Who are egg donors? Often egg donors are thought to be young women, maybe in college, looking for some extra cash but the reality is often quite different. Melissa (name changed to protect her anonymity) is a mother of a young boy who experienced all the joy that motherhood can bring but also someone who witnessed the emotional struggle caused by infertility. She knew the love of having a baby and wanted to help someone she would never meet be able to experience the joy of holding a baby, their baby, for the first time. Here’s how Melissa learned about egg donation, why she decided to donate her eggs, and her advice for other women who might consider egg donation.
Donating Her Eggs: Two Heart-Warming Reasons Melissa Wanted to Donate
There were two reasons that led me to want to become an egg donor. First, I have an 8-year-old son, so I know how amazing it is to be a mother and I knew that I wasn’t going to have any more children (since I wasn’t using my eggs, why not help someone else?). I also have family members who struggled with infertility and while they ended up adopting, I saw how much pain they went through in the process. They are some of the most deserving people to be parents, as are so many other people with fertility issues.
It made sense to me to really consider donating my eggs, and even if it wouldn’t help someone I knew, it would still help someone achieve the goal of being a parent. The first time I held my son is a feeling I will never forget and I think everyone who wants children should have the experience of getting to hold their brand new baby in their arms.
While considering donating my eggs, I had an idea that there would be a selection process (little did I know the extent), and I wasn’t sure if I would be selected. My boyfriend, who is unbelievably supportive, researched a little and sent me some links of stories people had written about their own donation process. It seemed very organized and straightforward, so I filled out the application and submitted it.
My Advice for Women Thinking of Donating Their Eggs
- Put yourself in their shoes and have a lot of patience: I quickly learned that there’s a reason it’s called a selection process: You are passing your genes onto someone you will never know. Be as thorough as you can in answering your questions. When filling out the Egg Donor Profile, I tried to put myself in the recipient’s shoes and think, “what would I look for if I had to select someone else to contribute half my child’s genes?” I think that helped a lot in answering the questions.
- Ask questions: The staff at Shady Grove Fertility really are second to none. They are all so supportive and understanding, and are always there to help. My nurse Kathleen answered any question or concern I had, so I would really suggest to anyone considering donating to not hesitate to ask your nurse questions.
- Eat your protein: Before your FDA panel, make sure you eat a lot of food with protein in it. I also found drinking Propel and coffee with sugar helped a lot. I actually passed out when getting my blood drawn, and finally figured out that I needed to eat even more than what I thought was enough. I also laid down and I didn’t have any more problems.
- Know you will get through the medications: Egg donors have to give themselves medication to help with their egg development. Going through the injections is something that I will admit that I was nervous about. I don’t think anyone is truly a fan of having to inject themselves, but something that helped me was exhaling right before I did it and remembering it only hurts for a literal second and then you’re done. It’s only for about 2 weeks. That’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Coming soon: Learn about Melissa’s two very different egg donation cycles and learn what to expect if you are selected to become an egg donor. Click to learn more about egg donation, or call 1-877-DONATE-EGGS.
