How Doing Egg Donation Can Benefit You? Here’s A List Of Benefits!

For intended parents, the benefits of egg donation are pretty obvious. It gives them a chance to achieve a pregnancy and have their own children. However, if you are a young woman thinking of donating eggs, you might be wondering what you stand to gain from undergoing the process. In this article, we’ll discuss the advantages of donating eggs and some things you need to know if you are considering becoming an egg donor.

1.  Help Others Create a Family

Many egg donors report that the biggest benefit of donating is the fulfillment and pride that come with helping others build their families. Not all people who want to bear children have viable eggs for reproduction. Your donor eggs can be a boon to heterosexual couples who are struggling with infertility. They can also help same-sex male couples to have a baby that is genetically related to either of them. Other people who may use your donor eggs include cancer patients whose fertility has been affected by the treatment and intended mothers who have a genetic disorder that can be passed on to their children. By becoming a donor, you can give these people the opportunity to become parents. 

2. Free Medical Screening

Another nice perk of becoming an egg donor is that you will get a comprehensive medical screening free of charge. Before you are accepted into an egg donation program, you will be asked to undergo several physical and medical evaluations to be sure that you are medically fit to donate eggs and that your eggs will be healthy enough to result in a pregnancy. These evaluations can provide valuable insights into your general health.  

You will also be tested for genetic abnormalities, communicable diseases, fertility health, and personal wellness, which will enable you to know your health status without paying a dime. 

3.  Compensation

While money is the main reason many women become egg donors, it is one of the things that you gain when you donate eggs. As a donor, you are going to receive payment for every egg donation cycle that you complete. The amount will vary based on the agency or fertility clinic you work with, but you can expect to get at least several thousand dollars per donation. 

In the United States, egg donation compensation usually ranges between $5000 and $ 10000, and proven egg donors (those who have completed previous donation cycles) or those with exceptional qualities may receive a higher amount. You can use this money to offset your debts, pay tuition, buy a car, or set up a small personal business. 

4. Gain Insight Into Your own Fertility

During egg donor screening, you will be required to undergo a series of tests, including physical examinations, blood tests, and ultrasound, to assess your reproductive health before you donate eggs. These test results can give you valuable insights into your personal fertility and can help you to take the necessary steps to safeguard your ability to conceive in the future.  

5. All Expense Paid Travel

As an egg donor, you may need to travel to distant clinic locations for your egg retrieval procedure. In this case, the intended parents, egg donor agency, or egg bank will cover all the costs of your flights and accommodations for the trip. So, egg donation can give a wonderful opportunity to travel and explore other places free of charge. 

Now that you know the benefits of donating eggs, let’s look at some important things you need to know if you’re thinking of becoming an egg donor: 

Egg Donor Criteria

Aspiring egg donors need to meet a set of requirements before they can donate. The criteria vary from one fertility clinic or agency to the other, but ideally, an egg donor should: 

• Be between the ages of 21 and 31
• Be a non-smoker
• Have no history of drug or substance abuse
• Be physically healthy
• Have a BMI within the range of 18 to 29
• Must not have gotten a tattoo or body piercing within the last 12 months of initiating egg donation
• Have regular menstrual periods
• Have no family history of genetic diseases
• Be willing to take fertility injections

The Egg Donation Process

– Once you submit an egg donor application, the fertility clinic or agency will review it and get back to you if you qualify. 

-You will then be invited for a rigorous screening process to know if you are medically and mentally fit to donate eggs. 

– If you are chosen to proceed with the donation, you will be placed on an oral contraceptive for a couple of weeks in order to control and synchronize your menstrual cycle with that of the intended mother. 

– After stopping birth control, you will start to administer fertility drug injections to encourage your ovaries to produce and mature many eggs at once. You will need to stay away from sex during this period, as you are very likely to conceive at this time.

– On the day of egg retrieval, the medical team at the clinic or agency will pass a tiny needle into your ovaries to take out the eggs under mild anesthesia. The main procedure lasts about 10 to 15 minutes. 

It does not take long to recover from the procedure. In fact, most women are able to resume work the next day. So, you can expect to fully recover and return to your normal activities within a couple of weeks. Bear in mind that while many women do not experience any side effects, some may have mild bloating, cramping, and other symptoms linked to premenstrual syndrome (PMS). 

Conclusion

Donating your eggs is one of the most selfless decisions you can ever make as a woman. When you become an egg donor, you’ll be helping many people realize their dreams of growing a family. The procedure is relatively safe and does not impact your ability to have your own children. As an egg donor, you will get insights about your own reproductive and general health for free and may also receive handsome compensation that you can put toward fulfilling your own long-time dreams.