Many women consider donating their eggs for various reasons. However, all egg donors have one trait in common: a tremendous, giving spirit. Despite the love behind the gesture, it’s vital for recipients to know they’re receiving healthy, viable eggs. If you’re interested in learning how you can become an egg donor, keep reading about the main requirements or visit Become an Egg Donor: Egg Donation Requirements & FAQs for more details.
Egg Donor Candidate Requirements
Any woman can consider donating her eggs, but only certain women are accepted as egg donor candidates. First-time candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 28. If a woman has had repeated success with her eggs resulting in a child, she may donate up to the age of 33. Additionally, candidates must be well-educated, mentally and physically fit, and undergo tests to determine she is tobacco, drug, and STD free.
Additionally, a candidate must be available for approximately a three-month window to complete the process leading up to the day of egg retrieval. She must also be willing to self-administer injectable medications as part of the egg donation process.
The Egg Donation Process
After the screenings, examinations, and initial interviews, qualified candidates become egg donors and the process may begin.
To start, donors self-administer injectable medications to stimulate production of multiple mature eggs. These shots are relatively pain-free and should be administered according to schedule. A donor reports to her clinic regularly to monitor how her body is responding to the stimulation medication. Some women only report every 2-3 days, but others may need to report daily. It’s not only important to monitor the potential of her collection, but also her health and wellbeing.
When it’s determined her eggs and ovaries are ready, she’ll be instructed to administer a “trigger shot” that signals the release of her eggs. The timing of this is crucial, so following instructions exactly is very important.
On retrieval day, she reports to the clinic where she’ll be put under a light anesthesia. A thin needle is inserted into each follicle to retrieve the eggs. Recovery time is relatively short but differs for each individual. The most common post-retrieval side effects consist of light bleeding, abdominal pain or cramping, and constipation. A donor must pay attention to her body and call her clinic if anything seems out of the ordinary.
What is OHSS and What are the Symptoms?
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHSS, can affect a very small percentage of women taking injectable hormone medications to stimulate eggs. It’s important to note current trigger medications have greatly decreased this risk compared to previously used triggers. The symptoms of this syndrome show up within 10 days of beginning the injectable medications. The most common symptoms of mild OHSS include mild to moderate abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and tenderness in the area of the ovaries.
After Retrieval Day
What happens after retrieval day is different for every donor. It’s normal for a donor to feel complicated emotions and wonder if there’s a genetic connection to her somewhere in the world. Finding contentment with her decision is the ultimate goal, and it may take some time to get there.
Perhaps she gets to this point quickly, and perhaps not. It may help a donor find peace in the decision by knowing that thanks to her, a happy couple will hold their baby for the first time, watch him take his first steps, or teach him how to kick a soccer ball. Through all of those milestones, they’ll always remember the woman who made it possible.
A Priceless Gift
Throughout the process, donors are likely to experience many emotions and have more questions. They may find great comfort and satisfaction knowing they’re helping the 1 in 8 couples who struggle to get pregnant on their own, yet they may also feel uneasy about any potential children who result from their eggs. The gift they’re providing is incredibly precious, so find comfort in knowing a couple who desperately wants children is benefiting from their priceless gesture.
Interesting article. I am def not a candidate for this but I am sure there are many women that might want to consider this.
There sure is a lot involved in being an egg donor, but if a person wants to it, and they meet the requirements, it would be well worth it!