Current estimates say that more than six million Americans suffer from infertility. For couples who hope to have a baby, infertility is a devastating diagnosis. Several years ago, these couples had no chance to experience pregnancy and childbirth. But for some of these women who are unable to use their own eggs to have a baby, egg donors provide them with the possibility to become pregnant and start a family using donated eggs. The Egg Donor Program at The Center for Advanced Reproductive Services assisted in the conception of the first child born from a donor egg in New England in 1987. Since then, we've helped many women conceive with donated eggs and our program continues to grow. Our experts in the field of egg donation will help you understand the entire process from start to end - and answer any questions you may have along the way. We are sure that as a donor, you will find this process to be extremely satisfying and altruistic. The gift that you can potentially provide is truly the answer to many couples dreams.

The Process of Becoming An Egg Donor
To become an egg donor at The Center, you must be a healthy woman between the ages of 21 and 33. You will need to complete a questionnaire that asks specific questions about your medical and personal history. You may also be asked to complete medical and psychological screening. The purpose of this careful process is to help us determine that you are medically and genetically appropriate to become a donor, and that egg donation would not be medically or emotionally harmful to you in any way. We keep all of this information completely confidential. Health insurance coverage for procedures involved in egg donation is provided, and there is no cost to you for any of the screening tests or consultations.

To become a potential donor, you will go through the following steps:

1. Preliminary telephone screening
   To begin the process of becoming an egg donor, please call our confidential donor line at (860) 679-2430. You will undergo a 15-minute telephone screening to determine if you are eligible to participate in the program.
2. Consultation and medical screening
   Based on the information collected in your initial phone interview, you may be mailed a questionnaire. If the returned questionnaire shows that you would be a good candidate for egg donation, you will be asked to come to The Center for consultations with our medical and psychological staff, who will explain the process in greater detail. Consultations are scheduled visits and usually take up to two hours to complete. Screening includes a physical exam, psychological testing, blood tests and an instructional session with our Nurse Coordinator.
3. Follicular development
   To help increase the success of egg donation, we work to obtain multiple eggs for fertilization. Donors are treated with fertility medications that stimulate the development of multiple egg follicles within the ovary. These medications have been used for over 2 decades and are the same medications used by women undergoing their own IVF cycle. You will be given detailed information and instructions about this medication.
4. Monitoring your cycle
   An egg donation cycle usually takes about 2-3 weeks. During this time, you will need to make regular visits to The Center for blood tests and ultrasounds. These visits usually last less than 30 minutes and are scheduled between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM. This monitoring tells us when the follicles are mature, informing your physician when it is the right time to retrieve the eggs and complete the cycle.
5. Egg retrieval
   The egg retrieval process is performed at The Center on an outpatient basis. IV sedation is performed by one of our anesthesiologists. You will sleep during the retrieval, and you will feel no pain. The procedure takes about 30 minutes. It is done using vaginal ultrasound to help locate the eggs for retrieval and requires no incision. You will rest after the procedure for about 45-60 minutes in our recovery area.
6. Following the procedure
   Most donors feel a great deal of satisfaction from this act of giving. However, occasionally, donors experience uncertainty about their decision. Our psychologist is available to help you at any time during and after the cycle to offer emotional support. Some women experience side effects including tenderness in the breasts or ovaries, fluid retention, and moodiness. These symptoms can take up to two weeks after the cycle to disappear completely. There are risks to this procedure that will be discussed with you in detail by your physician.