Women - Egg donor question

Question

I have never wanted my own children and have decided to get tubal litigation within the next few years. However, before doing so I would like to donate some eggs... the main reason being that if I am not going to use them, someone who would like to have a baby should be able to.

Have you ever donated eggs and what inspired you?

How complicated is the process?

How long did it take to recover?

Did you gain weight from the hormone treatment (I heard some women do, but I guess this is like with birth control as well)?

How much compensation did you receive (only if you feel comfortable disclosing)?

Did you chose to remain anonymous?

I have so many other questions (that perhaps my doctor could better answer), but I wanted the opinions of some women who have done this process. I have been researching it and it is something I am really considering.

Thanks so much!

Also, if you have any advice on egg donation that isn't mentioned in one of my questions, I would love to hear it.

Answer 1

Real quick - you can have a tubal and still be able to produce eggs. The tubal just reduces (and in some cases, eliminates) the possibilty of getting pregnant, it doesn't stop you from ovulating, so you have plenty of time to make a decision. A woman with a tubal always has a chance of getting pregnant through IVF.

As for egg donation, here's all I can offer. I have three children and intend to donate my eggs to my infertile sister. I'm not sure how old you are, but I would really contemplate this long and hard before making a decision. I have family members who have donated there eggs to another family member and say that while they would never do it for a stranger, they would do it again in a heartbeat for a family member/friend. There is a lot that you have to go through to donate your eggs. Please think through it really well before decided to tie your tubes and donate your eggs.

Answer 2

Hi there,

I'm not an egg donor or recipient, but I know a few things about it from working with egg donation agencies for work.

1)  You don't need tubes to donate eggs.  Eggs come from ovaries, so as long as your ovaries are working you can donate eggs.  In other words, when you have a tubal ligation has no bearing on whether you can donate eggs.

2)  Premium eggs come from women in the age 19-25 range.  The demand is less for women approaching 30, and most agencies won't work with women over age 30.  The idea here is that the younger the eggs, the better quality they are.

3) As far as complicated, all your expenses are paid for you.  So if you're willing to go through a medicated cycle that includes hormone pills, shots, ultrasounds, blood tests, and the retrieval process, then you should do fine. Egg retrievel is done in 15 mins and you will be mildy sedated.  You should be fully recovered by the next day.

4) Weight gain.... some women do and some women don't.  I will say that I'm doing Clomid + injectables and any weight I've gained is from eating more because the Clomid makes you hungry.  So if you go into it knowing your appetite may increase and you stay ahead of it, you should be okay.

5)  You can't sell body parts, it's illegal.  You are compensated for your time.  Compensation depends on your age and experience.  For example if you are 28 and never donated before, you'll be paid less than a 21 year old who has donated and her eggs have resulted in successful pregancies.  Compensation begins at about $5,000 and goes up from there.

6)  ALL egg donors are anonymous, unless both parties agree to know each other.  Most receipient moms don't want to know the donor though.  They don't want to see your face when holding their baby.  I would say the majority of cases are anonymous for that reason.

7)  Investigate your egg donation agency thoroughly.

Good luck.