Becoming an Egg Donor

Choosing to become an egg donor is a commitment. You commit your time in filling out the application. You commit to medical and psychological testing. You commit to ovarian stimulation via self-administered hormone injections for a short time. You spend a fairly significant amount of time preparing for your egg donation. At times, the process may seem stressful—all the more reason to remind you of some of the benefits of egg donation that you may not see.

On the other side of this process is a couple who has been dreaming of having a child—a couple who has likely experienced many failed attempts at conception before looking into egg donation. While the overwhelming majority of our egg donors have decided to pursue egg donation for altruistic reasons, truly understanding the other side of the donation process and how meaningful your time and dedication are, can be hard to comprehend.

The Benefits of Egg Donation: Finding the Perfect Fit

Some of the Shady Grove Fertility donor egg team nurses, like Gail Felperin, R.N., have the benefit of seeing both sides of this experience. Over the years Gail has had the opportunity of working both with the egg donors as well as the egg donor recipients. According to her, “When you see [the egg donor and egg donor recipient] have the same passion together, and the personalities click, I’m like ‘you guys have such a good fit and you don’t even know it.’ It’s so heartwarming for the nurses just to feel that.”

Gail also shared that, often times, when recipients find out they are pregnant, they have come back and said that they couldn’t thank their donor enough for giving them this wonderful gift.

Egg Donation: What You Don’t See

Sarah Esdaile, a Shady Grove Fertility egg donor recipient and now SGF Patient Liaison, sums up the sentiment when she says, “People who haven’t been through this process used to say to me, ‘oh, you’ll never think about the donor ever again,’ and that hasn’t been true. I think about her every day of my life and I hope that she knows what she’s done for this stranger over the other side of the world.”

Being an egg donor can be a long process filled with applications and doctors visits, but what egg donors don’t see are the struggles recipients experience when they cannot conceive and their tears of joy when they finally hear they are pregnant.

As an egg donor you may not hear any praise or gratitude, and you may not even realize what a perfect fit you are for that recipient family because you are anonymous, but you are truly the hero in someone else’s story. And we, at Shady Grove Fertility, hope you know how tremendously thankful they are.

Learn more about the benefits of egg donation at Shady Grove Fertility or apply today to see if you are eligible to become an egg donor. For questions, call 1-877-DonateEggs.

After the initial application, what exactly is involved when you go through the egg donation process and officially become an egg donor?

There are only three steps to the egg donation process once you’ve been selected by a recipient to be an egg donor: cycle synchronization, ovarian stimulation, and egg retrieval. To get to this stage of the egg donation process you have already come a long way! At this point, you have  completed the initial testing, attended Donor Day, met with a psychological counselor, and been officially approved to become an egg donor. Once approved, your Donor Profile (also called the long application) is uploaded to the private Shady Grove Fertility donor database and the egg donation process would begin as soon as a couple chooses you to be their egg donor.

The Three-Step Egg Donation Process

Step one: Cycle Synchronization
After the match is made, your nurse will contact you to schedule cycle synchronization. During a fresh cycle, we synchronize the donor’s and recipient’s cycles using birth control so that both women ovulate at the same time.

Step two: Ovarian Stimulation
At this stage, you will be prescribed fertility medication to stimulate your ovaries. These are daily injections (in your abdomen) for about 10 to 12 days. The medication will help your ovaries develop more eggs than your body would normally produce in one cycle. It’s during this step that you would come to one of our locations for monitoring appointments. Our monitoring appointments are brief and scheduled early in the morning to minimize disruption to your schedule. Monitoring your cycle provides our medical team with insight as to how well you are responding to the medications, if the medications are working, and how you are feeling .

Step Three: Egg Retrieval
The last step in the treatment process is the egg retrieval. On the day of your retrieval, your physician will meet with you to review the details of the procedure. This quick procedure takes only 20 to 30 minutes. Once under light anesthesia or twilight sedation, your physician will use a needle to remove the eggs you have produced.

After the retrieval, you are required to take the rest of the day off but can begin light activity or even return to work or school the following day. We require you to bring someone who is 18 years or older with you on the day of your procedure. He/she will need to drive you home after the retrieval as well.

Once the entire process is finished, your body will naturally go back to its original state of producing one egg a month. What’s changed is that you have graciously helped a couple(s) start the process to having the family of their dreams. Call 877-DONATE-EGGS to learn more about the application and egg donation process or to apply to become a donor.
 

