Breaking Down Egg Donation Myths
Egg donation is a complicated subject. There’s a lot of science involved, legal and ethical considerations to cover and its own dose of emotional burden. This is probably the reason why so many myths are floating around about egg donation and how it works. When it comes to egg donation, confusion is normal and misinformation is common.
Reproductive Sciences Medical Center is committed to providing you with clear and accurate information about donating your eggs. We have come up with a few common questions that can help bust some of the myths related to egg donation.
How many eggs are retrieved when you donate your eggs?
This is probably the most common question. Many women are worried about how many eggs they will lose during the egg retrieval process.
In an average egg donation cycle, 15 to 20 eggs are retrieved. That’s the same number of potential eggs your ovaries start to mature every month, but usually only one makes it all the way to ovulation. When you start the egg donation process, you take fertility medications to help your body bring all those potential eggs to maturity. This means that you won’t donate any more eggs than what you would have lost in a normal ovulation cycle.
What are the potential side effects from egg donation?
There are numerous myths floating around regarding the types of side effects an egg donor might encounter. Let’s see what real side effects are.
PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) like symptoms is the most common side effect reported by egg donors. This may include bloating, headaches or slight mood swings, stemming from the medication. The side effects of egg donation are the same as any common slightly invasive medical procedure.
The most important thing to note about egg donation is that it will not impact your future fertility in anyway. Also, a successful egg donation implies that your body is functioning perfectly.
How much are egg donors paid?
Egg donation isn’t only about getting paid. However, it’s healthy and honest to speak overtly about what egg donation compensation looks like. That’s because, egg donors are doing something spectacular to help strangers build the family of their dreams. Egg donors commit their time, effort and courage to this process.
The act of egg donation is a priceless act of generosity. Reproductive Sciences Medical Center strongly believes that egg donors should be fairly compensated. Depending on our egg donor qualifications, they get paid anywhere between $7,000 to $25,000 per retrieval cycle.
How many times can I donate?
If you have donated your eggs already, can you do it again? And how many times in total can you donate your eggs?
The common egg donation myth is that you can donate as many times as you wish. But current guidelines, recommend that a woman only donate eggs up to a total of 6 times. After each donation you need to give your body some time to recover before you go back to the registry to be matched again. You’ll need to go through the medical screening process before each donation. We ensure that every woman who chooses to donate their eggs with Reproductive Sciences Medical Center has such a positive experience that she will want to come back again.
How long does it take to donate eggs?
Many believe that donating your eggs is a long and drawn-out process, which means you will you have to miss out on work or school. The reality is that, egg donation is a very short process to complete.
The egg donation and retrieval process takes between 2 to 3 months once you’ve been matched with intended parents. The best part is, there is only about 2 weeks of time where you’ll be on medications and visiting the clinic for appointments. Typically, your appointments are scheduled early in the morning, so you can still go to work or school. When your eggs are ready, the retrieval generally takes around 20 minutes or less, although it is strongly advised to take rest for the entire day to completely recover.
Become an Egg Donor
If you’re interested in donating eggs but are confused about how to become an egg donor or the requirements, you can simply fill out an application to see if you qualify. Complete the application here!
