Egg Donation Process: Is It Painful to Be an Egg Donor?

The honest answer to this question is that “it depends”. Every woman is different, and multiple steps are involved in the egg donation process, which is likely to affect each donor in a different way. To understand that, let’s break down the egg donation procedure and see how it can affect the donor:

Shots and Medication

The egg donation process starts with medical testing and psychological evaluation. Once you clear this, you are prescribed hormone-based medication for 8 to 12 days. These hormone shots help develop eggs. Medications are given via shots.

Along with the shots, you might also receive occasional blood sampling. The shots can leave minor pain, achiness or stinging. The first shot is always worse before you don’t have any idea on what to expect. Each subsequent shot will get easier, though. The pain also depends on your tolerance to needles.

Side Effects

Yes, there are some side effects of the process. That’s why it’s important that before you donate eggs for money, you conduct thorough research.

Common side effects include bloating, nausea, cramping, headaches, hot flashes, moodiness, and breast tenderness. Some donors might experience severe side effects, while others experience none. Nevertheless, they are temporary.

There are some serious side effects to egg donation as well, such as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), which is rare. 1 to 2 per cent of women may experience it. It’s the condition in which excess fluid from the ovaries is transferred to the abdominal cavity resulting in bloating.

Egg Retrieval

The process of donating your eggs requires an outpatient procedure to retrieve the eggs. The donor is given IV sedation to retrieve the eggs by vaginal needle using ultrasound. You will be unconscious during the procedure and won’t feel a thing. However, as the sedation is lifted, you might experience temporary grogginess.

You might also experience some cramping or symptoms similar to PMS. One day might be required to recovery, and then you can resume your normal activities without feeling a thing!

The level of pain experienced differs from one person to another. You might not experience any pain at all. Nevertheless, selling your eggs is a real commitment and hence why families are willing to compensate the donors generously.

To find more information on egg donation near me, the cost of donation and anything else about the procedure, check out Expecting.