The Egg Donor Process

Intended parents are looking for egg donors with similar characteristics to yours. It’s important to submit photos that are high quality and in natural light. You should submit photos looking your best. The photos should be of how you look today, a family photo and photos of when you where a child and infant. Parents want to see your beautiful face so make sure to submit photos looking into the camera. Photos of you looking sideways or your face covered do not make for great photos. Photos of you engaged in an activity are awesome. If you have problems uploading photos to your profile please email them to info@ferilityheaven.com.

Upon being selected by an intended parent, we will confirm your ability to commit to the time frame and location determined by the intended parents and their fertility clinic.

Meet with the fertility doctor who will discuss the medical aspects of egg donation, prescribe hormonal birth control, perform a physical exam and draw blood for testing. You may be tested for hormone levels, infectious diseases, genetic diseases as well as drugs and nicotine. You must take precautions to remain free from sexually transmitted diseases at all times during your enrollment.

Once matched with an intended parent, the egg donor work up and screening process is about two months. You should continue to be in communication with Fertility Heaven and your clinic nurse coordinator.

During this time you will learn everything about your own fertility and genetic background.  The following are test that are conducted during the evaluation process to evaluate your ability to be an egg donor and before starting the medication cycle.

• AMH Test – Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a hormone secreted by cells in developing egg sacs (follicles). The level of AMH in a woman’s blood is generally a good indicator of her ovarian reserve. If you have a high level, it could be a good indicator that you well respond well to fertility treatments to be an egg donor. This test is taken during your period.
• Three Day Menses or Cycle Day 3 testing during your period.  When a woman is undergoing a fertility work-up, Cycle Day 3 is the day she has blood work performed to check the quality and levels of three important levels: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2). … In women, LH levels rise at mid-cycle; within 24 to 36 hours, ovulation occurs.
• Drug Testing:  During this process egg donors will complete a drug test to include testing for antidepressants and anxiety medication.
• Genetic Testing: Egg Donors are also required to go through expanded carrier screening, which is a genetic test designed to assess whether someone is at increased risk of passing a genetic condition.
• Fertility Clinic Evaluation:  Additional lab work will include testing for infectious diseases, pregnancy, pap smear and ultrasounds.

• Your next menstrual period will become the starting date of the donor cycle. Approximately twenty-one days after the onset of your period, a series of injectable egg donor medications will begin and continue until approximately 36 hours before the egg retrieval. The injections are small, subcutaneous (just below the skin’s surface) shots used to stimulate egg maturation within the ovaries. You will be given exact instructions and all of the necessary information by the medical center on how to take the medication.
• During this time, you’ll be assigned approximately six to seven morning appointments at the fertility center’s IVF for the purpose of monitoring your progress on the medication and determining if your ovaries are stimulating properly. The appointments are usually between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and will last approximately an hour or less. You must reliably communicate with the nursing staff and Fertility Heaven the entire time you are on the medication.
• You will be given instructions to take the final injection, or “trigger” shot, at a precise time. This injection will cause the eggs to go through their final phase of maturation and will ready them for scheduled retrieval by the physician.
• Fertility Heaven will provide you with a per diem for every doctor’s visit to cover gas, toll and parking. These monies will be sent on the morning of your appointment.

• Egg retrieval usually requires twilight sedation, which is administered through an IV. The physician then uses a vaginal ultrasound probe to guide a small needle through the vaginal wall to reach the ovaries and retrieve the mature eggs. You should expect to be at the IVF center for about three hours on the day of egg retrieval. The actual procedure takes about 30 minutes.  You may experience some fatigue or cramping afterwards.
• On the day of retrieval you will need a companion to accompany you to the fertility center and to drive you home.
• The next day you will be able to return to work or school.

Your egg donation fee will be paid the next day once the fertility doctor confirms a successful retrieval.

Can you donate again? Of course you can. There is a 3 month waiting period before you can donate again. We allow donors to donate up to 4 times.

We welcome international egg donors to our program. You must have a current passport or be willing to get one if you are accepted in our program.

As an international egg donor you will travel twice to the parents fertility clinic. One trip is for the medical evaluation and the second is for egg retrieval.

Monitoring of your treatment will be done by a fertility clinic near your home. This clinic will provide updates to the fertility clinic of the parents and prepare you for egg retrieval. Your airfare, hotel and meals are covered in advance.