Frequently
Asked Questions for Donor Recipients
How
long does it take to get a donor?
The length primarily depends on your desired characteristics. There
may be a donor available immediately or there might be a short wait
– around two to three months.
How
much information is available on donor candidates?
We ask the candidates to bring pictures to our interview from birth
to adulthood. If a candidate has any children we ask if their photos
may be included as well. In addition to physical characteristics we
provide you with interests, hobbies, education, family history and many
other personal observations we have made during the extensive interview
process.
How
old are your donors?
Between 21 and 31 years old.
Are
your donors pre-screened?
Our donors have all spent at least 2 hours of intense interview time
with us in addition to psychological testing. When we bring a candidate
to you they are completely ready to be matched and able to continue
on with the medical portion of the program.
What
laws are involved with egg donation?
Frankly, this is where things have gotten tricky… because there
are no laws dealing with this matter.
Do
you have repeat donors?
Almost all of our donors would like to donate with EDPM again. They
are allowed to donate if they have either produced a pregnancy or they
have been approved by the embryologists to donate again.
How
much does the process cost?
As the donor recipient, you will be asked to pay the egg donor fee, which is $5,000.
Can
the donor ever find out who we are?
No, unless there is a life threatening condition in an offspring and
you would need the donor’s help to save the child’s life.
Some examples are the child needs bone marrow or a kidney. If this happens,
a donor states she is willing to be contacted. The donor also wants
anonymity and does not want a recipient looking for her.
Why
do women want to donate?
For many women, the reasons are altruistic, such as a prior abortion
they can’t forgive themselves for. Perhaps it is a mom who had
a tubal ligation but is still young and wants to help someone be able
to experience motherhood. In some cases it is a woman who has known
people in her family that has had difficulty having children and feels
this is a way to help. College students do see it as a way to help pay
for tuition but are truly giving individuals. Donors do not regard their
eggs as babies, just tissue. It doesn’t have a life until there
is conception with a heartbeat and the recipient is the biological mother.
Frequently Asked Questions by Egg Donors
How
long is the entire process?
The process can vary in length, but generally takes 4 to 6 months. This
includes the interviewing process, many phases of testing, medication
cycle, retrieval and recovery.
What
is the donor fee?
Typically a donor will receive $5,000.00 This money is kept in an account
until completion of the donor’s egg retrieval procedure.
How
long does it take to be matched?
Again, this varies according to the specifics of the intended parents,
but generally a donor is matched in a 4-6 week period.
How
long do I have to give myself shots?
The average length of time a donor is on injectable medicine is 3-4
weeks.
Will
I know if a baby is born?
As this is an anonymous program, the answer is no, you will not. You
will however, walk away knowing that you have a given a couple a chance
they would never have had to help make their dreams of parenthood come
true.
Can
I donate more than once?
Yes, based on egg and embryo quality, you may be allowed to donate up
to six times. This number is based on ASRM guidelines.
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