Egg Donation

What is egg donation?

Egg donation is a fertility treatment where a woman donates her viable eggs to another woman who is unable to produce healthy, viable eggs of her own. The donated eggs are fertilized with sperm from either the intended father or by a sperm donor. Then the fertilized eggs are implanted into the birth mother’s uterus.

Most people who receive this fertility treatment are women over the age of 40. The quality and quantity of your eggs decline as you age, and women over 40 often struggle to become pregnant naturally because their own eggs are no longer viable.

Who is an eligible egg donor?

Egg donors are women in their 20s who are in exceptional health with limited health issues in their family histories. Egg donors pass a rigorous screening process and physical exams to ensure they are healthy and fit to donate. Screenings for this procedure include physical compatibility as well as emotional and mental health. Some of the typical assessments involved in egg donor screening include:

• Complete medical history

• Physical exam including pelvic exam and pap smear

• STD testing

• Ovarian reserves measurement

• Psychological assessment

What happens during the egg donation process?

The egg donation process involves several steps. Once you complete initial donor screenings you will be matched with your donor. You both begin taking prescriptions to regulate and sync your menstrual cycles. There is a limited window of time for the donor eggs to be harvested, fertilized and implanted in your body. Syncing your cycles provides the greatest chance of implanted eggs to attach to your uterus and develop into a successful pregnancy.

The donor starts a series of injections to stimulate her ovaries into producing extra eggs. During this time, she is closely monitored so that when her ovaries are ready to release the eggs, they can be harvested for donation.

Once the eggs are collected, Steven Brody and his team inseminate the eggs and inject them into your uterus. You take at least two days of bed-rest to give the embryos the highest chance of attaching to your body and developing into a viable pregnancy. You take a pregnancy test 10-12 days after the implantation process to see if you’ve become pregnant.

If you are concerned about fertility and are curious about egg donation and if it will help you to become pregnant, call or schedule a consultation online to talk to Steven  Brody today.