Women who join our ORM Egg Donor Program are healthy, responsible females between the ages of 20 and 29. Egg Donors must have regular monthly periods (unless you have an IUD). If you have an IUD or use other forms of oral contraceptive, you can apply to be an egg donor at any time. If you use the injection or arm implant form of contraceptive, you would need to stop that method and have two normal periods before you can be a donor. It’s important that you do not use Nicotine or drugs, which includes marijuana. You will need reliable transportation for traveling to and from the clinic for time-sensitive appointments. You will need to be willing to administer numerous injections of medication on a strict schedule. You will have take a psychological test and meet with our counselor to ensure you are comfortable with being an egg donor.

To get the process started, potential egg donors at ORM fill out a preliminary questionnaire online that asks for basic information along with simple health and lifestyle questions. This helps us get an idea of who would be a good candidate to move forward in the process. If invited to continue, applicants will have a consult with one of our Genetics Counselors to discuss their personal and family medical history which plays an integral part in the screening process. If your personal and family meet the standard set by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, you will be scheduled for a fertility test and to get a sample for a genetic carrier screening. If you are not in Portland or the Seattle area, this will be set up local to you. Finally, you will meet with a psychologist for the psychology exam and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) testing. 

Once these steps are finished, our panel of physicians and medical professionals review all of the information collected and determine if the applicant is a good candidate. If accepted, you will have a phone call with the donor team and then the new egg donor’s anonymous profile will be placed into our secure database for individuals and couples to review.

We try our best to make the egg donor application and screening process exciting and informative for our applicants. Because there is a great deal of information that needs to be collected and reviewed, the process can take several weeks before you are officially accepted into the program. However, during that time you are working with our team and learning a great deal about not only yourself but your family and genetics as well. Once approved and placed into the donor database you could be chosen right away, or it may take some time to get matched. This is simply dependent upon what our patients are looking for at that time, however, at just the right time someone will choose you to donate for them! Once you’re selected there is a planning period in which you will work with one of our Donor Coordinators to plan out your cycle. When ready, the egg donor cycle itself will last approximately four weeks.

Individuals and couples generally choose to use donor eggs because they’re unable to conceive a child without the help of a female donor. There are many scenarios in which an egg donor is needed. For example, same-sex male couples are unable conceive a child without donated eggs and a surrogate. A woman may be unable to conceive because she is older and has fewer eggs available. Many recipients have experienced miscarriage or other painful circumstances. Each person’s reason and case is different, the list goes on, but helping these families realize their dream of parenthood by becoming an egg donor is the most precious gift.

ORM Egg Donors understand their commitment and are able to be flexible, follow directions, and available for appointments. Communication with our Donor Team is extremely important. Once selected by your intended parents, we will need your full commitment and dedication to the egg donation journey. Recipients have a huge emotional and financial investment in this process and it can be devastating if egg donors do not follow through.

We ask that ORM Egg Donors show up on time to their appointments, and be proactive by asking questions if they’re unsure of what’s going on or get confused. It’s normal to need help during this process and we’re here to support you.

During the four-week egg donor cycle, we require ORM Egg Donors to abstain from intercourse, alcohol, recreational drugs and other medications not approved by our medical team. We also place some limitations on exercise during that time period.

When completing an egg donation cycle side effects vary from person to person. Some women experience minor to no discomfort and others are more greatly impacted by the process. A very small percentage (less than 10%) may have irritation at the injection site, headaches, bloating, mood changes, nausea or rarely vomiting. The medications are taken for an average of 8-12 days. The symptoms generally stop within one to two weeks of stopping the medications. Other more rare side effects are infection, bleeding, and Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). Let’s talk about each of those risks:

To lower your risk of infection, you will be treated immediately after your retrieval (minor surgery) with an antibiotic. A serious infection could affect your ability to become pregnant in the future. However, less than 1% of women experience a serious infection during the egg donation aspiration.

You may experience a very small amount of bleeding from your egg retrieval surgery (a tablespoon at most). The chance of significant bleeding is extremely small, less than 1% (1 in 100). The risk of possibly damaging pelvic organs during your retrieval is even lower.

