How to Donate Eggs

Women donate eggs to help women whose ovaries do not produce healthy eggs conceive a child. In most donation scenarios, 1 or more donated eggs are combined with sperm from the recipient's partner or another donor. The embryos are then transferred to the recipient's uterus or frozen for use in future pregnancies. Egg donation is a complex procedure that can be emotionally taxing and painful, but donors are compensated with payment and many feel a sense of pride in helping other couples conceive children.

EditPart 1 of 3: Choosing an Egg Donation Program

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   Research programs in your state. If you live in a large city, there are probably several egg donor programs to choose from. Donor programs evaluate you physically and psychologically, then facilitate the egg donation process from start to finish. You'll be spending a lot of time working with the program's counselors and medical technicians, so it's important that you feel comfortable with the program and the people who work there.
   • Conduct an online search to find a program that meets your needs. Read each program's website carefully, and seek out reviews and recommendations if possible.
   • Many programs advertise online, in magazines and on billboards and on buses and subways. If you're considering answering an ad, do research first to make sure the program is well reputed.^[1]
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   Contact an egg broker. Egg brokers find women who wish to donate their eggs, then put them in touch with donor programs or individual egg seekers. Your relationship with the egg broker ends once you're connected with an egg donor program.
   • If you intend to use an egg broker, it's important to be very careful not to give too much information about yourself until you're sure that the broker has a good reputation. Some brokers take advantage of women who want to donate by posting their details online without permission as a way to lure infertile women seeking in vitro fertilization.
   • Be clear up front about who will be paying your medical expenses, which tests will be conducted, and what will be done with your medical information.
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   Make sure you meet the program's basic requirements. Once you've chosen a program, be sure you'll be able to move forward with the egg donation. Every program has a few basic requirements, and some are more strict than others.
   • Most programs require that donors be between the ages of 21 and 35, though sometimes the upper age limit is 30. This is to ensure that donors are legally able to enter a contract, and that their eggs have the best chance possible of getting fertilized.
   • Some programs require that you have a social security number to donate. If you don't, you may be asked to pay a percentage of your payment back as taxes. Look into this carefully, since the tax amount may be so high that it's not worth it to donate your eggs for the small sum left over.^[2]
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   Apply to the donor program of your choice. Once you've identified a program you like and made sure you meet their requirements, call the program director and let him or her know that you'd like to apply to be a donor. As a next step, you'll take a series of surveys and undergo evaluations to determine whether the program can accept you.^[1]

EditPart 2 of 3: Undergoing Evaluations

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   Participate in a phone interview. The first screening will take place over the phone, either the first time you contact the donor program or at a different scheduled time. You will be asked a series of questions to determine whether you're a good fit; if you are, you'll be invited to proceed with the selection process. If not, you may not hear from the program again.^[1]
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   Learn about the procedure. Before you go through medical and psychological evaluations, staff at the donor program will meet with you to thoroughly go over the entire process you're facing. Pay careful attention to the following factors before deciding whether to move forward:
   • The drugs you'll be taking. In order to prepare your body for egg donation, you will have to take a series of fertility drugs. Research each drug carefully so you're aware of the side effects.
   • The medical procedure. Once your eggs are ready to be extracted, you will undergo a small surgical procedure to remove them. Make sure you understand what will happen and are comfortable with the procedure.
   • Your payment. Even though ads for egg donors often advertise payments as high as $50,000, the average payment for egg donation is about $8,000. You should know exactly what expenses the program will be covering and how much money you'll end up with after your part is finished.
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   Undergo medical and evaluations. When you agree to move forward, you will make a series of appointments to undergo different types of medical and tests. Before you submit to these, determine how the information will be used (including whether it will be given to your doctor or insurance company) and whether you will receive the results.^[1] If the results of one of the tests don't meet the qualifications of the program, you may not be asked to continue. The evaluations may include the following:
   • A general physical exam to determine whether you are in good general health.
   • A pelvic exam and an ultrasound to test the health of your organs.
   • A blood test to check your hormone levels.
   • STD testing to determine whether you have a sexually transmitted disease, including HIV.
   • Screening for inherited diseases that may be passed through your eggs, including birth defects, genetic disorders and major medical problems. This usually involves a blood test.
   • A written account of your medical history, in which you will be asked questions about your family's medical issues and your own.
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   Pass a psychological screening. The psychological screening is conducted for your benefit, to make sure you're mentally prepared for the challenges involved in egg donation, and for the benefit of the program, to make sure you'll be mentally able to complete it successfully.^[1]. You'll be asked to reflect on questions on the following topics:
   • Your family history, your life circumstances, and any major sources or stress or problems in your life.
   • Your reasons for wanting to donate your eggs.
   • Your grasp on the concept that after the donation, your eggs may be used to create a new life who is genetically related to you, but whom you will not be able to meet.
   • Your ability to be responsible enough to come to appointments, take your medication, and get through the program successfully.

