Donor Egg Basics

For a variety of reasons, some couples use donor eggs to achieve pregnancy. Women who donate their eggs may be compensated for their time and effort. Finding an egg donor is handled through agencies that specialize in screening and necessary legal arrangements. Donor egg treatment for infertility and/or advanced maternal age can be discussed with any RSC New England fertility doctor at our New Hampshire, Massachusetts (Braintree, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Lexington, Milford, Westborough, Worcester) and Rhode Island fertility clinics.

The following information may be useful to couples who are considering using donor eggs to achioeve pregnancy. 

Anonymous Donors — Many women opt to undergo the egg donation process as anonymous donors. They donate eggs to an infertile woman or couple whose identity also remains anonymous. Anonymous donors are matched as closely as possible to prospective recipients according to ethnic backgrounds, physical characteristics, or other criteria specified by a recipient couple.

Known Donors — In many cases, the egg donor is a sister, friend, or relative of the recipient. Some recipients recruit an egg donor by searching for prospective donors on their own. Read more about becoming an egg donor or a gestational carrier.

Donor Screening & Consultation
To start the process, the potential egg donor completes a medical history form and genetic questionnaire. She also submits OB/GYN records and any other significant medical records. The donor and her partner (if applicable) may have to pass a psychological screening and blood tests for sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
The donor usually undergoes a complete physical exam and receives instructions on how to administer daily hormone injections. If a prospective egg donor was adopted as a child, she will need to research her genetic history.

Treatment Cycle
As in the normal IVF procedure, the physician prescribes hormonal therapy for the donor to stimulate her ovaries to produce many mature eggs. The timing of the treatment is based on the donor's menstrual cycle. She begins injecting the medications in the third week of the menstrual cycle and continues for approximately three weeks. During the cycle, the physician monitors the donor's cycle through blood tests and vaginal ultrasoundsto determine her response to the medications.

Retrieval Process
When the blood work and the ultrasound show that the donor's eggs are mature, the physician schedules the egg retrieval. This non-surgical procedure is done using intravenous (IV) sedation to prevent discomfort to the donor. The physician, guided by a vaginal ultrasound, retrieves the eggs with a needle. The entire egg retrieval takes about 15 minutes. The donor usually feels fine a few hours later and is ready to be driven home.

Fertilization and Transfer
After the egg retrieval, the embryologist fertilizes the donated eggs in the laboratory with sperm from the egg recipient’s partner. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus of the recipient. If conception succeeds, the egg recipient becomes the "gestational" mother and experiences pregnancy and birth.

Request a consultation appointment to talk about donor egg treatment .

This information is provided for general education purposes and is not intended to take the place of a discussion with your physician. If you have questions about any aspect of your health, you are advised to speak with your physician.