The egg donation timeline varies depending on several circumstances such as egg donation arrangements and the legal process. An egg donation cycle is typically 12-16 weeks long.

For more information on the egg donation process, click here.

Women are born with about 1–2 million eggs, but by the time puberty begins this pool has declined to roughly 300,000. Over a woman’s reproductive lifetime, only about 300–500 of these eggs will mature and be released through ovulation.

The fertility medications used during egg donation stimulate a group of follicles that the body would normally absorb, effectively “rescuing” eggs that would otherwise be lost. Consequently, egg donation does not significantly deplete your ovarian reserve, and the procedure doesn’t affect your ability to have biological children in the future.

Yes, the guidelines set fourth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) allows women to donate her eggs up to six times between the ages of 21-29.

Being an egg donor is a meaningful commitment, and the compensation you receive reflects the value of your time and generosity. In the United States, egg donors typically earn between $8,000 and $20,000 per donation cycle, depending on experience. Donors with highly sought-after characteristics may be eligible for higher compensation, with some earning close to $100,000 after just a few donations.

Beyond the base compensation, all expenses related to the donation are fully covered by the intended parents. This includes medical bills, legal fees, travel costs, accommodations, counseling, insurance, and even a food allowance during the cycle. As a donor, you won’t need to pay anything out of pocket.

The combination of compensation and covered expenses can open up many opportunities—whether it’s pursuing education goals, traveling, supporting a cause you care about, making car or home payments, or saving for the future. Because intended parents assume 100% of the costs of the process, you can focus on your journey with peace of mind.

An egg donor will not have to worry about any expenses as your intended parent is responsible for all egg donor costs and expenses incurred as a result of an egg donation cycle, including medical expenses, insurance, attorney fees, and travel expenses.

It is recommended to have medical insurance, but you can still be an egg donor without a egg donation-friendly policy as the intended parents you are matched with will purchase insurance for you.

Emotional experiences will vary from person to person. When you begin taking injectable medication to prepare for egg retrieval, you can expect your hormones to cause a bit of moodiness, similar to PMS during your monthly period. Feel free to share your questions and concerns about the egg donation process with one of our Egg Donor Specialists, we’re always here to guide and support you.

Before starting your application to become an egg donor with Giving Tree Surrogacy & Egg Donation, make sure you take a moment to look over our basic requirements to become an egg donor. These requirements are put in place by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure for the health and safety of all parties involved. It’s important you understand these requirements and ensure you meet them.

Next, you will be required to share information about not only your medical history, but also that of your parents, grandparents, and siblings. It will be extremely important you are accurate and detailed when you are completing your application to become an egg donor as this will not only impact your application, but could also have an impact on the health of a future baby created using your eggs.

Guidelines for age limits for egg donors are set forth by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the health and safety of the egg donor. Additionally, minimum age requirements are set to protect the reproductive health of the donor and to make sure she has developed the maturity to understand the commitment of choosing to participate in an egg donation cycle. The maximum age is set to ensure the quality of the donor oocytes (eggs) is still optimal. As women reach their mid to late 30s, egg quality as well as egg quantity diminish.

Ultimately, being on birth control will not stop you from becoming an egg donor. However, the type of birth control you are using will dictate the amount of time it will take before you will be able to successfully pass screening. If you are currently using birth control pills, the patch, the Nuva ring, or the Copper T, non-hormonal IUD, you will be able to become an egg donor. If you’re using any form of hormonal implant, injection, or hormonal IUD (such as the Mirena IUD) you will need to discontinue use and wait until you have two normal and consecutive menstrual periods. We recommend you consult with your primary care physician before making any changes to your birth control regimen.

Absolutely. Having your tubes tied (tubal ligation) does not prevent you from applying and becoming an egg donor. Even when tubes are tied, the ovaries will still aspirate eggs before being released by the body.

Emotional experiences vary from person to person. When you begin taking injectable medication to prepare for egg retrieval, your hormones may cause a bit of moodiness, similar to premenstrual syndrome during your period. In addition to that – you will be required to have a support system (friend, family member, spouse) accompany you on your donation day and stay with you up to 24 hours afterwards to ensure you are recovering well. Please feel free to share any questions or concerns about the egg donation process with one of our Egg Donor Specialists — we’re always here to guide and support you.

There are three main types of egg donation: anonymous, semi-anonymous, and known.

• Anonymous donation: There is no direct contact or communication between the donor and intended parents. Both parties review each other’s profiles, but the information shared is limited to what is allowed under this arrangement.
  

• Semi-anonymous donation: Donors and intended parents decide how much information they wish to share and exchange, allowing for some flexibility while still maintaining privacy.
  

• Known donation: All parties agree to have direct interaction and learn more about one another, creating a more open relationship.
  

Most matches are anonymous, but regardless of the path you choose, our team will respect your preferences and support the level of privacy or openness that feels right for you.

At Giving Tree Surrogacy & Egg Donation, we believe egg donors should be able to decide whom they help. In cases of anonymous donation, you will be presented minimal information on the Intended Parents. This information includes marital status, where they live and what clinic they are working with. In cases of known donation, communication or a meeting with a Giving Tree Egg Donor Consultant as a mediary can also be arranged.

Medications will be given to help coordinate cycles, suppress ovulation, and stimulate follicle growth. An IVF physician, also known as a reproductive endocrinologist, will determine what medications will be given. The most common include birth control pills, several forms of gonadotropins, and follicle stimulating hormones. These medications taken for fertility treatment and egg donation are used throughout the world and have undergone rigorous testing for effectiveness and safety by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S.

Egg retrieval is a minimally invasive procedure, not an open surgery. The doctor guides a needle through the vaginal wall under ultrasound guidance to aspirate the eggs. The aspiration itself takes about 15–20 minutes. However, you should plan to be at the clinic for roughly three hours to allow time for preparation, the procedure and 30–60 minutes of monitored recovery. You will receive mild intravenous or “twilight” sedation, which keeps you comfortable and does not require a breathing tube. After the procedure, it's common to feel fatigue, abdominal cramping or bloating. Your clinic will advise you to go home with a companion and rest for the remainder of the day, avoiding strenuous activities. Most donors feel back to normal by the next day.

The retrieval process is performed under sedation so you feel no pain. You can expect some fatigue, and mild to moderate cramping and bloating following the procedure. The IVF clinic’s staff will answer all questions regarding discomfort, often recommending bed rest and Tylenol.

You should plan to travel at least a couple times during the egg donation cycle. This will include initial medical screening with the IVF physician and again during the egg retrieval procedure. All travel expenses will be covered by the intended parents.