egg-icon

WHO WE SERVE

EGG DONORS

 
 

An egg donor is a woman who donates some of her eggs to help parents who are struggling to have a baby. Egg donors donate their eggs in cases where a woman can’t produce good quality eggs for fertilization due to the following reasons:

  • Age (mostly women over the age of 40)
  • Early menopause (women who run out of the egg before the age of 45)
  • Primary ovarian insufficiency (women who run out of eggs before the age of 40)
  • Treatment of medical conditions like cancer with medication which can damage eggs (e.g. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy),
  • Women who have no ovaries but an intact uterus
  • Women who are not responding to the drugs used in IVF.
  • Women who are failing to fall pregnant after repeat IVF treatment
  • Women with genetic factors that they don't want to pass on to their children.
  • Same-sex male couple needing egg donation and surrogacy

Egg donation screening process

At Miracle Gift, there are various donation programs or processes, and once you pass and are accepted, you will be informed about the screening process to follow.

The egg donor screening process includes:

  1. BLOOD TESTS
    • Testing for infectious diseases such as:
      • Syphilis
      • Hepatitis B
      • HIV
      • Etc
      • Blood group test
      • The fertility test (AMH) to check ovarian reserve
  1. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
  • A visit to the fertility specialist is arranged and a pelvic exam and sonar is done to ensure that the donor is healthy, the eggs visible and accessible, etc.
  1. EGG DONOR INFORMATION QUESTIONNAIRE
  • A detailed questionnaire is completed by the egg donor to extract as much of her medical, family, drug, social and educational history as possible.

This is information that is provided to the prospective parents to get to know the egg donor and be able to make their choice.

  1. PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION
  • The egg donor is seen by a psychologist to ensure readiness for the process.

EGG DONATION STEPS

Following an egg donor screening, there are essentially 5 phases in the egg donation process, which include the following:

Step 1 – Selection:

This phase involves matching the egg donor to the recipient's requirements. The recipient will proceed to choose a suitable donor profile and complete the required commitment documentation.

Step 2 – Synchronisation:

The egg donor and recipient’s menstrual cycles will be coordinated using a low dosage prescription pill.

Step 3 – Egg donor follicle stimulation & recipient womb preparation:

  • Hormone treatment will be prescribed to help stimulate the production of multiple donor eggs. This treatment is given in the form of small injections that the egg donor takes daily for a period of about 10-12 days. The egg donor’s health and egg growth is carefully monitored.
  • On the side of the recipient, if going through a synchronized cycle, simultaneously as the egg donor is going through the stimulation, medication is given to the recipient to prepare the womb, and check-ups are done to ensure womb readiness for embryo transfer.

Step 4 – Egg retrieval/ Egg Harvesting:

  • This process involves the retrieval of the eggs from the egg donor whilst she is put under conscious sedation and feels no pain through the process.
  • The procedure takes about 30 minutes on average and no operation or cutting involved.
  • It is on this day that the egg donor is recommended to take a day off work/ school or at least work half day to allow recovery.
  • This is the completion of the egg donation process on the side of the donor.
  • There are check up visits to ensure smooth recovery and the treating doctor would assist to ensure optimum health.

Step 5 – Embryo transfer:

Embryo transfer is done 3-5 days after the egg retrieval process, where the egg donor's eggs are retrieved and fertilized with the recipient's chosen sperm. The embryos develop in the lab and once formed, they are then transferred into the recipient's womb for the baby to develop. A pregnancy test is done about ten days post embryo transfer.

 

 

Become an Egg Donor

FAQ

How many times can one donate their eggs?
In order to ensure the health and safety of egg donors, it is recommended that women only donate approximately six times in their lifetime.

What makes a donor disqualified from being a potential egg donor?
Potential egg donor candidates may be disqualified from being egg donors for several reasons, such as:

  • Lifestyle habits like smoking and a history of drug use.
  • Health concerns such as irregular periods, obesity, genetic disorder, etc.
  • The usage of certain types of contraception, such as Depo-Provera, prolongs acceptance
  • The inability to commit to scheduling appointments.

Is there an age limit when it comes to egg donation?
Yes, there is. The general consensus is that egg donors should be no older than 32 years. These age restrictions are in place because egg quality and quantity diminish as women reach their mid to late 30s.

 

PROS & CONS OF BEING AN EGG DONOR:

PROS OF BECOMING AN EGG DONOR:
(Why must you consider being an egg donor)

  1. ) It is one of the most altruistic, selfless acts one can ever be involved in
  2. ) You assist people who can't have babies on their own to have the gift of giving life
  3. ) You help people who struggle to start their own families to have the opportunity to be called mom and dad
  4. ) You remain anonymous throughout as your name, contacts and full identity is not shared with the prospective parents so they never get to know you or meet you accept for a picture of you when you were a baby (less than 10years old)
  5. ) You do not get paid for egg donation but are compensated for your act of kindness with R7000.00

CONS OF BECOMING AN EGG DONOR:

  1. ) You need to take medication to grow the eggs inside you and this is in the form of small daily injection for about ten days
  2. ) You need to visit the Fertility Clinic for at least three to four times in two weeks to check on your health and the growth of the eggs
  3. ) There may be side effects experienced only during the time of taking the medication like bloating, slight abdominal distention, headache, etc. Worst case scenario is Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome which doctors mostly watch out carefully for you not to develop.
  4. ) You are sedated for the eggs to be retrieved, meaning you are fully asleep when the process is done, you do not feel pain and there is no operation or cut made on your body as the eggs are retrieved vaginally through a sonar and small needle, leaving you with no scars.

OUR SERVICES

Screening of egg donors

Egg donors go through a medical assessment questionnaire to determine their fitness to donate eggs.
Medical blood tests are done on every donor first prior to them being listed as a potential egg donor to rule out diseases like HIV, low egg counts, etc. and save time for prospective parents sifting through multiple egg donors.
A gynaecological exam is done by a fertility specialist to pre-qualify the egg donor before listing.
Psychological assessment is done on egg donors

 

Profiling egg donors

Once the egg donor is pre-qualified by our agency, their profiles are then made available on our Pre-qualified Egg Donor list to provide ample information to all prospective parents.

FINDING THE PERFECT MATCH

  • Assisting prospective parents in finding their perfect egg donor match
    • We are in communication with the prospective parent and provide them with as much information as possible on the egg donor.
    • The whole process is anonymous with the donor and prospective parent not meeting nor in communication. We are the middleman operational in this search.

FERTILITY CLINIC choice

  • Linkage of an egg donor to the prospective parent's chosen fertility clinic
    • The prospective parents then inform us of their fertility clinic of choice where we then send all their chosen donor’s information for the egg donation process to begin.
    • Let the work begin and let good times roll!

“

HOWEVER MOTHERHOOD COMES TO YOU,
IT’S A MIRACLE.

”