How Do I Become An Egg Donor?
1.Screening to see if you are eligible to be in our donor pool:
- Complete the online egg donor application.
- Recieve and complete the full donor application. Mail completed application to The Fertility Center of Oregon.
- Meet with Sue Armstrong, Egg Donor Coordinator, to be shown our clinic and have all your questions about the process answered.
- Call us (make sure you speak with Sue Armstrong or Sharon Huff) on the first day of your next menstrual period to schedule an ultrasound and lab work. These must be done on the second or third day of your cycle. If you are using hormonal birth control (birth control pills or NuvaRing) you must stop these methods for one month before these tests can be done.
- If the evaluation in “c” above is within normal limits, you will be asked to see a genetic counselor and a family counselor to further assure that you are an appropriate candidate.
- Now you are entered into our donor pool. An anonymous profile of your physical characteristics, personal health and family health history, as well as likes, dislikes, and personality type, is available to couples and families who need donor eggs in order to have a baby.
- Some donors are matched with a recipient soon after entering the donor pool; some wait for a while. We expect you to go on with you life as usual. We ask that if a major event happens that makes you unavailable (moving, pregnancy, health problems) that you notify us.
- When a match is made, we will call you to verify your availability to participate in a donor cycle. We will do our best to work around your school and work commitments.
- When a match has been made with a recipient couple, you will be asked to start birth control pills on a particular day. If you are already taking birth control pills you may be asked to change your pill taking schedule to coordinate your cycle with your recipient.
- You will be seen in our office to review a calendar that details your office visits, ultrasounds, and medications. You will be taught to give yourself subcutaneous (under the skin) injections of Lupron (which downregulates your own cycle) and Follistim (which stimulates the ovaries to ripen eggs).
- You will have a physical exam, done by a nurse practitioner, including a pelvic exam and screening for sexually transmitted infections. Your blood will be drawn for tests that rule out any infectious disease. Your urine will be tested for illicit drugs.
- Ovarian stimulation lasts for about 10 days. During this time the development of your eggs will be monitored by ultrasound. The ultrasound visits are usually in the early morning, so you can get to school or work as usual.
- When your eggs are mature, egg retrieval will be scheduled. On that day you may not eat or drink for 6 hours before the procedure, and you will need someone to drive you home afterwards. You will receive a check for $4,000 that day before you go home.
