Become an Egg Donor and Share the Gift of Life
You can become an egg donor and provide a remarkable gift that can bring hope to people who are having difficulty achieving parenthood. Atlantic Reproductive Medicine in Raleigh, NC specializes in fertility testing, treatment (IVF, etc.) and third-party reproduction — and we greatly appreciate your interest in becoming an egg donor. We are dedicated to building families together and are looking forward to working with you!
One of the most frequently asked questions that we receive is: “Will I have enough eggs left to get pregnant in the future, should I choose to?”
Females have up to one million eggs at birth. Approximately four hundred will mature and be released into the fallopian tubes (ovulation) from puberty to menopause. The rest of the eggs (-99.96%) “die” within the ovaries without being released.
As an egg donor, you’ll only be donating eggs that would have either died naturally without being released or would have matured in your ovaries the month of donation. Your supply of eggs for future pregnancy will still be there.
Who Can Become an Egg Donor
To become an egg donor, you need to be between the ages of 21 and 31, as well as have a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 29.9. You must also not be a smoker, as smoking affects fertility and egg quality.
How are Egg Donors Screened and Selected?
The screening process includes a physical examination, a pelvic ultrasound, blood testing for infectious diseases, and a urine drug screen. After passing the screening tests, you become an eligible donor and are added to the queue for matching. Matching you to a recipient will involve several considerations, such as your height, weight, hair color, eye color, skin complexion, ethnicity and lifestyle. Recipients may also have other specific attributes they are seeking. Once you are matched with a recipient, the process takes 6-8 weeks.
Interested in becoming an egg donor with Atlantic Reproductive?
Note: We have had some issues with AOL and Yahoo email accounts email responses not going through to potential donor. We typically respond immediately or within 3 business day via email. If you don’t hear from us, please let us know.
Egg Donation Process
The female egg donation process begins with a medical, psychological, genetic, and infectious disease screening process. If the screening reveals that you are eligible to become an egg donor, you will very likely be matched with a waiting intended parent.
Once matched, the first step is to start birth control pills.
You will stop the birth control pill and start taking fertility medications, which are given by injection.
After you start taking fertility medications, you will be monitored with ultrasounds and blood tests every one to three days for approximately six visits to help us adjust your fertility medications and plan your egg retrieval.
Once the eggs are ready for retrieval, you will receive specific instructions to take a final injection that will mature your eggs so they can be retrieved. The timing of this injection is critical and it is important that you set an alarm or have some reliable way to remind you to do it as instructed. If for any reason you have a problem completing the final injection at the correct time, it is important that you contact our on-call staff immediately. The timing of your final injection will determine the arrival time for your egg retrieval procedure.
Egg retrievals typically take about 10-15 minutes. You will be sedated and closely monitored during and after the procedure. You will remain at the fertility center for approximately two hours on the day of your retrieval. After being sedated, your reflexes and judgment will be impaired, so a responsible adult must come with you to this appointment to provide you a safe ride home.
Egg Donation Risks
The egg donation procedure is quite safe, and is explained in detail during your phone consultation once you’ve filled out the application.
Complications from an oocyte retrieval are very rare. However, infection, bleeding, injury to internal structures, blood clots, ovarian hyperstimulation, and complications from anesthesia are possible. You should feel better each day after your retrieval and should call or come in for an evaluation if you have any concerns or problems.
You need to be very careful not to conceive during the month that you donate eggs because we may not retrieve every egg and you could get pregnant. If you conceive during a donation cycle, you will be at a high risk for conceiving more than one baby. Abstinence around the time of retrieval is the safest approach and most comfortable to your ovaries.
We expect that your next menstrual period should come less than two weeks after retrieval.
Egg Donor Compensation
After participating in the egg donor program, you will be financially compensated. Payment is made by check and handed to you after your procedure before you head home.
Interested in becoming an egg donor with Atlantic Reproductive?
Note: We have had some issues with AOL and Yahoo email accounts email responses not going through to potential donor. We typically respond immediately or within 3 business day via email. If you don’t hear from us, please let us know.