New information and restrictions have been issued by the FDA regarding the Zika virus and egg donation.

Symptoms, Transmission, and Long-term Issues

While the Zika virus is originally contracted from a mosquito bite, it can be transmitted in a number of ways, such as sexual activity, blood transfusions, and reproductive tissues. Common symptoms are: fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes), and can last several days to a week. Symptoms are mild and people who are infected are not likely to go to the hospital. The virus can remain in the blood stream for about a week but can be longer for some people.

The real issue with Zika, however, is for women who are pregnant or who are trying to conceive. According to the FDA, “An association of microcephaly (brain developing abnormally in the womb or not growing as it should after birth) in infants born to mothers with Zika infection has been observed, although a direct causal connection has yet to be confirmed.”

As of Feb 23 2016, 34 countries and territories had reported “active Zika transmission” (active transmission meaning: locally transmitted, mosquito-borne Zika). There have been 107 travel-associated cases reported in the U.S. to date, but none have been actively transmitted in the U.S. (no one in the U.S. has gotten the virus from a mosquito).

Examples of How Zika Can Be Transmitted Locally (Not from a Mosquito):

• From infected male partners infecting sexual partners
• From a blood transfusion
• From donated reproductive tissues such as oocytes and semen

The FDA is taking precautionary steps to protect the safety of recipients using donated eggs even though there have been no reported transmissions through a female egg. It has been reported that the Zika virus has been found in semen.

Temporary restrictions for egg donors:

If you or a male partner has either lived or traveled to any of the following countries or territories within the past 6 months, you will be temporarily ineligible for egg donation.

• Diagnosis of Zika in the past 6 months
• Residence, in or travel to, an area with active Zika transmission within the past 6 month
• Sex within the past 6 months with a male who is known to have lived, traveled, or has been diagnosed with Zika in the past 6 months

For six months from the time of travel or sex with a male partner who meets the above criteria, women are not eligible for donation. However after 6 months, women will be eligible for donation.

Active Zika Transmission Locations

If you or a male partner has either lived or traveled to any of the following countries or territories within the past 6 months, you will be temporarily ineligible for egg donation.

• Cape Verde (Cabo Verde in Africa)
• Caribbean: Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin/Saint Maarten, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
• Mexico
• Pacific Islands: American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tona
• South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela

Key Takeaways about Zika Virus and Egg Donation  

• The FDA is still learning about the causes of the Zika virus transmission so they are taking precautions to protect recipients using donated eggs. The Zika virus is not deadly, but it can remain in your bloodstream for a few weeks, and can be transmitted through sex.
• The Zika virus is not deadly, but it can remain in your bloodstream for a few weeks and can be transmitted through sex.
• If you would like to donate in the upcoming 6 months (March-September), do not travel to any of the above locations.
• If you have traveled to any of the above locations, you are not permanently disqualified, but will be temporarily deferred. For questions, email sgfdonorliaisons@sgfertility.com.
• If you have had sex with a male who has been diagnosed or who has lived or traveled to any of the above locations, you will be temporarily deferred.

The egg donation process takes up to 4 months but is a very rewarding experience. At Shady Grove Fertility, we compensate our egg donors throughout the process for their time and efforts. Learn more about basic qualification criteria or apply to donate. For more information, call 1-877-DONATE-EGGS. 
Editors Note: The post was originally published in March 2016. For the most up-to-date information regarding Zika, please read Zika Virus: Getting Pregnant Amid Concerns. 

Young women from all over the region make parenthood possible by donating their eggs to individuals struggling with infertility. Anonymous egg donors have helped more than 5,000 Shady Grove Fertility patients realize their dream of parenthood. But what are the egg donor requirements?

While each donor is reimbursed for her time and effort, most women decide to donate because of the opportunity to help a family in need. Each donor cycle is anonymous and every potential donor undergoes an intensive medical and psychological screening before being accepted into our donor egg program.

What is donor egg treatment?

Donor egg treatment is an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle in which a woman use another woman’s eggs (donor) rather than her own. This treatment is commonly used for women who are unable to use their own eggs orhave decreased ovarian function or failure, and for same sex couples.

Can anyone donate, or are there certain egg donor requirements?