EditPart 3 of 3: Completing the Egg Donation Process

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   Take medication to disrupt your cycle. The first step is to halt your regular menstrual cycle so that it's easier to control your response to the fertility drugs you will take. This disruption is temporary, but the medications cause side effects in some people.
   • Medications typically include Lupron and/or Ganirelix acetate or Cerotide. These are used to regulate and control your cycle, making it easier to monitor ovulation and synchronize your cycle with that of your recipient. ^[1]
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   Get hormone injections to stimulate egg production. In a normal menstrual cycle, one egg is released from the ovaries every month. When you donate eggs, hormones are injected into your body to stimulate the production of more than one egg. Harvesting more eggs increases the chances that one will be viable.
   • Hormones injected include follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). These trigger rapid ovulation and ripening of eggs in order to prepare them for retrieval.
   • Side effects include soreness, breast tenderness, and mood swings.
   • In some cases, women experience ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which may require bed rest and pain medication. In some cases OHSS can cause blood clots, kidney failure, and other serious conditions.
   • If you experience OHSS, the medical technicians may decide that process is too dangerous to continue.
   • During the fertility treatment process, the development of your eggs will be closely monitored through blood tests and ultrasounds, for which an instrument is inserted into your vagina.
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   Take a final medication to prepare the eggs for retrieval. When the donation cycle is complete, and your eggs are deemed ready for retrieval, one last type of medication will be injected shortly before the eggs are extracted.^[1]
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   Have the eggs removed. The egg retrieval process is called transvaginal ovarian aspiration. An ultrasound probe will be inserted into your vagina, and a thin needle attached to the probe will be inserted into each egg follicle. The egg and surrounded liquid will be sucked out.
   • Local anesthesia or pain medication is given before the procedure.
   • The process takes about 30 minutes.
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   Attain follow-up care. You may have a follow-up appointment once the process is complete, but many programs end the egg donation process with the egg retrieval and leave you to seek follow-up care on your own if it is required.

Edit

EditTips

• Typical compensation for egg donation ranges from $2,000 to $10,000 per cycle. These figures may or may not include expenses such as gas, child care and missed work. Some donors offer eggs as a personal favor without compensation, or only with reimbursement for certain expenses. Compensation or reimbursement may be reduced or eliminated if the cycle is not successful. Make sure you have a clear understanding of how and when you will be compensated before agreeing to egg donation.

EditWarnings

• Potential risks associated with egg donation include bruising, infection and hyper-stimulated ovaries. Egg donation is not believed to have any long-term consequences for the donor's health or fertility, but it is a somewhat new procedure, and specific information about long-term consequences has not been studied enough to guarantee the process is entirely free of risk

How to Exercise After Childbirth

For some women, exercise is the last thing they are thinking about after childbirth. Other women are anxious to begin exercising so they can get their pre-pregnancy bodies back. Exercising after childbirth can help you lose the weight you gained during pregnancy, restore your muscle tone, increase your energy level, fight depression and anxiety, and relieve the stress that comes with having a new baby. Exercise after childbirth once your doctor says it is safe, and start by taking it slowly.

EditSteps

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   Talk to your doctor or midwife. Many doctors will recommend you wait until 6 weeks after you give birth to begin exercising.
   • Ask your doctor if you can exercise sooner. If you had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, you might be able to start exercising earlier.
     
   • Discuss your exercise plans at your 6 week postpartum checkup. This will give your doctor a chance to review your recovery and overall health.
     
