either biologically or through a formal legal process such as adoption pre-birth orders or surrogacy and egg donor contracts.
Mutual Match™
Everie’s egg donor matching process that involves a two-"yes” rule; both the egg donor and the recipient parent(s) must provide informed consent in order to work with one another.
Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing (PGT)
A series of tests completed before the embryo transfer procedure; these tests look for chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders and can even detect the embryo’s gender.
Recipient Parent(s)
The individual or couple who receives the donor’s eggs to grow their families through assisted reproduction.
Semi-Known Donor
An egg donor who is willing to share limited identifying information with the recipient parent(s) and their donor-conceived children. For example a semi-known donor might only share her first name and choose not to provide her contact details.
Sperm Donor
A man who voluntarily donates his sperm for use in assisted reproduction.
Surrogacy
An arrangement wherein a woman carries and gives birth to a child on behalf of another individual or couple.
Surrogacy Agreement; Surrogacy Contract
A legally binding agreement between the surrogate and the individual or couple who intend to have legal parentage over a surrogate-born child.
Surrogate
A woman who carries and gives birth to a child on behalf of an individual or couple.
Vitrification
The “flash freezing” process to cryopreserve eggs and blastocysts for future use.
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Topics
Audience
What happens after you've generously donated your eggs? Learn what you can expect emotionally, physically, and interpersonally in this post from Embra Health's Dr. Sadaf Sahibzada.
Egg Donor Process: You’ve Donated Your Eggs, Now What?
Donor Resources
Donors
This is just the beginning of building your family, and you have many decisions to make. One of the most impactful decisions is whether to choose a disclosed egg donor—one who is fully or partially known to you or whose information your child can seek when they're older. Learn why Everie advocates for choosing known (disclosed) egg donors for intentional, informed, and inclusive decision-making.
Benefits of Choosing Known Egg Donors
Fertility and IVF
Parents
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At Everie, we equip our donors with the knowledge and power to choose the type of donation—fresh or frozen—that best suits you and your needs. From the moment you decide to become an egg donor to choosing the type of relationship you want with your intended parents, you control your own journey. Learn more.
Fresh vs. Frozen Egg Donation: Pros and Cons
Fertility and IVF
Donors
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As a recipient parent, knowing what to expect and when is crucial for a smooth family planning journey. Learn more about the IVF and egg donation timeline.
How Long Does the IVF Process Take When Using an Egg Donor?
Fertility and IVF
Parents
Egg Donor Process: You’ve Donated Your Eggs, Now What?
What happens after you've generously donated your eggs? Learn what you can expect emotionally, physically, and interpersonally in this post from Embra Health's Dr. Sadaf Sahibzada.
October 10, 2023
Parents
Testimonials
“My husband and I were both hoping to eventually be bio dads so that our children had a genetic link via our egg donor (their bio mom.) The most important thing was that we were looking for an egg donor who had a blend of our ethnicities. Aside from that, we were looking for an egg donor who had a healthy family background and no history of mental illness. We wanted an egg donor who would be open to contact with our children in the future, if it was something that they wanted.”
Carlos
Dad Through Egg Donation
,
“My last two donations were fully known to the same set of intended parents, I was able to meet my IPs in person and I felt a connection that would last a lifetime. I felt nothing but gratitude for my IP’s after hearing their journey, I can’t wait to hear updates on a life that they’ve dreamt of. ”
Experienced Egg Donor
Tia
“I prefer the idea of a known or a semi-known donation with a strong preference for known... And part of the reason that was important for me, is because…my mother passed away when I was very young. And there were questions that I had about my biology throughout my life to this very day that literally nobody could answer for me... It was tough to grow up with a biological parent, and yet have no sense of how their biology actually impacted me. And I didn't want that for my children. I wanted them to be able to reach out if they had a question about something, or if something changed in terms of the donor's health status, something that could be passed along genetically, so that she could call us and say, "Hey, this is what's going on.”
Mother Through Egg Donation
Kate
"Parents are the guardians of their children's history. It's up to us to tell our children that story. This story is theirs, not mine. I feel it's my duty to tell them how they came to life. And the 1st gift I could give them is to make them able to know everything! …From this journey, the question of choosing a known or unknown donation became an obvious one. …Our children are now 8 and 4 years old. We have just returned from a wonderful trip to the US where we met our donor again, almost 10 years after the egg donation. I was very happy that my children could better understand their story. Our donor is incredible. I also realized how much easier it was for her to get to know us, to know what we were becoming, rather than being in the dark. "
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Parent Through Egg Donation
Fabien
Read all about the Everie experience from our donors and parents.
Frequently Asked Questions for Donors
We will cut to the chase here. 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. That being said, you might wonder, what are the limitations of donating eggs?
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the leading nonprofit multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine, has concluded there is a finite number of times a donor can undergo a donation cycle.
ASRM has advised limiting the number of a donor’s stimulated cycles to 6 times. Furthermore, they recommend limiting the successful number of donations from a single donor to no more than 25 families per population of 800,000. This recommendation is made in an effort to limit concerns regarding too many blood-related children from different families in one geographic location. The best way to do this will be more reliant on the number of donation cycles than anything else.
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.
Really, 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.
So, yes, you can donate your eggs if you are on certain forms of birth control, such as birth control pills, the nuva ring, the patch, and any IUD. However, you must have non-copper hormonal IUDs removed if you are matched before cycling.
