In the United States, 10-15% of couples are infertile. Yet, there are lots of available options to help couples have children of their own. One of these options is to use eggs from a donor.
At YourEggs, with locations in Torrey Pines/Del Mar, San Diego, and Newport Beach, California, our team wants you to know how you can go through the egg donation process in order to help couples who are experiencing infertility experience the joy of having children.
What is egg donation?
Egg donation is a process where a female donates her eggs in order to help another woman have a child. These eggs are then fertilized in a laboratory with sperm either from the male partner or donor sperm from a sperm bank. The embryo that results is then implanted into the woman’s uterus using in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Egg donation is beneficial for women who can’t use their own eggs due to ovarian failure, advanced age, or to avoid passing on genetic diseases.
Getting pregnant via an egg donor has shown to have a success rate of about 50%.
The donation process
There are many steps to the egg donation process to ensure safety and success for both you, the donor, and the recipient of the fertilized embryo. The overall process takes about 6-8 weeks.
Screening
The first step for you as a donor is an intensive screening process. In order to be considered an eligible donor at YourEggs, you need to be between the ages of 19 and 29, weigh less than 180 pounds, and have a body mass index under 30.
You’ll also need to undergo a physical and pelvic exam, blood test, and mental health assessment. You’ll be tested for a number of conditions like HIV and Hepatitis B and C. Genetic testing may also need to be performed to make sure you’re not a carrier for the cystic fibrosis gene. Your hormone levels will also be checked to see how many eggs you’d be able to donate.
During this time, you’ll also be informed of the legal process, and you may need help from an attorney to navigate it.
Treatments
In the weeks leading up to the retrieval of your eggs, you’ll be required to take birth control pills in order to coordinate your cycle with the recipient. This also ensures that you will be able to produce strong and mature eggs.
Two to three days before the egg extraction procedure, you’ll need to attend several appointments at the YourEggs clinic. There you’ll inject yourself with multiple hormone medications. This will cause what’s called superovulation to make sure that you have lots of mature eggs to harvest which raises the chance of a successful pregnancy for the recipient.
Extraction
To extract your eggs, you’ll undergo a minimally invasive procedure while under anesthesia. An ultrasound wand is inserted into your vagina, and a needle is used in order to remove eggs from each follicle.
As an egg donor, you can receive compensation of up to $8,000 at YourEggs.
Why you should consider egg donation
Donor eggs are a great resource for women who can’t get pregnant using their own eggs. It’s a major life decision, but one that can have tremendous emotional rewards as you help couples have children of their very own.
If you’d like to learn more about how you benefit those struggling with infertility, call one of our offices located in San Diego, Torrey Pines/Del Mar, and Newport Beach, California or book an appointment online today.
