Infertility. It’s something none of us want to imagine or experience. Sadly, approximately 12% of U.S. women will experience fertility problems. When something thought to always be an innate and natural process becomes just out of reach, it can be devastating, frustrating, and unbearable. Wouldn’t it be nice to play a part in bringing hope to these women’s infertility journeys?
Thankfully, you can by donating your eggs to an egg bank (you can read more about the medical requirements and process here: https://donoreggbankusa.com/our-egg-donors/donate-eggs).
Before you embark on donating your eggs, it’s important to understand exactly what’s involved. Let’s explore some of the most frequently asked questions below.
Who’s an Ideal Candidate?
To be considered a prime egg donation candidate, the clinic you visit will need to make sure you meet certain requirements.
For example, some of the criteria include:
- Being 21 to 32 years old
- Being in good health, mentally and physically
- Being free of sexually transmitted infections, e.g. chlamydia, HIV, and hepatitis
- Not using drugs and tobacco products
- Being prepared to administer injections yourself (this is part of the process)
- Being available for four months while the process is being carried out
- Being willing to undergo extensive genetic screening
- Being able to take a mental health test and meet with a psychologist
Some of these tests can seem intrusive to some people. However, any inconvenience this process may cause is far outweighed by the positive influence you’ll have on someone’s life.
What Happens Once You’re Approved?
Once you’re approved, you’ll be prescribed several medications to encourage your ovaries to mature multiple eggs. As previously mentioned, this involves administering shots yourself – but these shots become second nature after a few days.
To monitor how well your body is responding to these drugs, you’ll need to go to your clinic on a regular basis. The number of appointments required is dependent on your individual case – it may only be every few days or it could be every day.
These ongoing appointments are crucial to making sure you’re healthy throughout the process and ensuring your egg collection’s success.
How Are Your Eggs Retrieved?
As soon as your ovaries are ready, you’ll need to use a “trigger shot” to stimulate your ovaries into releasing the matured eggs.
Then, on the day of retrieval, clinicians will remove your eggs using a thin needle under local anesthesia.
What happens to the eggs after this depends on whether they’re for fresh or frozen egg donation. Fresh eggs are fertilized with sperm and prepared for implantation in the recipient immediately, while soon-to-be frozen eggs will go through vitrification for cryogenic storing until the recipient’s ready.
What Are Your Rights to the Donated Eggs?
One of the biggest challenges involved in donating your eggs is waiving your right to them. At first, this may seem easy, but afterward, you may experience pangs of regret or longing.
This is completely natural – it’s a built-in response.
However, if you do have a desire to be involved in the child’s life afterward, you can have conditions put in place to fulfill these wishes by being an Open Disclosure egg donor. The clinic or donor egg bank will match your eggs with a couple who requested a donor who was open to a relationship when the donor conceived child reaches the age of majority.
But what if you want to remain anonymous?
That’s absolutely fine, too! Many women choose this option because they want protection of themselves and the parents in the future. Nonetheless, with the advancement of genetics, there is always a chance the donor conceived child might find you.
Moving Forward After Egg Donation
While everything is in place to make sure egg donation is as easy as possible – it’s not a light-hearted decision, nor is it a quick process.
Therefore, once you’ve donated your eggs, you may feel mentally and physically exhausted. With time, these negative side effects will quickly become overshadowed by the positive ones.
You’ve just made the decision to bring life and hope to other couples. Many will admire you for your selfless act.
What will life be like after egg donation?
You will feel full of pride and a sense of meaningfulness, as you’ve just helped someone experience one of the most natural processes on Earth – giving birth to their very own baby.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.