The Ins and Outs of the Egg Donor Cycle: What You Need to Know

If you want to make a difference in the lives of others, egg donation is one option that can help hopeful individuals take the next step toward the joy of parenthood. The egg donation process takes a few months, and your heartfelt contribution will have a lasting impact on families and individuals who wish to start or grow a family. There are two options when donating eggs to an egg bank. The retrieved eggs can be frozen and stored for future use. Alternatively, fresh eggs are transferred to the future parent directly after retrieval or combined with donor sperm to create an embryo prior to implantation. Here’s what you need to know about the egg donor cycle depending on the specifics of your donation.

 

The Frozen vs. Fresh Egg Donor Cycle

All donors begin the egg donation process the same way–with comprehensive health and psychological screenings. After that, the donor cycle starts with the monitoring and stimulation phases, followed by egg retrieval. The primary differences between donating fresh or frozen eggs stem from the matching process.

Donating fresh eggs typically takes longer than frozen because the intended parents must first select a donor. Donors matched with future parents will then synchronize their cycle with the recipient’s using prescribed hormonal therapies. The goal of synchronizing donor and recipient cycles is to prepare the recipient’s body to support a pregnancy.

Egg donors who choose to undergo the process without being matched to a recipient can begin the process anytime. The harvested eggs will be frozen in a process called vitrification, then stored until they are selected by future parents.

 

What to Expect During the Egg Donor Cycle for Frozen Eggs

During a donor cycle for frozen eggs, you do not wait to be matched with intended parents. Because you do not need to wait for a match or synchronize your cycle with a recipient, you can begin the donor cycle at any time.

At The World Egg and Sperm Bank, we look for egg donors who are women aged 18-31 in the United States and Canada. Our donors do not have a history of drug abuse and are screened in our medical review.

If you meet our egg donor requirements, you can expect your initial donor cycle to take approximately 2-4 months from when you apply.

 

Before the Egg Donor Cycle

Before the initial donor cycle begins, you must complete medical and psychological screenings. The health evaluation will include a series of blood draws, STD screening, and genetic testing. We will also gather information about your family’s medical history.

The psychological screening will include some questionnaires and a comprehensive interview with one of our psychologists. Our screening process follows the guidelines set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and will determine your:

• Reasons for donating
• Knowledge of the process and potential complications
• Understanding of implications for the future
• Mental health history and current mental stability
• Potential disqualifiers

 

During the Egg Donor Cycle

Once you have completed the initial application and required screenings, a donor coordinator will work with you to arrange the ideal time for your donation.

The egg donor cycle for frozen eggs begins with an office visit. At this first visit, you can expect an ultrasound and additional bloodwork. We will also prepare you for the next two weeks of daily hormone therapy injections.

During the next 10-14 days, you will self-administer hormones through subcutaneous injections with small, short needles. In these two weeks, you’ll return for 3-5 office visits to monitor your health and response to the hormones.

On retrieval day, we’ll perform a simple in-office procedure to retrieve the eggs. Twilight sedation will keep you comfortable and relaxed during the process. You should have someone drive you home and take the rest of the day to rest. Many women report menstrual-like symptoms for 1-3 days during recovery, but these are generally mild and can be managed with over-the-counter medications.

 

Subsequent Egg Donor Cycles

Egg donors are limited to a total of six donation cycles in their lifetimes, according to The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)’s recommended guidelines for repeated egg donation. At The World Egg and Sperm Bank, we follow the recommendations set by ASRM to protect the health and safety of our donors and future generations born from donated eggs.

If you choose to go through more than one donation cycle with The World Egg and Sperm Bank, we require our donors to have two regular menstrual cycles between each donation.

Since you will have already completed all registration and health screening requirements before your initial donation, the wait time between subsequent cycles is shorter. A donor can generally go through three to four cycles per year, up to the maximum of six donations in a lifetime.

 

Ready to Get Started?

The decision to donate eggs is invaluable and life-changing for many families and future parents, and there are benefits to donating eggs for you, too! The egg donor cycle process requires proper personal reflection and a time commitment. Understanding the egg donation process and having a solid support system is essential.

As a donor with The World Egg and Sperm Bank, you are our only priority. Contact us anytime with questions before, during, or after your application or donor cycle. You can expect our care and guidance throughout the journey.

If you’re ready to get started, begin the donor application today!

 

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