A lot of applicants submit their applications with confidence that they’re emotionally ready to become an egg donor. But shortly after applying, they realize they cannot go further in the process due to some information and physical limitations. Take this assessment of the common obstacles to see if you are ready to move ahead.
Are you informed and emotionally ready to become an egg donor?
Chances are, you feel like the information you have about egg donation is not enough. Or you think there is too much information, making it a bit difficult for you to separate fact from fiction. First, you need to read our FAQ section and blogs, which are sources of good-quality information. You can also get the perspectives of women who have gone through the egg donation process. Rest assured that we will sit you down and carefully review all the steps of the process. We will also provide information about the risks and perks if you decide to move ahead with us.
Can you make the time commitment to become an egg donor?
The average time for an egg donation cycle, from start to completion, is four months. After passing the online application, you will undergo initial screening, which comprises 1 to 4 clinic visits within two months. Once given approval, you will part in our egg donation program. You will then start cycling, which is going to consist of 4 to 7 quick visits over a period of 2 months. We usually schedule our office visits in the morning.
Egg retrieval is the only thing that will require you to take a day off. Although the process takes just 20 minutes or so, you will have to relax for the rest of the day. Most donors go back to their normal activities the following day.
Are you ready to live within two hours of one of our facilities over the next few months?
You will need to take roughly 7 to 12 trips to our facility during the screening and egg donation process. Commuting back and forth at this time can be quite demanding on the donor. Egg donors who live outside the 2-hour radius stand the risk of getting the process delayed or canceled once they fail to return in time to finish it. You are not an ideal candidate for egg donation if your answer to the question above is “no.”
Can you provide a correct and up-to-date medical history across three family generations? This includes all your biological parents, grandparents, siblings, and aunts/uncles.
You should be able to list psychological disorders, medical and genetic conditions, deaths, as well as the age they took place across three generations. This information will be used by our geneticist to determine whether you are eligible for the program or not. At our clinic, we want to ensure we give egg recipients the best odds of getting pregnant with a healthy baby. We also want to be sure you have no serious health issues, and we are not putting your health at great risk by allowing you to go through an egg donation cycle. You won’t be accepted into our program if you are not sure you can get and list all these details.
If you are presently using a hormonal IUD (like Skyla or Mirena), Depo Provera, an implant (for example, Nexplanon or Implanon), are you ready to remove or stop the form of contraception if invited for the screening process?
Each of these forms of contraception releases hormones that can affect the testing results, as well as the medications used in the egg donation cycle. You need to remove or change the form of birth control BEFORE being allowed to proceed with the egg donation program. Check with your fertility clinic to see what forms of birth control are accepted. You are not a good fit for egg donation if you doubt whether you should stop or remove the form of birth control.
Do you get your menstrual period every 21 to 35 days when you AREN’T using any hormonal contraception?
To participate, your monthly periods must be normal and regular. This is because irregularities in menstrual cycle ranges may indicate that your ovaries are not functioning properly. Potential donors go through comprehensive testing to check their ovulatory function. We do disqualify applicants if any abnormalities are found. A woman with irregular periods may not be a good candidate for egg donation.
If you have additional questions regarding egg donor qualifications and others you can reach out to us at 858-436-7186.
