Egg Donation Process 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 juggle all your responsibilities throughout the egg donation timeline, we’ve created a step-by-step guide that can help you better plan and anticipate what you’ll need to do.
Egg Donor Screening and Acceptance
No matter who you are, the egg donation process requires 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 fill out our Intake Form to provide our team with information on your social and medical history, and you get to create your profile, which recipient parents will use to get to know you as they make the decision whether to work with you as their egg donor. Once you’ve completed both, you will be scheduled for a quick video interview for you and our team to get to know each other better. During your interview, you can ask any questions you have about the egg donor journey.
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, your profile is made available to recipient parents through our password-protected website.
Egg Donation Timeline
Waiting to be matched with a family 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 process begins with psychological and genetic screening, followed by medical screening with your recipients’ doctor. This typically includes a physical examination, hormone testing, ultrasound, drug screen, 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 the egg donation process.
- 2-4 Week Medication Schedule
You will receive a calendar outlining a series of medications that you will take for around 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, Doxycline, and hCG.
You will be in regular contact with your doctor throughout the entire egg donation process. While taking your medications, you will need to attend several doctor’s appointments (usually between 3 and 10 appointments over the course of these 2-4 weeks). Because the egg donation process is very time sensitive, these appointments are not flexible.
- Traveling For Egg Retrieval
Once it’s time for the egg retrieval, you will go back to the recipients’ doctor, who will carry out the procedure. This may require travel if the recipients are located 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 even describe this part of the process as a mini vacation.
3. 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, that 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 are able to return to work/school immediately. This will be the completion of your egg donation process!
Time and Commitment of Egg Donation
After matching with an intended parent, the entire egg donation process 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 recipients’ 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, it is rare that egg donation takes less than a month.
Due to the intensive commitment of the egg donation process, Family Creations does compensate you during your screening, as well as immediately after the successful retrieval of your eggs.
Working with the Best
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 the entire egg donation process from one of our expert team members.