Become an egg donor and help create a family.

How many eggs does an individual have?

The ovaries are magnificent glands that are part of the female reproductive system. The ovaries are about the size and shape of an almond and sit just above the fallopian tubes-one ovary on each side of the uterus. Every month during ovulation, either the right or left ovary produces a single mature egg for fertilization.

At birth, an individual with ovaries has about 1,000,000 ovarian follicles. Each ovarian follicle contains a hollow ball of cells with an immature egg in the center. During childhood, approximately half of the ovarian follicles are absorbed by the body. By the time one reaches puberty and the menstrual cycle begins, about 400,000 ovarian follicles are left to develop into mature eggs.

what does the egg donation involve?

Following an extensive medical and psychological evaluation, you will begin self-administered injections that will stimulate your ovaries. This typically lasts 7-10 days. You will be examined frequently using ultrasound and blood tests to check your hormone levels.

Once your ovarian follicles (that produce eggs) have matured, you will receive one more injection, called a “trigger shot” (human chorionic gonadotrophin or Lupron). About 72 hours later, the doctor will extract eggs from your ovaries via the vagina (usually using a syringe-like instrument) while you are sedated. The average cycle for this process, from the initial injection to the actual retrieval of the eggs, is about 10-14 days depending on your body’s response.

How many eggs will the doctor extract?

It depends on how the individual responds to the stimulation medications and your body’s natural response. “Good” numbers from healthy responsive women would range from 12-18 eggs. The lab will then fertilize these eggs to make embryos. Only a percentage of these retrieved eggs will fertilize optimally and then be implanted in the woman’s uterus with the hopes to become the future child or children.

Are there any risks?

With any medical procedure or the use of medicinal drugs, there is always a risk. It is very important that you discuss egg donation with a licensed medical professional who specializes in egg donation and can explain all the potential risks with you. You will have this opportunity on your initial visit or “screening” day. If you decide to undergo the medical procedure for donating your egg, you should do so with extreme caution and have assessed all the facts and risks beforehand. Since the agency is not a medical establishment we can not provide medical advice nor outline the risks in an accurate way. Every team member at Guidance is an experienced donor, personally familiar with the process.

What is required of the chosen egg donor?

Egg donor candidates should ideally be between 18-28 years old with a BMI <30. Proven or repeat donors can donate until about 32 years old. Most clinics require donors to be 21, so while we may accept your application at 18 more opportunities will become available after the age of 21. They should be in excellent health and have no personal or family history of physical or mental health problems that need chronic treatment. They should be non-smokers, drink rarely, and have a flexible schedule to accommodate a cycle.

May I register with other Egg Donor Databases?

Because we spend an enormous amount of time and energy on the Egg Donors in our database, it is difficult to collect updated information, and it may lead to confusion with commitments made between multiple agencies, naturally, we prefer you do not register with other databases. It makes it extremely difficult to schedule donor cycles safely and misleads IPs. We appreciate honesty, open communication, and frequent check-ins so both you and intended parents are treated fairly in a timely manner.