How Egg Donation Works: A Step-by-Step Guide

What Is Egg Donation?

Egg donation is where a female gives some eggs from her ovarian reserve so that they can be used in another person’s family building goals. There are different circumstances which lead people to use egg donors to facilitate their own family building. For the most part, individuals or couples who use egg donation typically cannot use or produce their own eggs to have children.

Egg Donation Eligibility?

People who rely on egg donation include:

• Couples who are unable to produce their own eggs naturally, such as same sex male couples; 
• Heterosexual couples where the female partner has conditions that prevent her from using her own eggs such as low quality eggs, medical and hereditary conditions; 
• Females unable to produce their own eggs naturally due to medical procedures such as a hysterectomy or oophorectomy; 
• Females wishing to build their families but cannot retrieve their own eggs prior to medical treatments such as chemotherapy.

Egg Donation, Step-By-Step

Before a person can donate their eggs, there are certain requirements they must meet to qualify for egg retrieval. The steps taken are in place to ensure that recipients receive healthy, viable eggs. 

Step 1: Screening & Eligibility Requirements

Each egg donor must qualify under these conditions in order to proceed to the next step. They must: 

• Be aged between 19 and 32 years
• Be in good health with a healthy BMI 
• Not use nicotine-based products
• Have no history of drug or alcohol abuse
• Have no history or mental health problems
• Not have a genetic condition or terminal illness

Step 2: Hormone Stimulation & Monitoring

Once they pass their screening, egg donors will begin the process of developing eggs for retrieval. This process is called ovarian stimulation and is done using medications and hormonal injections. The goal is to develop to maturity as many of the antral follicles that will be released during the follicular phase of her natural menstrual cycle. 

In a normal menstrual cycle, multiple antral follicles are released, but when one of them matures, the rest immediately stop developing. Ovarian stimulation uses hormones to increase the chances of more than one of these follicles developing to maturity. Therefore their development is monitored closely to ensure that when they reach the ideal size, and the final hormone injections are administered, multiple mature eggs can be retrieved at the same time.  

Step 3: Egg Retrieval Procedure

Under local anesthesia, a transvaginal ultrasound and a specialized needle are used to retrieve the eggs. The ultrasound helps to locate the follicles, while the specialized needle is used to carefully pierce the follicles and aspirate the eggs within, one at a time. It usually takes about a half hour to 45 minutes for the procedure to be complete. Afterward, the eggs will be examined for maturity, any damage or anomalies, and then they will be frozen. 

Step 4: Recovery & Aftercare

After an egg retrieval procedure the egg donor may be a bit woozy due to the anesthesia. They will be placed in a room at the healthcare facility for about an hour or two to rest. When the anesthesia wears out, an egg donor may feel some discomfort, and may be given some pain killers to manage the pain. After a day or so, they may return to their normal routine.

Conclusion

Egg donation is a very fulfilling process that helps many achieve their family building goals. If you would like to participate in egg donation, contact the team at Utah Fertility Center. We are happy to walk with you in this noble endeavor..

FAQs About the Egg Donation Process