Egg Donor Questions (Serious Answers Please)

Question

I received a flyer in the mail from a local hospital asking for egg donors. It didn't really give much information about it other than $5000 would be compensated. I'm considering this as I am in deep debt. Please answer these questions below or add any other information you have. I'll be looking into this more (maybe even a year long research before committing). The flyer says you need to be 21-33 yrs old, non-smoking, and in good health. What other information is there?

1. How is the egg taken?

2. Would I have problems getting pregnant later in life?

3. How long is a 'completed cycle'? (Flyer says 'egg donors are compensated $5000 after a completed cycle')

4. How do they decided who gets the egg?

5. Does your lifestyle matter (how long I've been in a relationship or not married or how I look)?

6. Does it matter if I don't have a family yet?

7. How long (if at all) is the healing process?

8. Does it hurt to give an egg?

9. Are there any rules (no eating certain foods, no s*x, etc)

10. Do you need health insurance to do it?

Answer 1

I donated an egg about 12 years ago.

The egg is retrieved after you go through a lengthy process of injecting yourself with hormones. A completed cycle would pretty much mean menstrual cycle. It doesn't hurt to have the eggs removed, but they do put you under a light sedation to trans vaginally take the eggs. Your lifestyle does matter- if you smoke, drink, do any drugs (prescription or other)

They do pychological testing, to make sure you are responsible to take on this type of event in your life.

Normally you have to be in a serious relationship or no relationship.

As far as I know there is no risk to future pregnancy.

In my case the family had already picked me out, so that's how the egg was placed to a family. I said I didn't want to participate again unless it was for the same family, and I only gave them permission to have ONE pregnancy with one retrival. (make sure they didn't take more and save it for another pregnancy-any extra eggs they took they needed to dispose of- before invitro of course)

My mom wasn't thrilled that I did it. She thought that her grandchild was out there some where- But I looked at it differently- biologically it was mine, but barely. It was the family who I gave it to. I choose to donate because I had lost my husband to a fatal car accident a few years before, and me and my son were without...I thought about how lucky I was to have my son, esp. since my husband was deceased, and I just felt this need to help out families who so wanted a child of their own but couldn't. At least it was as close as possible.

On occasion I've thought of the child- He or she would be around 11 years old...I'd be very interested in just knowing how the child is doing and how she or he looks, but no real desire to be a part of its life. Thats what it's real family is for.

Good luck, and remember, it's a life you're dealing with. Think hard before you decide.

Answer 2

1.) They give you hormone shots to make your eggs produce faster then they extract them with a syrnge type of thing.

2.) No you would not have problems getting pregnant later

3.) A completed cycle can take 6-8 months

4.) No idea

5.) Yes your lifestyle does matter, they look at all aspects to make sure you are healthy and that you would be a good candidate for egg donation.

6.) Usually they prefer that you have at least 1 previous child

7.) There really isnt a healing process it's an outpatient process

8.) I was told it might be a bit uncomfortable but that it shouldn't be super painful.

9.) Yes, you are not allowed to have s*x during the time you are being an egg donor due to the fact that if sperm were to get into you , you could have multiples - generally triplets or more

10.) No