Childbirth is something that most women look forward to. Sadly, not all women are lucky to have this extraordinary experience and so it is quite a noble cause for any woman to donate eggs. Egg donation has made it possible for women to become pregnant even when they lack eggs of their own or when their eggs are of poor quality. This is commonly used for women who have unsuccessfully gone through multiple cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF), women with ovarian failure, or women who are over forty-three years.

For an individual to be able to donate eggs one must undergo medical screening, be psychologically evaluated, and will be required to sign a legal contract. In addition, for a person to donate eggs there are some requirements which must be met. You need to be between the ages of 21 – 31 years although one can still donate eggs at the age of 34 if the eggs are of high quality. Secondly, the weight of the donor should be proportional to the height; the donor should neither be overweight nor underweight. Thirdly, the family health background is checked for any hereditary diseases. The egg donor should also have a regular menstruation cycle and should not have any complications of infertility. Moreover, the egg donor should be committed to the egg donation process - she should take proper care of herself at the time of treatment. Further, no woman should donate eggs on more than six occasions in her lifetime.

The Egg Donation process requires that the components of a single IVF cycle be divided between the donor and the intended mother. The egg donor undergoes the initial steps of IVF which include the ovarian stimulation and egg removal, while the intended mother undergoes the embryo transfer. For the egg donation process to be successful the cycles of both women must be synchronized and this is done through a combination of birth control pills and Lupron. Once the cycle begins the egg donor is administered with the medication required for a standard IVF cycle. Meanwhile, the intended mother takes a combination of estrogen and progesterone to prepare her uterine wall for implantation. When the donor’s eggs are mature they are retrieved using the standard trans-vaginal ultrasound-guide method. The sperm is then provided by the intended mother’s male partner and fertilization takes place.

Some of the side effects associated with egg donation include nausea, headache, bloated feeling, and temporary weight gain due to hormonal imbalance. These side effects are due to the medication given to the donor to help her produce enough eggs during ovulation. Ensure you get enough information before undergoing this process.