Frequently Asked Questions about Egg Donation

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1) Can I continue medications I regularly take during the Cycle?
Review the medications you take with the Donor Coordinator.  Most medications can be continued. 

2) How much pain will I feel during this process?
During the process you could experience discomfort from the injections and blood draws.  A few days before the retrieval, many donors begin to feel bloated and full in response to the timulation medications they have been taking.  Some donors may be nauseated around this time. 

The actual egg retrieval should be painless; you are given IV medications during the procedure which should result in no pain and possibly very little memory of the actual retrieval.  Rarely, patients will vomit from the anesthesia given to you during the retrieval. 

Also, the day or two after the retrieval, many patients feel crampy, uncomfortable, and sore, but nothing that isn’t reduced with Tylenol or Ibuprofen.  Most patients take the day of the retrieval off and are ok to work the following day.  The bloated, full feeling typically goes away 5-8 days after the retrieval. 

3) How long does the entire process take?
It varies considerably.  The pre-cycle visits (medical screening, psychological evaluation, legal consult) can be done within a week or take up to about 4 weeks. 

Once you are ready to start your medications, if both you and the intended parent started your periods on about the same day, the entire process from day one of your period to being done with the post-retrieval check up would be approximately 8 weeks. 

Delays that can occur include:

1. Intended parent uterine lining can take longer than 2 weeks to get ready (potential delay of 1-3+weeks). 
2. Intended parent or the donor can have a cyst while on lupron (potential delay of 3 days to 3+weeks). 

Most cycles DO NOT have these delays, but they are always possible. 

4) How flexible are the required appointment times and dates?  How many appointments will I have?
The short answer is about 9-11 total visits.  This is an estimate and can vary from patient to patient.  Below is a summary of the visits.

5) How many shots will I be taking?
This depends on the protocol that the doctors select for you and if there are any delays in the cycle (see question #4).  In a cycle without delays, the typical donor will have between 11 - 21 consecutive days that she will need shots.  About 5-11 of those days involve giving two shots a day.  The total number of shots will vary between 17- 32. 

6) How many eggs are taken out of me?
In a young healthy woman, when her period starts, about 20-40 eggs prepare to ovulate each month.  As the month goes on, only one of those eggs is actually selected to ovulate.  It is called the dominant follicle.  At the time of ovulation, that egg will ovulate and begin its journey to the uterus, possibly becoming fertilized and implanting.  The remaining eggs, which were not selected to ovulate, go away and are resorbed by your body. 

With IVF, the medications we use encourage more of those 20-40 eggs to mature than just one.  Many donor cycles will yield 20-30 eggs.  Not all of those will be mature, but we would expect many of them to be mature and able to be fertilized. 

This does NOT mean that you have just lost 20-30 months of your own reproductive reserve.  We have simply matured more of those eggs than you were going to lose anyway.

7)  What are the health risks for me, if I decide to donate eggs?
Overall, egg donation is a safe process with few risks.  However, every medical procedure does involve some risk.  Risks with egg donation could include side effects from the medications (headaches, dizziness, bloating, mood changes, breast tenderness, abdominal fullness, bruising/pain at the injection site).  Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is another possible complication that can occur if your ovaries become too stimulated with the medications you take.  With OHSS, fluid leaks out of your vessels into your abdominal cavity.  This can increase your risk for a blood clot and other complications.  Mild to moderate OHSS occurs in 2-5% of cases; this is usually associated with abdominal distension, discomfort, nausea and slight shortness of breath.  Mild to moderate OHSS is uncomfortable, but not dangerous.  Severe Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) occurs in less than 1% of patients.  In severe cases,
hospitalization maybe required.  Other possible, yet rare (< 1%),
complications would include: ovarian torsion, damage to pelvic organs during the retrieval, and excessive bleeding during or after the egg retrieval.  Usually, your body will give you plenty of early warning that a complication is going to occur and we can typically fix or cure the complications, if we know about them early on.  Never hesitate to contact our staff if you feel something is not right. 

8) What will I know about the Intended Parents and the outcome of the cycle?
Our Egg Donor Program is anonymous.  We protect your privacy as well as the privacy of the intended parents.  For that reason, we do not share information about the intended parents or information about outcome of the cycle with the egg donors. 

9) Are there any expenses for which I will be responsible?
You will be responsible for transporting yourself to and from the appointments.  You do not get paid for time off of work.  All medications, tests, and assessments will be performed at no cost to you. 

10) Will my insurance be billed?
No.  You will also be covered by a temporary insurance policy that will cover any medical expenses that are directly related to the egg donation process.  This insurance policy will not cover anything unrelated to the egg donation process. 

11) Are there any restrictions on sexual intercourse?
You may have intercourse during the cycle, but keep in mind that you are definitely at risk for becoming pregnant yourself.  Please protect yourself from becoming pregnant, if that is your wish. 

12) Do I need to include a picture? 
We ask that you include a picture of yourself as a child (age 14 or less). Including multiple pictures greatly increases your chance of matching with Intended Parents.