Initially, interested women will be asked to submit a short online application that asks about basic qualifications. Our donors are usually between the ages of 21 to 32, in good overall health, with a body mass index (BMI) between 16 to 28 (calculate your BMI). They are also non-smokers, college educated, and live and 1 hour of our full service locations.

Insert quote here from woman who donated “” and the new visual of who are egg donors.

What is the donor process?

After a potential donor has submitted her initial application, she will be notified if she can proceed with creating an egg donor profile, attend Donor Day, and complete her psychological evaluation. If a potential donor’s information meets Shady Grove Fertility’s standards, her profile will be uploaded to our donor database where she will wait to be selected by a recipient or recipients.

Once matched with a recipient, a donor nurse will contact her to schedule her stimulation cycle in order to synchronize her cycle with the recipient’s. The injections, which stimulate her ovaries to produce and grow larger quantities of eggs than the body naturally produces, are easy to administer with side effects similar to what she experiences during her period.

A physician will perform her egg retrieval procedure at one of Shady Grove Fertility’s ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) in Rockville, MD; Towson, MD; or Chesterbrook, PA. The egg retrieval, which takes about 20 to 30 minutes, involves a physician usinga transvaginal ultrasound probe to guide a needle into each ovary to remove the eggs in each follicle. Donors will be able to recover from the 3 hour retrieval visit within a day or so.

To learn more about donating eggs at Shady Grove Fertility, read our Frequently Asked Questions. If you’re interested in becoming an egg donor or the egg donor requirements at Shady Grove Fertility, call (888) 312-4499 or get started with your egg donor story by filling out a brief application.

Melanie’s Personal Egg Donor Story

The stories of women who become egg donors vary greatly depending on where a woman donates. At Shady Grove Fertility, our anonymous egg donor program ensures the anonymity of our donors to protect both the women donating, as well as the recipients who receive the donated eggs. However, what remains the same for the many donors at Shady Grove Fertility as well as women who donate elsewhere is the reason for giving back begins with the simple desire to give. This was the case with Melanie’s egg donor story. Melanie, a generous-natured girl who was already a regular blood donor, who came across a magazine ad about donating eggs. “The thought of making a difference in someone’s life in such a serious way resonated with me,” Melanie stated. She realized that her good health was something she could be generous with, even more than just donating blood.

The Process of Becoming an Egg Donor

While not all egg donation centers or agencies are the same, Shady Grove Fertility prescreens each woman interested in egg donation prior to her being accepted into the program. Therefore, at Shady Grove Fertility, egg donation requires serious commitment. The screening process includes  a review of both personal and family medical history for 2 to 3 generations, psychological testing, blood tests, personal information (like hobbies, favorite foods), and an essay about what motivates them to donate their eggs. Due to this extensive 3 to 4 month process, the overwhelming majority of the women who make it through the screening and move on to donate do so because they want to help other women.

Finding Joy through Egg Donation

“We have found that [women who] want to be a donor for altruistic reasons, those are really the only donors who are going to make it through the process,” remarks Michele Purcell, RN, Director of Donor Egg and Egg Freezing Programs.

Melanie realized this as well, and ended up waiting an entire year before deciding to apply to be an egg donor. After she donated her eggs, she sorted though her feelings and realized how happy she was with her decision. Like many of the SGF egg donors, after completing her first cycle, Melanie decided to donate her eggs again. “It’s the excitement and joy that I feel knowing that I can help a family in such a special way that means the most to me. My next donation is already scheduled, and I plan to continue donating as long as recipients continue to choose me.”

While donating your eggs is a big decision that will impact the lives of others, the reward for you and another family is beyond measure. Sarah Esdaile, a donor egg recipient perfectly captures the feeling when she said, “People who haven’t been through this process used to say to me, “Oh you’ll never think about the donor ever again. And that hasn’t been true. I think about her every day of my life. And I hope that she knows what she’s done for this stranger on the other side of the world.”

Read Melanie’s full egg donor story. Melanie donated through an agency where the process of becoming an egg donor as well as the anonymity of egg donation is not the same as what egg donors experience at Shady Grove Fertility. To learn more about donating eggs at Shady Grove Fertility, read the FAQs. If you’re interested in becoming an egg donor at Shady Grove Fertility, call (888) 312-4499 or get started with your egg donor story by filling out the brief application.