How Does Egg Donation Work?

Did you know that in 2016 there were 65,840 donor cycles?

Whether you are looking into becoming an egg donor or you are looking into having an egg donated to you, you might be wondering “how does egg donation work?” If this sounds like you this guide is perfect for you.

Keep reading to understand more about how egg donations work.

What Is an Egg Donation?

An egg donation is a process where a fertile woman donates an egg to a woman who is having a hard time conceiving. This egg donation allows an infertile woman to carry a child and give birth.

Egg Donor Requirements

There are a few screenings a donor has to go through including a medical and psychological screening. Doctors have to make sure that the donor is going to be a good candidate or not.

Typically egg donors are between the ages of 21 and 30 and are healthy.

How Does Egg Donation Work?

A doctor removes an egg from a donor and then fertilizes it in a laboratory before transferring the embryo into the recipient’s uterus. Before the procedure starts donors have to take medication to stop their normal menstrual cycle. Afterward, the donor takes fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries.

The fertility drugs are administered by the donor by injecting it into a muscle or under their skin. This medication can have some side effects that you want to make sure you are aware of if you are interested in becoming an egg donor. Side effects can include mood swings, tender breasts, and bruising where the injections are going.

Sometimes the recipient may know the donor but in many cases the donors are confidential. There are many donors that receive financial compensation for their eggs and their time.

The Process

Once a qualified donor is found and has gone through the fertility injections the doctor schedules the procedure when the eggs are mature and ready for retrieval. The donor goes under sedation and a needle is inserted into each mature follicle to retrieve each egg that is ready.

The needle is guided using an ultrasound. Once the egg is out the lab attempts to fertilize it with a selected donor sperm or with the recipient’s partner’s sperm. This step is an IVF or in vitro fertilization.

When the egg is fertilized it is transferred in the recipient’s uterus. If the transfer is successful the embryo or fertilized egg implants into the uterine lining and the woman goes on to carry a healthy baby.

Now You Know More About the Egg Donation Process

Hopefully, now you are feeling confident with the answer to the question “how does egg donation work?” You should now have a better idea of the process whether you are going to be a recipient or a donor.

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