Egg Donation Timeline with Family Creations

Becoming an egg donor is an emotionally rewarding experience that allows you to help others build the families they may not be able to create on their own. To help you understand all your responsibilities, we’ve created a step-by-step guide for the egg donation process that can help you better plan and anticipate what you’ll need to do.

Egg Donor Screening and Acceptance

egg donor screening interview

No matter who you are, the first requirement in our egg donation process step by step guide involves rigorous screenings to guarantee donor health, medical history, and much more. We want you to be physically and mentally prepared for everything you experience during the egg donation timeline. 

You will start by filling out our Intake Form to provide our team with information on your social and medical history. Once the application is accepted, you will be scheduled for a video interview for you and our team to get to know each other better. During your interview, you can ask questions about the egg donation process and timeline. 

Once the screening process is completed, our team will do a final review of your file to determine your eligibility to become an egg donor. Once approved, you’ll be eligible to participate in the second activity in our egg donation process step by step, creating your personal profile that recipient parents can view through our password-protected website. You get to create your profile, which recipient parents will use to get to know you as they decide whether to work with you as their egg donor. 

Egg Donation Timeline for Matching

The next part in our egg donation process step-by-step guide is waiting to be matched with a family. Sometimes, this can happen very quickly — some donors receive a match in only one day — or it can take a few months. Your patience is appreciated, and it ensures your eggs have a definitive recipient instead of sitting in a freezer waiting for someone who may never choose your donation. 

Once you’re matched with someone, the egg donation timeline begins with psychological and genetic screening, followed by medical screening with your recipients’ doctor. This typically includes a physical examination, hormone testing, ultrasound, drug screening, genetic testing, and infectious disease screening. Because we work with recipients from all over the country, you may even get the opportunity to travel.

After completing these screenings and receiving legal clearance, you will begin the medical portion of our egg donation process step-by-step process. 

2-4 Week Medication Schedule

Once you’ve reached this stage of our egg donation process step by step process, you will receive a calendar outlining a series of medications that you will take for 2-4 weeks leading up to your egg retrieval. Medications may vary but typically include birth control pills, Lupron, Antagon, follicle-stimulating hormone Gonal F, Doxycycline, and hCG.

You will be in regular contact with your doctor throughout the entire egg donation timeline. While taking your medications, you will need to attend several doctor’s appointments (usually between 3 and 10 appointments over these 2-4 weeks). Because the egg donation process is very time sensitive, these appointments are not flexible.

Traveling For Egg Retrieval

doctors in an operating room

Once it’s time for the egg retrieval, you will return to the doctor, who will carry out the procedure. This may require travel if the recipients are in a different part of the country than you. If traveling, you and an adult companion will typically stay at the doctor’s location for 4-10 days. There will be about 5 hours of doctors’ appointments within that period, but the rest of the time is yours! Many donors describe this part of our egg donation process step by step guide as a mini vacation. The procedure itself is quick and only takes about 30 minutes, but every possible step is taken to ensure your health and safety during the procedure, thus why you may need to stay for longer. 

Egg Retrieval Procedure

You and your companion will go to the doctor’s office on the morning of your appointment. You will be given a light sedative called twilight sleep, which will last for approximately 30 minutes. While you are under, the doctor will use an ultrasound-guided needle to remove the eggs and follicles. You will not feel or remember anything. There will be anywhere from 5-25 eggs retrieved. Most donors return home the day after their appointment and can immediately return to work/school. 

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the egg donation process, step by step!

Time and Commitment of Egg Donation

woman holding a mini alarm clock

After matching with an intended parent, following our egg donation process step by step guide can take a little over a month. You should also keep in mind that throughout the process, you’ll be going in for an appointment with your doctor frequently, and you may be required to travel to your recipient’s doctor for the procedure itself. This is a commitment that many women who work full-time find difficult. While everyone is different, and the process does vary by a few days depending on the woman, egg donation rarely takes less than a month.

Due to your intensive commitment to the egg donation process, Family Creations compensates you during your screening and after successfully retrieving your eggs.

Working with the Best

a happy family enjoying time together in the outdoors

Family Creations is fully committed to helping those who can’t conceive create the families they want. You are one of the people who help us along this road, and we do our best to accommodate your needs. Reach out today to learn about our egg donation process step by step from one of our expert team members. Apply today and get started with your egg donation journey.

by Julia McConnell | Last updated on : December 26, 2024