Becoming an Egg Donor: Dr. Daiter, Eric MD

If you are considering becoming an egg donor, you may wonder what you can expect. First, you need to be at a good reproductive age, preferably in your twenties or early thirties. You will be screened to be sure that you are of a sound mind, capable of adhering to the regimen required for egg donation. You must be of normal height and weight. You have to be a non-smoker, non-drinker and you can not use any drugs. You will be screened for healthy egg production and previous successful pregnancies may be required.
When applying to participate in an egg donor program, you can expect that it will take a lot of time, effort and dedication. The egg donation program is extensive, sometimes complicated and can take up to several months. In many cases, multiple visits to the infertility specialist office will be necessary. An extensive medical history and gynecological exam will be performed. You will also need a physical exam, blood tests and urine tests. Genetic testing is common and an extensive medical and family history will be needed. All of this will happen before you are accepted into an egg donation program.
Once accepted, you will generally be put on a medication to stop your ovary’s normal function. This helps to control how and when they react to fertility drugs. These medications are injectable, so be prepared to give yourself daily injections at home. There are side effects to consider, such as aches and pains, mood swings, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, fatigue and headaches. Make sure that you have the time to take care of yourself through all of these ailments. This stage of the process can last anywhere from one week to a month.
The next step is to stimulate your ovaries into producing many mature eggs, as opposed to your normal one egg per month. Hormone injections stimulate your ovaries with a much higher dose than your body normally produces. This stage generally lasts about ten days and you will need to inject them daily. In this stage, you can also expect side effects like mood swings, fatigue, water weight gain and abdominal pain or swelling. Make sure that you talk with your infertility specialist about what types of side effects are normal and which ones you should be concerned about, as more serious complications could require hospitalization or careful monitoring.
During all of the injections, you will undergo regular screenings, ultrasounds, blood tests and urine tests by your infertility specialist. Your eggs will be monitored for development. When they are ready, you will receive another injection to prepare the eggs that are to be retrieved. An ultrasound probe will be inserted through your vagina and a small needle equipped with a suction device will remove the mature eggs from the ovarian follicles. Sometimes anesthesia is used and sometimes you will just be given a mild sedative for the procedure. It can take a few days of rest to fully recover from the procedure, so be prepared to take some time off for healing.
Once you have completed the donation procedure, talk with the infertility specialist about caring for yourself at home. You can take pride in giving someone the gift of a family and aiding in someone’s infertility treatment. Do not hesitate to ask a lot of questions before and after your procedure. A full understanding of what will take place will help you to be happy with your decision to donate your eggs.

This information is provided by Dr. Eric Daiter MD.

About the Author: Dr. Eric Daiter MD, the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER. Dr. Eric Daiter MD offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT.