Q. What does the Egg Donation Process include?
A. Our egg donors are usualy sought out by us, however, if you feel you would be a good fit as an egg donor, please let us know so that we may consider working together in helping someone(s) become parent(s).  After initial contact, potential egg donors are screened free of charge medically ( by answering questions about you and your family history, giving one sample of blood for testing, and undergoing a history and physical examination by Dr. Schmidt ), and psychologically ( with a combination of a written test and interview conducted by a licensed psychologist).  If matched to an intended parent(s), your menstrual cycle is put in synch with the intended parent, possibly with the use of oral contraceptives.  Once you and your intended parent begin your next period, you begin medications for approximately ten days.  This involves injections using the small insulin needle that diabetics use for their insulin.  You are monitored by ultrasound and a couple of blood tests during this period.  When your ovaries are ready, you take one injection ( HCG= Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) 35 hours prior to the procedure to remove the mature eggs.  Click here to learn how more about how easy the egg aspiration aka TVA is. 

​Q. Will going through the egg donation process make me go into menopause earlier?
A. The answer is NO. Every cycle every woman has a cohort ( collection) of eggs that begin development, but without our medications, your body naturally allows 1 egg to develope to maturity to be released resulting in one baby.  The other eggs that started development that month stop growing before maturity and die.The medications only allow those eggs that were destined to grow that month to continue to grow to maturity rather than die off as they would naturally.  We are not able to recruit eggs that are intended for development in a subsequent cycle.  Menopause is primarily gentically determined and occurs when your body is out of eggs.  Egg donation does NOT change the age at which you will be out of eggs.

Q. Am I giving away my baby?  
A. Since you are donating eggs, it is a " Tissue Donation", much like when you donate blood or bone marrow. Alone, without medications, most of your eggs that month would have died and been expelled in your menstrual blood (your period). Alone, without sperm, there is no human live birth.

Q. Am I paid for my donation? 
A. You are paid quite well for your services and time.  You are not selling your eggs.  Hopefully, your inspiration is that of compassion for your fellow human who has a hole in their life that you can help fill with hope, love and dreams lived out.

Q. Will I know the intended parent(s)?  
A. That involves you and the intended parent(s). If you both desire you will know as much about each other as you both agree to.  Many of our donors are the relatives or friends of the intended Mom. 

​Q. How long of a process is egg donation?
A. Once you start your period aligned with your intended parent, you are finished in about  2 weeks.

FAQs

Egg Donor

The Office of Dr. Lila Schmidt