Egg Donors: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Donating your eggs will require the use of hormones to stimulate your ovaries to bring multiple eggs to maturity at the same time. The eggs will then be retrieved through minor surgery. To get started, you will visit a fertility clinic for screening to ensure you qualify to become an Egg Donor. You can expect to undergo psychological screening to make sure that you are emotionally prepared for the egg donation process. You will meet with a Fertility Doctor for a gynecological exam and blood tests to screen for genetic and infectious diseases that could interfere with the egg donation process. Following your screening, the fertility clinic will schedule your egg donation cycle. You can expect to be prescribed birth control pills or Lupron to stop your regular ovulation temporarily. This process allows the fertility clinic to synchronize your cycle with the Surrogate Mothers’s cycle or Recipient’s cycle. Once your cycles have been matched, you will begin daily hormonal injections, for approximately 10-12 days. You will be taught to do the injections yourself; it’s easy and the discomfort is minimal. You will then visit the fertility clinic regularly for blood tests. The Fertility Doctor may also recommend an ultrasound. These visits generally take place every other day and last about 30 minutes. The Fertility Doctor will be monitoring how your body is responding to the medications and once they see enough mature eggs, your egg retrieval will be scheduled.

You can expect the entire process from screening to retrieval to take about 12 weeks. There will be a period of about 4 weeks following your screening where you will need to wait for the test results.

The egg donation process is generally well tolerated. You may experience pregnancy or PMS-like symptoms near the end of the stimulation phase such as fatigue, bloating, or moodiness. You should not have sexual intercourse during this time. Following the egg retrieval, you may be a bit tender for a day or two. Rarely, the egg donation process results in hyperstimulation syndrome, causing bloating and pain. Should this occur, you will go back to the fertility clinic for further treatment. Thousands of women undergo the process of egg retrieval every year. It is a common procedure but it is not without risks. You should go over all of the side effects and risks of egg donation with your doctor or the nurses at the fertility clinic. The fertility clinic staff are happy to support you and make sure you feel comfortable throughout the egg donation process.

There is no established evidence that egg donation has any effect on future fertility but more research is being done. We do know that egg donation does not deplete your egg reserves. Throughout your fertile years, from puberty to menopause, you release multiple eggs each month but in most cases only one of these eggs reaches maturity. The medications you are given during the egg donation process causes more of these eggs to reach maturity. Women in their twenties have hundreds of thousands of eggs and only about 300-400 are released over the course of your lifetime.

Ideal Egg Donors are over 19 years of age and have excellent health. Your weight should be normal for your height. You should be familiar with your medical history and family medical history but this is not a nessesity. We strive to be inclusive and encourage you to speak with us about your unique attributes.

To learn more about what it takes to become and Egg Donor visit our Egg Donor Qualifications page.

You can donate your eggs if you take birth control pills. You will need to follow your doctor’s directions about when to stop taking them during your egg donation cycle.

You will need to be off of Depo Provera for a number of months prior to donating your eggs.

You will need to wait to donate your eggs until your baby has weaned. You can, however, begin the application process to become an Egg Donor now.

Following the retrieval process, the eggs will be fertilized and observed. It is unlikely that all of the eggs will develop. Then, the desired number of embryos will be transferred to the Gestational Carrier (Surrogate) or recipient. Any leftover embryos will be frozen.

You will agree on the level of anonymity you desire prior to the egg donation process. You can be as anonymous or as friendly with your Egg Recipients(s) as you would like.

You can choose to have a relationship with your Egg Recipient(s). This is called a known egg donation. Should your egg donation arrangement be known you may meet the recipients of your donation prior to the process. You and your recipients may agree for you to be notified should a pregnancy result, and you may be able to meet their child. Each known egg donation scenario is different and based on the preference of the Egg Donor and the Egg Recipient(s).

For egg donation parties that would prefer more privacy, you would not meet the recipients. You may know basic information about each other but it is unlikely that you will know their name(s) or that they will know yours. You may be informed of the number of eggs that were retrieved and be given no further information.

Although you cannot be paid for your egg donation, and eggs cannot be bought or sold, all of the expenses related to donating your eggs will be covered for you.

All egg donation related expenses will be reimbursed to you or paid for by the Intended Parents through Proud Egg Donation.

Egg donation in Canada is altruistic. This means you cannot be paid for donating your eggs but you will be reimbursed for all egg donation related expenses. Please talk to your Client Care Manager for more information regarding reimbursements.

You may donate your eggs multiple times. It is recommended that you wait three months between donation cycles. Your repeated gift will be treasured.

You may need to travel to make your egg donation. Not only will the expenses for your egg donation travel be covered but you don’t have to worry about a thing. We are logistics wizards, meticulously planning your flights, accommodations, and appointments so that you can relax and focus on the generous gift you are giving. 

You will require a travel companion, whose expenses will also be covered. You should choose someone you trust who will be caring and compassionate.