18 July 2017

How to donate your eggs

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Complete Fertility

Donating your eggs is a truly positive and generous act. Being an egg donor and helping another woman achieve the family she has only dreamed of, and without which would not be possible, is something to be incredibly proud about.

Here at Complete Fertility Centre Southampton our team are dedicated to ensuring your egg donation experience is as smooth and straightforward as possible. We offer consultant-led care and a dedicated Donor-Coordinator as your point of contact who will provide detailed information and support throughout the process.

Steps in egg donation

As an egg donor you will want to understand exactly what is involved. That’s why we’ve put together an egg donation booklet to explain everything you need to know about egg donation.

If you have questions along the way then just call our Donor Coordinator on 023 8120 8359 or email her at donorcoordinator@completefertility.co.uk.

Step 1 – Questionnaire
Complete the questionnaire for potential egg donors or call our Donor Coordinator 023 8120 8359 if you’d like a copy sent by post.

You can email it to donorcoordinator@completefertility.co.uk or send it to Andrology Laboratory, Complete Fertility Centre, Level G, Mailpoint 105, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton, SO16 5YA.

Step 2 – Screening tests
You will undergo screening tests to check: you have healthy ovaries, your genetic makeup, and you’re infection free. You’ll get a fertility check-up included so you’ll find out your fertility status to support your own family planning.

Step 3 – Counselling
We will invite you to meet with our Counsellor to give you the opportunity to talk through the implications of egg donation for you, your partner, your children, the women who receive your eggs and any children born as a result of your donation.

Step 4 – Ovary stimulation and monitoring egg follicles
Your ovaries will be stimulated to mature all the eggs available during that cycle. Usually you’ll be asked to take an oral contraceptive pill to synchronise your cycle with the recipient’s cycle.

You’ll then start to inject Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) for 10 to 12 days. We will offer you training on how to do this at home.

We will perform regular ultrasound scans to monitor the stage of your ovulation cycle. When we can see you have a number of egg follicles of the right size we’ll ask you to take a final trigger injection, that night, to release the eggs from your follicles.

Step 5 – Egg collection
This will be approximately 36 hours after your trigger injection. You’ll be given a mild sedative and we’ll collect your eggs by passing a fine needle through your vaginal wall and into each of your ovaries. Collection normally takes between 15 and 30 minutes. Your donation cycle is then complete. We’ll keep in contact to make sure you’re ok after the procedure. You should expect a period about two weeks after the egg retrieval.

Step 6 – Receive £750 reimbursement
After egg collection you will receive £750, paid as compensation to cover your expenses, loss of earnings etc.

Questions?
If you have any questions about egg donation then please post them here and we’ll answers them.

Alternatively, call our Donor Coordinator on 023 8120 8359 and she will ensure you’re fully informed and comfortable with the process.

You are a very special person for considering egg donation.

Thank you for reading.

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