Some women who receive medication to stimulate the ovaries develop swelling of the ovaries and fluid collection in the abdominal cavity within a few days after the egg collection. This generally resolves during the following week. Our physicians carefully monitor your response to the medications through blood tests and ultrasounds to prevent a very rare complication of the medications called Ovarian Hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS is an increase in fluid collection in the abdomen that may require treatment after the retrieval. The risk of having serious complications due to OHSS is less than 1%. At ORM Fertility the egg donor medication regimen is designed to minimize the risks of OHSS.

Donating your eggs will not affect your ability to have children in the future. You were born with more than 400,000 eggs – less than 500 will be released by the ovaries during your childbearing years. The remaining eggs undergo a process called “atresia”, where they fail to mature and are gradually absorbed by the body during the time between puberty and menopause. Because of the large number of “spare eggs”, there is no evidence to suggest that the use of fertility drugs or egg donation will decrease the egg reserve to lead to early menopause or infertility.

Below is a list of medications along with possible side effects. You will have the chance to go over these medications in detail with our team, however, if you have questions regarding any of these please let us know.

–Oral contraceptive pills are used to suppress your ovaries and prepare them to grow your eggs.  Possible side effects include breakthrough bleeding, mood changes, nausea.

–Dexamethasone tablets are a low dose steroid used to improve egg quality.  Possible side effects include difficulty sleeping or insomnia.

–Low dose Aspirin (81mg) is used to improve blood flow to the ovaries.  Possible side effects include stomach upset, increased bruising or bleeding with injury.

–Gonadotropin injections (Menopur and Follistim or Gonal-F) are a combination of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) used to stimulate the growth and maturation of the eggs.  Possible side effects include headache, abdominal bloating, fluid retention, or mood changes.

–Ganirelix injections are a GnRH antagonist used to prevent premature LH surge and prevents ovulation during the ovarian stimulation.  Possible side effects include transient redness, itching, or irritation at the injection side.

–HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) or Lupron/HCG combination (trigger shot) is used to stimulate the final maturation of the eggs and prepare the eggs for retrieval and is the final injection in the egg donation process.  Possible side effects include irritation at the injection site, lower abdominal discomfort or mild cramping.

As an egg donor with ORM you will sign a donor consent essentially forfeiting all legal rights and responsibilities associated with the donated eggs and any born child from that donation. As a result, the recipients have the right to determine how they wish to use these eggs once donated to them. As part of our screening process you will speak with one of our psychologist who helps you navigate any thoughts or questions you may have concerning this topic.

While all ORM egg donors enter our program as anonymous, it is important to understand that the majority of intended parents want to have additional contact with their donor. You may choose if you are open to additional contact or if you wish to be matched only for anonymous donations. Contact may come in many different forms. This could mean a one-time, facilitated meeting or an exchange of emails. The most common request is for the donor to sign up for the Donor-Sibling Registry, also known as the DSR. The DSR is a website that allows for anonymous future contact between the donor and their recipient family using their donor number only.

Throughout the screening and donation process, costs associated with donor testing and the donor cycle are covered along with travel for out of town donors. Also, all egg donors are enrolled in an egg donor insurance policy at the start of the donation cycle. This insurance covers you in the event of a complication resulting from your donation where additional medical care is needed.

No! Egg donors are not required to have or provide their own health insurance. At ORM Fertility, we cover all medical costs associated with the egg donor screening process and with the donation cycle. In addition, we purchase each egg donor complication insurance while they are in a donation cycle to cover any additional costs. ORM Egg Donors are responsible for getting an updated Pap smear and annual psychical, and, our team will help you find low-cost options if you do not have health insurance.

Compensation ranges from clinic to clinic – with some not compensating at all! At ORM, our donors are compensated for their time and commitment in a tiered based schedule dependent on the number of times you donate. Please see below for the compensation schedule. ORM’s compensation check will be available to you on the day of your retrieval, or mailed to you immediately if other arrangements are made. We currently allow donors to donate up to 6 times.

1^st Donation: $7,000

2^nd-3^rd Donation: $8,500

4^th-6^th Donation: $10,000