BECOMING A DONOR
Egg donation is an act of supreme generosity that requires a great deal of dedication.
We believe egg donors should be well compensated for their time, effort and commitment to the process.
We allow our egg donors to set their own rates within the American Society of Reproductive Medicine guidelines. All costs in the egg donation process including medical appointments, short term medical insurance policy, travel for egg donor and travel companion, hotel, legal costs, etc. are all covered by the prospective parents. At the end of the calendar year you will receive a 1099 form.
The starting range for a first-time egg donor is $10,000 and increases for each additional cycle. Donors of specific ethnicities or hard to find traits will often receive higher compensation. We also offer private advertising for clients and compensation offered is in the range of $25-50,000.
EGG DONATION REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications
To qualify for our egg donor program:
- You must be between the ages of 19-29.
- You must be in good health with a BMI (Boxy Mass Index) not to exceed 26.
- You must be drug and cigarette free with no significant health issues.
- You must have regular menstrual cycles, both ovaries, no reproductive problems, no STD's.
- You must not be currently on medications other than Birth Control pills.
- You must not be using Depo-Provera or contraceptive implants.
- Reasonably healthy family history with no genetic disorders.
- You must be willing to take hormone injections.
- You must be psychologically and physically healthy.
- You must understand the egg donor has no parental rights to the child.
- You must be mature, dependable and dedicated to seeing this process all the way through.
EGG DONATION PROCESS
How it Works
After completing the interview, the next steps part of the egg donation process include:
- Confirming your ability to commit to their time frame.
- A psychological assessment.
- Medical screening.
- Genetic screening.
- An attorney consultation to educate donor and review contracts.
Once you've been medically cleared, the physician's office will coordinate your cycle. A cycle calendar will be provided with appointment dates and prescription medications. The cycle of medications is a three week treatment in which medications will be administered both orally and by injection. The physician's office will go over in detail the names of the medications, instructions on use, and possible side effects if any. The average egg donation cycle lasts for 3-4 weeks.
Over the next 3-4 weeks you will be required to:
- Give yourself daily injections of medication that will stimulate the growth and maturity of more eggs.
- Attend daily doctor appointments beginning one week prior to donor egg retrieval. Each time you will have blood drawn and a pelvic ultrasound performed. These appointments are short in duration and are typically scheduled early in the morning or at your convenience.
- Refrain from drinking alcohol and taking certain medications. Your doctor will explain this in detail.
- Remain sexually abstinent while on medication as you will be extremely fertile and could become pregnant yourself.
On the day of the egg retrieval, you will be administered a light sedative by IV and the donor eggs will be retrieved vaginally by an ultrasound guided needle. This is a half hour procedure and you may experience cramps or fatigue afterward. You will be at the IVF center for about three hours and should spend the rest of the day relaxing.
The following day you should be able to resume normal activities unless otherwise instructed by your physician.
As with any medical procedure there is the risk of possible side effects. Some egg donors have experienced discomfort during their cycle including abdominal pain and bloating. Symptoms typically subside following the retrieval process or by the next menstrual cycle. Severe side effects are rare and the physician will explain the possible risks involved in the egg donation procedure. Egg donation has never been proven to have any long term side effects on a woman's health or fertility.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Become an Egg Donor
If we are able to move forward we'll schedule your phone consultation with a Case Coordinator who will explain how the egg donation process works and answer any questions you may have. If you decide to continue you will be required to fill out an egg donor profile regarding personality traits and medical history. Next we will schedule an interview either in person or via Skype.
Most donations are anonymous. However some recipients and egg donors prefer an "open egg donation." The decision to make a donation open requires the consent of both the egg donor and prospective parents.
Match times can vary from one a day to several months or more. The number of people searching for an egg donor grows every day as does the need for qualified egg donors. Be yourself on your egg donor profile, provide photos that capture your personality, and the right Recipient's will find you.
Once you're matched with Intended Recipients your Case Coordinator will contact you to confirm your availability and guide you through the process. First you'll complete psychological and genetic profiles. Then we'll make an appointment for you to see the doctor you'll be working with for a medical screening. We'll also refer you to an attorney to go over the contracts with you. Once you are medically cleared the egg donation cycle can begin.
After being matched, the egg donation process takes approximately 6-8 weeks. The first month will require one or two doctor visits. Depending on the doctor's recommendation, the administration of fertility medications can range from 2-3 weeks.
All medical appointments, medications, screenings, legal, travel, etc. are paid for by the prospective parents. A temporary short-term health insurance policy is provided to the egg donor by the prospective parents for the duration of the 6-10 week donation process.
We will make your arrangements when you travel for your egg donation.
We allow our egg donors to set their own rates. Some egg donors earn up to $15,000. We provide our egg donors with relevant information to consider when choosing their rate and help guide them toward an appropriate rate for them. Egg donation can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it is a serious commitment. It is important for both parties that our egg donor is comfortable with her compensation.