What are the requirements to become an egg donor? The ideal egg donor is between the ages of 19 and 32, in good health, a non-smoker, non-drug user, height/weight proportionate, and have a schedule flexible enough to accomodate the necessary 10 to 12 appointments plus travel (one to two days for initial meeting/testing with recipients clinic and approx. one week during the week the retrieval is set to take place). IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SCHEDULE BE FLEXIBLE TO ACCOMODATE THE NECESSARY APPOINTMENTS. These appointments are made to coincide with different phases of the cycle, therefore, it is not always possible to work around your schedule. The actual retrieval (aspiration) date depends on how the eggs are developing, and while you will be given an estimated day of retrieval, this day can change depending on your bodies response to the medications during this time. Back to top
	Once a couple chooses me, what happens next? Once a couple chooses you as their donor, you will have a psychological and medical assessment performed. You will have testing done such as lab work and vaginal ultrasound on day 3 to measure ovarian function, blood work to test for STD's, drugs, nicotene, etc. This testing is often times performed by an FDA approved facility close to you, but be aware that sometimes the recipients clinic will ask you to fly out to their facility for this testing. After these initial tests, you will be asked to fly out to the recipients clinic where you will meet the staff and physician. Once you pass all screening tests, you will enter into an Egg Donation Contract with your couple. BABY STEPS will arrange for an attorney to represent you, at no expense to you. The contract is put into place to protect you and the couple during this process and to outline the expectations and responsibilities of both parties. At the start of your next period, you will begin taking the birth control pill. A few weeks after beginning the birth control pill, the doctor will have you start your daily injections. Make sure you are comfortable giving yourself these injections. While you may be anxious the first time you have to do this, you will find that these shots are relatively painless. It is NOT recommended that you rely on someone else to give you these shots, as situations arise that can prevent that person from being there. If you miss one of your shots your body will not respond properly and the cycle will have to be cancelled. If the cycle is cancelled due to negligence on your part you are considered in breach of contract. IT IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT THESE SHOTS ARE GIVEN EXACTLY AS INSTRUCTED. Instruction will be provided to you on how to give these injections, and most donors find, much to their delight, that the injections are much easier than they had anticipated. During the last two weeks of the medicated cycle, you will be seen by a physician frequently (typically every other day) to monitor the progress of the developing eggs and ensure that your ovaries are not being over or under stimulated. Once the doctor determines that your follicles are at the appropriate stage, the egg retrieval, or aspiration, will be performed. This is usually done under sedation and should be painless. After the procedure, you will be held for approximately one hour for observation and released to go back to your hotel or home, if you are local. You may experience cramps similar to menstrual cramps following your procedure. You will be asked to rest for the remainder of the day and possibly 2-3 days thereafter, but should be able to return to a light schedule the following day. You can expect to be out of town for approximately seven (7) days during the week the actual retrieval takes place. IF YOU HAVE NEVER HAD INTERCOURSE, OR HAD A PELVIC EXAM, you cannot donate until your regular doctor has performed a pelvic exam. This is because there is a risk that your hymen may still be intact. (Please note:) All medical/psychological costs are paid for by the Intended Parents. Back to top
	Will donating my eggs affect my future ability to conceive? Currently, there is no evidence that egg donation will affect your abilitly to conceive. However, every medical procedure carries certain risks, both known and unknown. The most common known risk during the egg donation process is hyperstimulation of the ovaries. Your medical team will monitor you closely to minimize the risk of hypertimulation. However, donating eggs will not diminish the "supply" of eggs you will have for future pregnancies. Each month, your body produces many follicles. Only one or two of these will mature enough to be released by the ovary (the remaining follicles are reabsorbed by the body). Medications used during your cycle bring the follicles that would have been discarded to a state of maturation so they can all be aspirated and used to create embryos. Back to top
	Can I become pregnant during the egg donation cycle? There IS a period during your cycle where you could become pregnant if you do not follow doctors orders. You will be asked to refrain from intercourse for a specified amount of time once you begin your injections. This is because your body will be maturing a higher than normal number of eggs, thereby making you extremely fertile and significantly raising the odds of a multiple pregnancy if you did conceive. It is VERY important to follow the doctors instructions in order to prevent an accidental pregnancy. If you become pregnant, you will be in breach of contract and subject to financially reimbursing the IPs for their expenses. Once the donation is complete, there is still a risk of pregnancy to the donor. While the physician tries to aspirate all of the eggs produced during the cycle, it is not uncommon for a few eggs to remain behind. The risk of pregnancy is high during this time as well. Back to top
	What is the time commitment for a donation? Typically, a donation will take approximately 3 months to complete. Bear in mind this means going through the screenings, contracts, and in the last month, the actual medication and aspiration of the eggs. Be prepared to attend approximately 7-10 appointments plus approximately one week away during the week the actual egg retrieval/aspiration takes place. These appointments include the initial consultation with the clinic for the medical screening, the appointment for your psychological screening, your appointment to begin your shots (some clinics instruct you on giving the shots at the first appointment, thereby eliminating the need for this second visit), ultrasounds to monitor the progression of the eggs and blood tests to monitor hormone levels, and, finally, the egg retrieval. Because it is impossible to predict exactly when the eggs will be ready, the doctor will let you know what week the retrieval will take place and will ask you to remain in the area of his office during the week of the retrieval so that you may be monitored daily. This applies to the week of the actual retrieval only. While every attempt is made to work with your schedule, it is usually not possible, so you must have a schedule flexible enough to accomodate these appointments. Many clinics can schedule to see you early in the morning if need be. Please keep in mind we cannot guarantee how long it will take for a couple to choose you. Some donors are chosen right away while others will wait months. However, once chosen, the entire process takes approx. 2 to 3 months. Back to top
