Young women considering egg donation should understand the egg donor process from start to finish. At Northeast Assisted Fertility Group (NAFG), a trusted and renowned egg donor agency, we believe that the more you know, the more confident you will be in your decision to become an egg donor.
What Is the Egg Retrieval Process for Egg Donors?
The egg donor process involves a course of medication over a period of about twelve days that stimulates your ovaries to produce multiple mature eggs. When the eggs are fully mature, the eggs are retrieved through a procedure that takes about 20 minutes. You are under light sedation and do not experience pain during this procedure, but you should go home and rest for the remainder of that day. You should be fine to resume normal activities the next day.
What Happens to My Eggs After They are Retrieved?
After the eggs are retrieved, they can either be frozen right away, or fertilized to become embryos. If they are frozen, the mature ones will be separated and vitrified (the fancy word for freezing eggs). They would be thawed and fertilized at a later date.
If they are fertilized while still fresh, the lab will mix or inject the eggs with sperm and observe them over a course of about 5 days. Some will develop into healthy embryos, and some will not. The embryos at this stage are called blastocysts. The embryologist will grade the blastocysts into something like good, better, and best ranking. Either one of the embryos would be transferred (into the uterus of the intended mother or gestational carrier) while still fresh, or more typically, all the embryos are then frozen. Sometimes they do genetic testing on the embryos to sort out the genetically normal ones (as not all are expected to be normal). Frozen embryos would later be thawed and transferred.
If the Typical Number of Eggs Retrieved Is Between 12 and 25, Does That Mean That My Donation Will Create 12-25 Children?
No, the number of eggs is not equal to the number of resulting babies born! The reason they stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple numbers of eggs is because not all eggs will be mature and develop into viable embryos. This result is totally normal and expected! A typical scenario would be: 18 eggs are retrieved, 15 are mature, 12 fertilized, 5 blastocysts are frozen, with 3 tested as genetically normal. Most likely at least one of these embryos will survive the thaw and result in a healthy live birth!
Who Receives My Eggs After Donation?
Your donated eggs are received by individuals or couples who cannot conceive with their own. This may include women with fertility challenges, LGBTQ+ couples, or families facing genetic conditions. By donating eggs, you’re giving them the chance to start or grow their family — something many have dreamed of for years. This is the heart of the egg donor process: your incredible generosity helps transform someone’s dream of parenthood into reality.
Egg Donation: A Safe, Ethical Way to Change Lives
When you decide to become an egg donor with Northeast Assisted Fertility Group (NAFG), you’re partnering with one of the best egg donor agencies in the country — one that has been guiding women through the egg donor process for more than 20 years and also provides some of the highest compensation for egg donors in the United States. First-time egg donors receive $15,000, while experienced donors can earn $18,000 or more.
Ready to Become an Egg Donor?
If you’ve been considering how to become an egg donor, you’re in the right place. At Northeast Assisted Fertility Group (NAFG), we make the egg donor process safe, supportive, and rewarding for our egg donors while helping families achieve their dream of parenthood.
Apply today to become an egg donor and discover how your generosity can change lives.