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.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions from donors and parents. For more than 25 years, Everie’s industry-leading team has helped countless parents grow their families through egg donation. We understand the process inside out—and are even revolutionizing it! Find out more about Everie, the egg donation process, IVF, and more in our FAQs.
Frequently Asked Questions for Parents
Everie is a pioneer in the fertility landscape, combining decades of experience with a fresh vision of what egg donation should be. We believe in thoughtful, forward-looking decision-making so that your future children can grow up secure in their identities and proud of their origins, with the power to learn more about their family history.
With Everie, you will find unparalleled support and expertise and our unwavering commitment to you, your egg donor, and the family you help grow together. Learn more about what sets us apart in the questions below.
Everie supports every person’s path to parenthood. Whether you are partnered, single, heterosexual, LGBTQIA+, facing fertility issues, or consciously choosing to grow your family a different way, there is a home for you here.
One of our proudest contributions to the assisted reproduction community is the concept of a Mutual Match™.
Traditionally, egg donors aren’t aware when their eggs are used or by whom. Giving both the donor and the recipient parents the chance to say “yes” to one another is the basis for our Mutual Match™. Egg donation touches many lives, and we believe each person should be considered in the decision—especially your future children.
Aligning with a donor about short and long-term expectations and feeling a genuine kinship with one another brings more confidence and warmth to a process that can easily feel transactional or antiseptic.
Everie encourages disclosed donation, which involves sharing donor-identifying information with recipient parents and children conceived from the donors’ eggs.
Our donors can choose the level of disclosure they are most comfortable providing, whether it is sharing all their contact information (“known”), giving a first name only (“Semi-Known”), or keeping their identity suppressed until the donor-conceived children come of age and request information about them (“ID Release”).
We believe in the power of disclosed donation to create a strong foundation for a child’s identity. At Everie, we are working toward a vibrant, inclusive future where the next generation can know their origins without shame or secrecy and take pride in all the people who helped create their families.
Egg donation is the process whereby an egg donor voluntarily provides some of her eggs for use in another individual or couple’s family building.
The egg donor undergoes hormone stimulation to produce multiple eggs that are then retrieved in a minimally invasive procedure.
In a fresh egg donation cycle, these eggs are fertilized in a laboratory and cultured into blastocysts (pre-embryonic cells).
Recipient parents can freeze these blastocysts for future use, or, if they choose to have the donor and parent/carrier synchronize their cycles prior to the retrieval process, they can have a blastocyst transferred to the recipient’s uterus as soon as it is ready.
By contrast, a frozen egg donation cycle vitrifies (flash freezes) the retrieved eggs for use at a later date. Once thawed, the eggs are fertilized and undergo the same embryo development and transfer process.
Typically, choosing an egg donor involves reviewing donor profiles in a database and looking for someone who resonates most with you. At Everie, you can see photos and videos of our donors and learn about their medical and family history, education, interests, and more. You will also get to read in their own words why they are choosing to donate their eggs.
Please read our article about egg donor selection criteria to learn more about finding the right egg donor for you.
Everie thoroughly vets our egg donors. All of our donors are young, healthy women who have passed comprehensive evaluations of their physical and psychological health to ensure they are suitable candidates for egg donation.
Egg donation can involve either fresh or frozen egg donation cycles. Traditionally, these have been aligned with different egg donor program models: Egg donor agencies usually work with fresh egg donation, and egg banks typically provide frozen eggs.
Everie offers recipient parents the flexibility to choose the donation type that is best for them. Fresh eggs are more expensive and require greater logistical coordination but are available in larger (though irregular) quantities.
Frozen eggs, meanwhile, are typically acquired in batches of 6 and give recipient parents more control over the timing of their family building.
Everie offers three types of egg donation based on the level of identity disclosure that our egg donors are comfortable sharing. The different types are:
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Known donation – full donor identity disclosure with contact information shared
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Semi-known donation – limited donor identity disclosure without contact information
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ID Release donation – donor identity is concealed until donor-conceived children come of age and request information
We cover the different considerations for identity disclosure in our related article.
You can read more about types of egg donation here.-
Egg donors typically do not have any parental rights over children conceived from their eggs. However, an egg donor agreement or other contract can help establish a recipient parent's legal parentage in a binding, written form.
Egg retrieval is a minimally invasive procedure that uses ultrasound imaging to guide the fertility specialist in collecting the eggs. The egg donor’s ovaries have been hormonally stimulated to increase her egg production; these eggs are aspirated through a thin needle and then placed in a culture medium.
On average, 10 to 20 eggs (or more!) can be retrieved during egg donation. Fresh egg recipient parents will get all the eggs, while frozen egg donations are divided into batches of 6 eggs and can be used by one or more recipient parents.
Frozen eggs are vitrified (cryogenically preserved) after retrieval, while fresh eggs are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory setting.
These fertilized eggs are closely monitored as they develop into pre-embryonic cells called blastocysts over 5 days.
Recipient parents can typically expect 30% to 50% of fertilized eggs to reach this stage of development. With Everie, we offer a one-blastocyst minimum guarantee for frozen egg recipients; if no viable blastocyst emerges from your batch of eggs, we will provide you with another batch of 6 eggs at no extra cost.
Using a thin catheter, the embryologist uses ultrasound imaging to transfer a blastocyst into the recipient’s (or gestational carrier’s) uterus. It will take nearly 10 days to discover whether the blastocyst has developed into an embryo and successfully implanted into the uterine wall, confirming a pregnancy.