Egg Donor FAQs

An egg donor is a healthy young woman who is between the ages of twenty-one and thirty. Our cut off age for applicants is 28. This special woman donates a few of her eggs to an Intended Parent (IP) who strongly desires to have a child but who is unable to produce eggs from her own ovaries. Following their removal, the eggs are fertilized with the IP’s male partner’s sperm or with donor sperm. The resulting embryos are then placed into the IP’s uterus. She then has the amazing opportunity of becoming pregnant, carrying, and delivering a child to finally create the family she has so long hoped for. A donor gives one of the most beautiful gifts possible—the gift of potentially growing a family.

The Intended Parent is the recipient of donor egg(s) that desires to have a child but is unable to produce viable eggs from her own ovaries. Various reasons a woman might not be able to produce eggs include premature ovarian failure, infertility due to poor egg quality or age, severe endometriosis, genetic disorders that she does not want to pass on, or elevated follicle stimulating hormone.

Intended Parents are looking for a donor who matches their physical characteristics so that the child will share physical characteristics with the Intended Parents. Once you qualify to be an egg donor through our agency, your information will be placed on our donor list where couples can view your profile and photo. We are a completely anonymous egg donor agency so your confidential information will not be shared. The Intended Parents will not know your identity but will know your physical characteristics and any pertinent details of your medical and family history.

You can continue to use birth control pill while you are waiting to be matched with an Intended Parent. If you are using Norplant or Depo Provera you will have to discontinue use for several months before you can donate. If you have an Intrauterine Device (I.U.D.) that does not release any level of hormone, you may be able to donate without removing it.

No. You are born with approximately two million eggs. Each month a group of eggs enter a growth phase that will ultimately result in ovulation. Normally, your body selects only one egg each cycle to ovulate and the remaining eggs from this group do not develop fully and are lost. Fertility medications allow your body to rescue many of those eggs that would have been lost and do not affect any eggs destined to enter growth phase in future cycles.

On average, ten to twenty eggs are aspirated (removed) per cycle. Donors can produce sixteen or more eggs.

You may experience very minor discomfort such as bloating, breast tenderness, or some soreness, and your ovaries will be enlarged.

You MUST have someone drive you home after the procedure. You may find that you will wish to sleep for the remainder of the day after the procedure, and we strongly recommend you take it easy for a few days post retrieval. Your fertility clinic physician may give you other guidelines regarding post-operative activities.

Giving Hope Egg Donation prefers you do not have intercourse throughout the cycle, but the fertility clinic physician will give you exact guidelines.

You will need to wait at least a week after the aspiration to resume sexual intercourse, preferably after your normal cycle resumes.

The next period of your normal cycle will generally start ten to twelve days after the aspiration.

The number of times you would like to donate is up to you and the fertility clinic physician. However, at Giving Hope we abide by the guidelines set by ASRM, therefore, 6 donations is the maximum you can donate in your lifetime.

All medical costs are funded by the Intended Parents.

Compensation for your time is based on your number of donations with Giving Hope, which you will receive within 72 hours of egg retrieval:

• $5,500 First time donor with Giving Hope
• $6,500 Second and third time donor with Giving Hope
• $7,000-$9,500 Fourth through sixth time donor with Giving Hope determined by success of previous cycles

The compensation paid does not begin to fully reflect the immense gratitude the Intended Parents feel. Their deep appreciation and good wishes for the donor continue for many years.

No. We are an anonymous egg donation agency. The Intended Parents will not know your identity, only your physical characteristics and the details of your medical history, family history, hobbies, and educational background.

Yes possibly. You will have to go to the clinic three to four times for ultrasounds and blood work. You will also have to miss school or work for one to two days for egg retrieval.

After about three days the Intended Parent will have your eggs transferred.

Before you can donate you must wait at least one year after receiving your tattoo or body piercing.