An Anonymous Guest Post from a Known Egg Donor
Choosing to be a known egg donor was the best decision I could have made going into egg donation.
I got to meet all my IPs!
I’ve traveled for all my egg donation cycles and I see this as a huge benefit! I’ve gotten to see several cities that I hadn’t been to before. It’s been lovely to have the Future Parents waiting to greet me. Whether that was a pick up at the airport, staying with them at their home or just having a few meals out together during the trip, it’s been amazing to come together as new friends with a very special purpose. They give me the locals insight on what to do while I’m away from home and offer support through the cycle. I remember one time going into retrieval, which the Future Mother asked if she could attend, I asked her for a chocolate croissant and when I woke up there were several of them at my bed side (and I think she had to try 4 places until finding just the right kind).
Sharing in the Ups, Downs, Hopes, and Dreams of Future Parents
Knowing the Future Parents makes the uncomfortable parts of the egg donation process worthwhile. Every injection, every blood draw and ultrasound, every appointment at the clinic (and there are lots!) I’m reminded of the amazing people that I get the privilege of helping. Personally, I can’t imagine not being on the edge of my seat waiting for the daily embryo report, finding out the total frozen, then the Two Week Wait and then finally the beautiful photos of their children. I’ve never felt a parental connection to my donor babies but I do feel a special connection to the parents. Getting to see the impact I have had on their lives has been life-changing for me. Receiving updates on the babies and getting photos as they grow has been just amazing and I’m so proud of each of them.
Having a Say About Who I Donate My Eggs To
When you have the chance to choose who you donate to you can make sure that you share similar values. For me this was important, so we would all likely be interested in maintaining some kind of longer term contact and just generally get along well. I like to let the relationship evolve organically for the future- some parents I talk with once a week or more and others send me an email once or twice a year. All the parents I have donated my eggs to have a special place in my heart.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!
It is so exciting waiting for the pictures and updates. You get to see the true impact you can have on the lives of others through their smiling faces. It’s so interesting to see how some have a similar feature and others totally different. Many of the parents I have donated my eggs to like to see pictures of the others as well (shared with permission of course). I never wonder if these children have a good life- I get to see that they are so loved.
I’m so grateful to have had all these experiences and met all these new friends. I wouldn’t trade being a known egg donor for anything in the world.