What to Know About Having a Baby Via Egg Donation

Becoming a parent is a fun and joyous experience. Whether you are having a child through traditional methods or using an egg donor, there are great experiences and milestones that await you. If you choose to have a baby via egg donation, here are some things that you should know:

Egg Donation: The Process

Egg donation is a selfless choice that a woman who wants to help another deserving individual or family start a family of their own makes. There are several steps in the egg donation process for both the egg donor and the intended parents.

Egg Donors

Egg donors must meet a strict criteria in order to qualify to be egg donors. This list of qualifications include:

• Be between the ages of 18-30
• Be a resident of the United States or Canada
• Be height-weight proportionate (BMI must be 33 or lower)
• Not smoke, take illegal drugs, or be alcohol dependent
• Not have any psychiatric illness
• Know at least one half of your genetic make-up
• Have a minimum of a high school education, or equivalent
• Be willing to forgo intercourse for the duration of egg donation process (about 1 month)
• Not have any genetically carried medical conditions
• Not have had any tattoos or piercings within the past 12 months

There are many other qualifications that an egg donor must meet in order to qualify to be a part of our program. To see a complete list of egg donor qualifications visit our website today.

Egg Donation

Once an individual has decided to become an egg donor and have also met the above listed criteria, they will submit their profile with a photo. A member of our administrative team will review their potential egg donor’s profile. and if they meet the necessary qualifications, they will be contacted by our team to discuss the next steps.

Compensation and Expenses

The rate of compensation is dependent on experience, education, and ultimately the demand for the woman’s eggs. On top of the compensation, the egg donor will have all expenses paid for them and their legal fees will also be covered. If you’d like to learn more about the average egg donation rates, click here.

Egg Donation Types

There are several different types of egg donation. The choice is up to what the egg donor feels comfortable with.

Anonymous Donation

This is the most common form of egg donation. In this type of donation, the egg donor will not receive any information about the recipient parents, and the recipient parents will not receive any personal information about the egg donor. In some cases, the egg donor will not even be alerted if a pregnancy occurs.

Open Donation

This type of donation is completely open. This means that the egg donor and the recipient parents share all their information and open a line of communication. This line of communication could potentially stay open throughout the life of the child(ren). There is also the chance for both parties to meet in person before the process begins.

Semi-Open Donation

Semi-Open donation means that there is information shared between the recipient parents and the egg donor, but it is a very small amount. This information includes state of residence, first names, and more. This provides both parties with a sense of connection to the process and each other.

Once you have decided which method works best for you, you can fill out an application and start the process of becoming an egg donor today.

Selecting your Donor

Selecting your donor is an important step on your journey. Our intended parents have the opportunity to view profiles of egg donors so that they can select one with the qualifications and background that they prefer. From age to family history, appearance to education; the selection process is in depth. If you’d like to register to become an intended parent with Simple Surrogacy and gain access to our list of qualified egg donors, visit our website to register.

Next Steps

After you have selected your ideal egg donor profile, the egg donor will undergo psychological and medical screenings. This test will ensure that the egg donor is ready to donate their eggs, and that their eggs are healthy. After this, the legal documents will be signed by both parties and then the medical process can begin. The recipient mother or the gestational surrogate is then prepared to receive the donation. They will receive Advanced Reproductive Technologies (ART), hormone injections to help the woman develop ovarian follicles. This process is known as superovulation or controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). The hormonal medications are administered for 9 to 12 days and the patient is monitored throughout the process. Once the follicular development has reached an ideal stage, HCG will be administered to begin ovulation and the egg retrieval will be scheduled to take place within 34 to 36 hours. The donor will then undergo the egg retrieval procedure which takes between 30 to 60 minutes. This is a standard procedure with a recovery time of only 20 minutes. The eggs will then be tested and if they pass, they will be fertilized with sperm, grown in a lab for 2-3 days, and then inserted into the recipient’s uterus. A pregnancy test can be taken 8-10 days after the embryo has been implanted.

Why Use Egg Donation?

Egg donation, as explained above, is a process that involves a woman donating her eggs to another individual or family. Many couples opt to use egg donation if the woman is not fertile, or if they have a family history of genetic diseases. Gay couples use egg donation so that they can combine the egg with either partner’s sperm, and then use surrogacy to have a baby. Lesbian couples sometimes opt to use egg donation so that neither partner feels that they are the sole mother of the child. Individuals who choose to embark on the parenting journey alone, such as single fathers, utilize egg donation so that they can have a child. There are many reasons beyond this that individuals or couples opt to use egg donation to begin their parenting journey.

Simple Surrogacy: The Difference

If you’re looking to embark on your journey towards pregnancy through egg donation, Simple Surrogacy is the perfect solution. Our team of experts can help you throughout your journey. Contact us today to get started!