	Will I have to travel? No, but it is much harder to match a donor who will not travel. Most times our donors are matched with a couple who live in a different city or state than the donor. In these cases, you will be asked to travel to their clinic for the initial consult and to be in their area the entire week of the actual retrieval. Sometimes, the ultrasound/blood tests done in the middle of the cycle can be done through a doctor closer to you, but that is not always the case. Your travel/hotel/meal expenses will be paid for by the Intended Parents, and you will be asked to have a companion accompany you who can drive you to and from appointments (you cannot drive following the egg retrieval). Donors who are willing/able to travel are easier to match, but it is not a requirement. Back to top
	What will my compensation be and when do I receive it? The American Society of Reproductive Medicine ethics committee has issued guidelines regarding egg donation and the compensation involved. ASRM feels compensations up to $5000 are acceptable, amounts over $5000 require justification and any amount over $10,000 is inappropriate. Some experienced donors may ask a higher fee based on various circumstances, but we ask that you keep your fees well within the ASRM guidelines and base your fee only on the discomfort, time and inconvenience involved, not the number of eggs you may have previously donated. By observing these guidelines, we can protect the reputation of the egg donation community now and in the future. Once we have confirmation from the clinic that you have successfully completed the retrieval/aspiration procedure, your compensation will be sent out. You can expect to receive your compensation check within 5-7 days following the egg aspiration. Back to top
	Can you please summarize the egg donation process? Sure! Since 1983, egg donation has been an miraculous option for women who cannot conceive a child using their own eggs. Egg donors must be healthy, between the ages of 21 and 32, in good health, etc. First time donors in our program receive $4,500 to $5000 for their donation. Some experienced donors ask a higher fee based on their personal circumstances. As an egg donor, you can expect to attend several appointments, which means missing time from work or school. It is crucial that you have a flexible schedule to accomodate 7 to 10 appointments PLUS an entire week the week of the egg retrieval. To start the process, you must complete our online Preliminary Donor Application. If that is approved, you will be asked to fill out a lengthy paper profile, which contains information including, but not limited to, a medical history form and genetic questionnaire. You must also submit the names of your regular doctor as we require copies of the last 5 year medical medical records. You and your partner (if applicable) must have psychological screening and blood tests for sexually transmitted and genetic diseases. Once you are selected by a couple, you will begin your testing and also enter into a legal contract with the couple. The couple's attorney will draft this contract, and you will have an attorney provided who will review the contract with you before signing. Please be sure you are able to fully commit to this process. Once you are matched, if you should fail to make appointments or back out of the donation, you will be liable for reimbursing the intended parents for all monies they have spent for your testing, travel, medications, etc. Please do not consider applying with our agency unless you are certain you can follow doctors orders exactly as prescribed, self-administer daily injections, attend several appointments as well as travel for one week to be near the couples clinic the week of the actual retrieval (all travel paid by the intended parents) and complete the egg donation procedure successfully. The physician prescribes hormone injections to stimulate your ovaries to mature multiple eggs. You will be required to give yourself daily injections for approx. three weeks leading to the actual retrieval. The physician monitors progress through blood tests and vaginal ultrasounds. Typically, a donor will produce anywhere from 12 to 30 eggs. Donating this many eggs does not affect your ability to conceive in the future. Every month, the ovaries produce a large number of follicles that fail to mature...(Only one egg tends to mature and be released). The fertility drugs you are given simply cause all of the follicles in the ovaries to mature, thereby giving the doctor a larger number of useful eggs to use. Not all of the eggs retrieved will fertilize, and out of the ones that do fertilize, only a few of those will be good enough to use for the IVF procedure the intended mother will undergo. (Ex: Out of 20 eggs retrieved, only 14 of those may fertilize. Out of the ones that fertilize, only 7 might be good enough to use. Typically, two embryos are implanted and the remaining embryos are frozen for future use (for the creation of a sibling, for example). The actual medical procedure is fairly simple. This non-surgical procedure is generally performed using intravenous (IV) sedation. The entire egg retrieval takes less than an hour. After you are sedated, a vaginal probe with a needle on the end is inserted into the vagina, through the vaginal wall and directly into the ovaries, where the eggs are aspirated through the vacuum-like tube. After the procedure, you will need someone to drive you back to the hotel (so please be sure you have someone who can accompany you during the week you will spend near the clinic during the time of the egg retrieval). It is normal to have some cramping and discomfort after the procedure. Your doctor will prescribe medication to keep you comfortable. After the egg retrieval, the embryologist fertilizes the donated eggs in the laboratory with sperm from the egg recipient's partner or donor sperm. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus of the recipient. Back to top
	How do I become an egg donor? It's easy! Please fill out the online preliminary application. Once we have reviewed, we will contact you for the next step. If your preliminary application is approved, we will ask you to fill out a full length, in depth paper application and also provide the names/contact information of your regular doctor so we can obtain the last five years medical records. If you have donated previously, we will also want to obtain copies of your last donation cycles. Back to top