Donating eggs is a rewarding experience from which, besides the endless gratitude from the intended parents, you can receive great financial compensation.
If you are interested in how to become an egg donor, it’s likely you have doubts. One of the most common concerns for egg donor prospects is whether the procedure will hurt.
In short, no, the egg retrieval process should not hurt if done correctly. However, it is best for you to have a deep understanding of what egg donations consist of. Here is what you can expect:
Self-Injected Medication When Donating Eggs
First, you must pass medical screenings and get matched with the intended parents. After this, you may begin the self-injected hormone treatment that will help you with ovarian stimulation and ovulation.
The treatment consists of getting daily injections for 10 to 14 days.
The needles used are thin, and the shots are subcutaneous. They are conveniently easy for you to self-administer, but you can always ask a friend for help. You may experience bruising and mild pain in the injection spot.
Ultrasounds
Vaginal ultrasounds occur to check how your body responds to hormone treatment. Through the ultrasounds, doctors can determine if your hormone medication needs to be adjusted.
Vaginal ultrasounds are pain-free. To avoid discomfort, empty your bladder right before the procedure.
If it helps, you can prepare yourself mentally by doing extra research about the exact procedure involved in these ultrasounds.
Egg Retrieval
The egg retrieval process itself takes only around 20 minutes. However, you can expect to be at the clinic for about 3 hours — in which you will be prepared for the procedure, have the egg retrieval done, and wait until the sedatives wear off.
For the retrieval, rather than general anesthesia, egg donors receive IV sedation.
After the egg retrieval is done, some women tend to get cramps the following day. To avoid pain or cramps, women can opt to take narcotic painkillers before the procedure.
One week after the retrieval, you will have to go back to the clinic to get an ultrasound to check that everything is fine.
If everything goes well, the agency or clinic will likely invite you to make another donation.
If you wish to, you can donate again, after a month of your previous retrieval. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, women can do up to 6 donations.
Recovery After Donating Eggs
Although the effects of the sedatives should have worn off once you get discharged from the clinic, it is best to have a friend or family member to help you get home safely.
In the following days, you may experience cramps or bleeding. Therefore you mustn’t engage in intense physical activity. In fact, you should take it slow for a couple of days until the discomfort is gone.
Are there risks with donating eggs?
Egg donation is a safe and low-risk procedure if done responsibly. Unfortunately, some clinics take advantage of their donors and put their health at risk when retrieving too many eggs. For example, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is associated with the retrieval of 20 or more eggs.
It is important for you to do your research about the clinic that will handle your egg retrieval. If possible, ask for firsthand experiences from other donors. You can expect 100% transparency by working with Love & Kindness Surrogacy. We aim for egg donors to have a safe experience in terms of both financial and health aspects. Contact our agents today. We are here to answer all your doubts with full honesty.