egg donor
surrogacy
egg donation
surrogate mother
agency

We are so pleased that you are considering Family Source to assist you in becoming an Egg Donor for a deserving couple or individual.  You are doing something of tremendous magnitude—creating a life (or lives) that would not have otherwise been created, for those who are unable to do so without your help.  It is an amazingly selfless deed to be an Egg Donor.  Because women, such as yourself, have stepped forward to assist those who cannot achieve pregnancy otherwise, there are countless parents around the world whose hearts and lives have been fulfilled by children born thanks to this miraculous process.  In fact, our very own Family Source team is comprised of a mother via open/known egg donation, a one time open Egg Donor and a three time Egg Donor (one anonymous, two open). Because we are experienced in all facets of egg donation, we are acutely aware of all that is involved in this process and all of the emotional aspects that accompany parenthood via egg donation. We are incredibly grateful that egg donation is a possibility today, and we thank you for your generous spirit in offering this incredible gift.

Getting Started

In order to be qualified to work with our agency as an Egg Donor, you must:

• Be a resident of the United States

• Be between the ages of 21-31

• Be healthy overall

• Be height-weight proportionate (BMI must be 28 or lower)

• Have a minimum of a high school education

• Be willing to take medications via injection

• Not smoke, take illegal drugs, or be alcohol dependent

• Not have any sexually transmitted diseases

• Have had a pap-smear within the last year

• Not have any psychiatric illness

• Know at least one half of your genetic make-up

• Not have any genetically carried medical conditions

• Have reliable transportation: You will have several doctor (RE) appointments as you get closer to the retrieval date.

• Not have had any tattoos or piercings within the past 12 months

• Not have had the Depo Provera shot for at least 8 months

• Not be on Nor-plant

• Have a genuine desire to assist a couple or individual in creating or adding to their family

Once you contact us by phone or e-mail expressing interest in our agency, we will schedule an initial phone consultation. We will then send you a thorough profile packet and application, which you will complete and return to us. In addition to filling out an extensive questionnaire, we will also require a letter of consent from your OB to add to your profile, and finally, we will run a complete background check.  Upon clear results of the above, we will schedule an in-person interview, and at this time we will review the responses provided in your profile packet and answer any questions you may have.

You will then sign our agency’s agreement, which states that you agree to work with us and gives us permission to present your profile to prospective Recipient Parents. (Your name and personal information will be confidential.)

Anonymous, Semi-Open, or Open Donation?

Family Source handles anonymous, semi-open and open egg donation arrangements. There are some major differences between the types of egg donation; it is essential that you determine the route that is best for you before we present your profile to potential Recipient Parents.

Your Journey is Underway

First, you should decide which type of Egg Donation you are interested in pursuing. If you choose the anonymous route, you will not be given any information about your Recipient Parent/s and it is possible that you will not be informed as to whether or not a pregnancy occurs.  If you choose to do a semi-open egg donation, once potential Recipient Parents express interest in you as their Egg Donor, you will be given some very basic information about them (first names, ages, etc.) before going forward with the egg donation process. If you agree to donate for them, you are matched! If you choose to do an open Egg Donation, once the Recipient Parents express interest in you as their Egg Donor, you are given their profile to review so that you can determine if you want to work with them. If you agree to donate for them, you are matched! Or, another scenario with open donation is that you already know the Recipient Parents—they are friends or family members whom you have decided to help. An open egg donation agreement is one in which all parties have complete information about each other (last names, addresses, etc.) and everybody agrees, potentially throughout the life of the child/ren born via the egg donation, to keep lines of communication “open.” Regardless of whether you do an anonymous, semi-open, or an open donation, you will be expected to follow through with the pre-egg retrieval protocol per reproductive endocrinologist’s instructions including medication directions and doctor appointment commitments.

The screening process takes place to ensure you are in healthy physical condition and to confirm that you are a good candidate for egg donation. This includes evaluation of your hormone levels and testing for genetic diseases. You will also undergo testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s), as will your spouse/partner when applicable.  We will arrange for psychological counseling for all parties: you will meet with a clinical psychologist who specializes in third party reproduction and be administered the MMPI, which is a psychological assessment test. When applicable, your spouse/partner will be required to meet with the psychologist as well. Family Source will also coordinate the required health/life insurance for you, as the Egg Donor, which is mandatory per Recipient Parent/Egg Donor contract, to ensure you are covered in the event you experience any medical problems due to the egg donation procedure.

En Route to Your Egg Donation

Upon clear results of the screening process, you will work with one of our agency recommended collaborative reproduction attorneys to put together your contract. The Recipient Parent/s are responsible for the costs of your attorney. You will then begin a medication protocol to synchronize your cycle with the Recipient Mother’s (or Gestational Surrogate’s) cycle. We at Family Source will absolutely go over all of the information with you to make sure you understand the cycle and medication instructions, as it is vital that all directions are followed precisely. Following is a summarized version of the medication protocol: While the Recipient Mother or Gestational Surrogate is being prepared via medication and monitoring for the upcoming embryo transfer (if it is a fresh transfer), you may be directed to go on birth control pills for a short period of time before starting Lupron injections. You will be monitored via ultrasound and blood tests at your Recipient Parents’ clinic or a satellite clinic near your home. You will then begin taking the follicle stimulating hormone which is used to stimulate the development of multiple eggs. Lastly, the reproductive endocrinologist will instruct you when to take the final HCG injection, which will prepare your ovaries to release the eggs from your follicles. The retrieval will be scheduled for 36 hours after the HCG shot. Once the eggs are retrieved, they will be inseminated with the Recipient Father’s (or Sperm Donor’s) sperm for fertilization, and 3-5 days later, the created embryos will be implanted into the Recipient Mother’s (or Gestational Surrogate’s) uterus. Any remaining embryos will likely be cryogenically frozen.

And New Life Begins

The Recipient Mother (or Gestational Surrogate) will take a pregnancy test 8-14 days after the transfer. Although you are officially done with your egg donation role this is the beginning of a much desired dream for your Recipient Parent/s and a reason for you to feel completely proud and fulfilled that you have shared this most beautiful treasure.