Using donor eggs is a wonderful way to make the dream of growing your family a reality, but the process can be overwhelming. From finding the perfect donor match to navigating medical appointments and procedures, it can be tough emotionally, financially, and logistically.
So what should you expect? Because the donor egg timeline varies, be ready for a journey that requires patience, planning, and a whole lot of love — but we know you can handle it.
The donor egg process, step-by-step
Finding an agency and matching with an egg donor
If you’re thinking about using an egg donor to help you build your family, you’re probably connected with a fertility specialist already. The next step? Finding the right egg donor agency. Take your time and find one that feels right for you. Find out about their screening process, what donor information they have, and how much support they give intended parents (IPs) along the way.
“The donor egg process is a stressful and emotional time. The emotional toll can be the most challenging part of the process,” says Brian LoManto, Scientific Advisor at Everie, an egg bank that helps with donor matching, support, legal assistance, and more. “As partners in all IP’s journeys, it is our responsibility to be cognizant of that and to support patients through the process with understanding, education, and support no matter what their needs are.”
When it’s time to find a donor, you can decide between fresh or frozen eggs. Think about what characteristics are important to you — like the donor’s age, genetics, and medical history.
Everie’s Mutual Matching™ program is all about finding a donor you truly connect with, not just someone who checks the right boxes on paper. “This promotes transparency in the process at the highest level possible in the frozen donor egg industry and shifts us from a family-building process that is transactional to one that is based on human connection,” says LoManto.
What to prepare for
Finding an available egg donor can be a challenge itself. “Given that sperm donors produce far more sperm than egg donors do eggs, donor eggs are more 'rare' in the sense that cohorts are very limited,” says LoManto.
Plus, stringent regulations restrict how often someone can donate their eggs. “Everie supports patients by working closely with them on their journey to identify multiple egg donors that suit their needs,” says LoManto.
Occasionally, coordination with the donation recipient and the donor’s schedule can impact the timeline. Identifying several potential donors and choosing frozen eggs can sometimes speed up the process. “Frozen donor eggs are already in inventory and can be shipped and used fairly quickly,” says LoManto. “With fresh donor eggs, the donor has to be screened, tested, undergo ovarian stimulation, and have the eggs retrieved.”
There’s also the legal and financial side of things. LoManto says using a known donor means there’s usually more legal stuff to figure out, but that’s where your donor agency comes in — they’ll help you through it all. “This type of relationship in the frozen donor egg space is new and unique, and Everie has a solid system to lay out expectations, clear boundaries, and legal documentation for the benefit of all parties,” says LoManto.
Donor stimulation, egg retrieval, and fertilization
Once you’ve chosen fresh egg donation and matched with a donor, the process is officially underway. Your donor is now ready to give herself daily injections to help her body produce as many eggs as possible. Once those eggs are mature, she’ll get one final injection to trigger their release, which happens about 36 hours before the actual retrieval.
During the egg retrieval procedure, a fertility specialist will use a vaginal ultrasound and special needles to collect mature eggs from your donor. After that, the eggs are fertilized. If you’re using frozen eggs, they’ll be carefully preserved until it’s time for fertilization.
Embryo development and transfer
Whether you’re using fresh or frozen eggs, the development and transfer process is about the same. The fertilized eggs hang out in an incubator for about five days, morphing and developing into blastocysts (basically little balls of rapidly dividing cells). After another five to seven days, the inner cells start forming an embryo — your future little one!
But, and this is a big but, it’s important to be aware that there can be speed bumps along the way. LaManto says poor embryo development, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A) on the embryos, not having any healthy embryos, or issues prepping your uterus can all cause delays. And sometimes, health issues can make it tough even to prepare for a cycle.
When transfer day finally arrives, your provider will use an ultrasound to find the perfect spot in your uterus and then, using a thin catheter, gently release the blastocyst. It’s worth noting that using frozen embryos can give you more flexibility in scheduling your transfer.
The “two-week wait”
After the embryo transfer, it can take up to ten days to confirm pregnancy. During implantation, the blastocyst begins to mature into an embryo, secreting human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) into the bloodstream. You can typically take a blood test around day nine after the transfer to confirm whether or not pregnancy has occurred.
Tips for a successful donor egg experience
Be realistic about the donor egg timeline. “Take it one step at a time and focus on becoming informed,” advises LoManto. He recommends actively taking notes and asking the donor bank staff all your burning questions. “They are there to help you along and to understand the process,” says LoManto.
“One important question to ask is whether your physician has worked with or is open to working with the bank you are interested in engaging,” says LoManto. “It is a complicated process; finding the bank that makes you feel supported and that your clinic accepts is critical.”
Throughout it all, lean on your support people and prioritize self-care. To connect with others on the same journey, join the Rescripted community for support.
Blair Sharp is a freelance writer who lives in Minnesota with her husband and son. Her words have been published in various publications, including Parents, SheKnows, The Bump, and Insider. Find her writing daily on LinkedIn and check out her weekly newsletter, Hey Freelancer! Head to her website www.blairsharp.com for more.