The infertility specialists will review the procedures and risks involved with the donor process with you. Cleveland Conception Connection is a matching agency only and does not administer medications or perform any procedures. Please review the following information provided by the fertility specialists to help you understand the procedures involved with egg donation.
Time Commitment
After completion of the screening process egg donation can be accomplished in 6 to 8 weeks. You may require a blood test on day 21 of your menstrual cycle to determine when you will ovulate. You will be given an injection of Lupron and about one week later your period will begin. It is at this point that you will take hormone shots and you will be closely monitored with blood work and ultrasounds. The biggest time commitment is during this time and you must be available for early morning appointments every 2 to 3 days over approximately a 10 day period. The exact date of the retrieval depends on your body’s response to the medication. Therefore you will need to be prepared to cancel your usual daily activities on a short notice for the day of the egg retrieval. Some donors wish to take off the day after the procedure to rest. You will be instructed about days to restrict exercise and to refrain from sexual intercourse. You will be scheduled for a follow-up two weeks after the retrieval.
Hormone Stimulation
Under normal conditions, a woman develops and releases one egg per month. The process by which eggs normally develop is regulated by hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. During an egg donation cycle, a medication is injected to suppress the secretion of your hormones by the pituitary gland. You will then receive daily subcutaneous injections of hormones (fertility drugs) which contain the necessary hormones to stimulate multiple eggs to develop. You can inject these hormones yourself or can be administered by a spouse, friend or other family member. These injections are an essential part of the egg donation process because they increase the number of eggs available for fertilization and thus increase the chance of a pregnancy. The injections are similar to taking allergy shots or giving oneself insulin. They are typically not uncomfortable. You will be taught how to administer these shots yourself.
Monitoring the Treatment Cycle
The infertility specialists with whom you will meet will monitor your response to the hormones by ultrasounds and blood tests every two to three days for approximately 7 to 10 days. When the eggs have reached the appropriate maturity, another hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is injected to stimulate the final ripening of the eggs. The blood tests and ultrasounds are scheduled between 7:00a.mand 9:00 a.m. The visits usually last no longer than 30 minutes. You can schedule your appointments but you must be available to be monitored on all the days when you required.
Egg Retrieval
Approximately 36 hours after the HCG injection, you will be scheduled for the egg retrieval procedure. You will not eat or drink anything after midnight prior to the retrieval. You will be asked to arrive to the center 1 ½ hours prior to the scheduled procedure. You will have an IV started. You will receive sedation for the procedure and a nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist will be present to care for you and keep you comfortable. An ultrasound probe will be used to guide the egg retrieval. A needle is passes the vaginal wall to draw out fluid containing the eggs. Following the procedure, you will recover approximately one hour and then be released. Someone must be with you at the premises while you are undergoing the procedure and must be available to drive you home.