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   Begin walking and stretching a few days after you give birth. While major exercise might have to wait a few weeks, taking walks and stretching your body can be done while you are recovering.
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   Take extra time to heal if you had a c-section. A c-section is major surgery, and even walking might be painful right after childbirth. Walking a little bit every day will help you heal and reduce your risk of getting blood clots.
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   Limit high impact exercise until 6 weeks after childbirth. The ligaments in your uterus are still healing, and running or high impact workouts could stretch them and cause uterine bleeding.
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   Look for specific postpartum exercise classes. Some fitness centers offer yoga, low impact aerobics and swimming classes ideal for new moms.
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   Warm up and cool down before and after any exercise. This will keep your muscles stretched and safe from injury.
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   Start slowly. Increase your pace as you become more comfortable with your body and fitness level.
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   Drink a lot of water while you are exercising. Keeping yourself hydrated is essential, especially if you are breastfeeding. Make sure you drink water before and after your workout too.
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   Stop exercising if you feel pain. Also stop if you notice any vaginal bleeding or bleeding from your c-section scar.
   • Call your doctor immediately if you begin bleeding.
     
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    Exercise your kegel muscles. Kegel exercises will tone your pelvic floor muscles, which can help you prevent incontinence and tighten your vagina.
    • Contract the muscles that control your urine flow. Hold them for 10 seconds at a time, and release.
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    Incorporate your baby into your exercise routine. There are "mommy and me" yoga classes, or you can take your baby out for a daily walk.

EditTips

• Remember to exercise during your pregnancy. If you stay physically active while you are pregnant, you will have an easier time exercising after you give birth.
• Wear a supportive sports bra. Your breasts will feel heavier and larger after childbirth, and you may want to wear a bra that is extra supportive. Wear nursing pads to prevent leakage if you are breastfeeding.

How to Prevent Period Pain

Period pain is the worst. It just is. Luckily, there are many ways, both natural and medical, that you can prevent and reduce the pain that your body goes through during that time of the month. Scroll down to Step 1 to take control of your period pain.

EditMethod 1 of 3: Using Verified Natural Remedies

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   Stay away from fatty foods. When your body is already dealing with the chaos that is going on inside of it because of your period, you should try to help it out as much as possible. Fatty foods move sluggishly through your digestive system, making you bloat. They also increase muscle inflammation, which means that they can heighten the pain caused by your cramps. Avoid these foods to help your body function as well as it can^[1]:
   • Whole fat dairy products like ice cream (sadly), cheese, butter, red meat with obvious fatty parts, fried foods of any kind, and doughnuts.
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   Try to avoid dairy products as much as possible. While settling down with a pint of ice cream might sound like just the thing you need, dairy products are actually best to avoid when you are trying to avoid period pain. Dairy products, particularly those that are high in fat content can really upset your stomach, increasing your chances of having diarrhea, bloating, and cramps.
   • Luckily, there is a solution: use non-fat products. While non-fat dairy can still upset your stomach, it is much less likely to do so. Next time you hit up the ice cream isle, try out a non-fat ice cream or give sorbet a shot.
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   Eat power foods that can reduce the pain caused by your cramps. While this article has so far only listed foods that you can’t eat (even if you want to), don’t fear--here are some foods that can actually fight your period pain while you munch away.^[2]
   • Salmon: This pink fish is packed with Omega-3, a type of good fat that can help to ease muscle inflammation caused by cramps.
   • Sesame seeds: These seeds are packed with calcium and make a great addition to a salad.
   • Hummus: Chickpeas are filled with nutrients and can help you fight insomnia or bad moods brought on by your period.
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   Drink hot peppermint tea. Not only does peppermint tea smell absolutely delicious, it also helps to soothe the cramps, gas, and generally awful digestive issues brought on by your period. Menthol is one of the main components of peppermint tea and works as an antispasmodic (which means it stops cramps in their tracks by helping your uterine muscles to keep their cool and stop from cramping up).^[3]
   • Drink a cup of mint or peppermint tea in the morning and at night to help soothe your aching belly and body.
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   Soothe your cramps with a hot pad. Heat is one of the best ways to stop period pain in its tracks. Place the hot pad directly on top of the spot where you feel the most pain, sit back, and let the heat do its job. The heat will keep your muscles from spasming (a.k.a. cramps) so that you feel less pain.
   • If you don’t have a hot pad, you can also soak in a hot bath or take a shower and let the warm water run over your aching abdomen.

EditMethod 2 of 3: Using Unverified Home Remedies

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   Figure out what works best for you. While the following remedies haven't been proven scientifically, many people swear by their effectiveness. If you don't get relief by other means, you may find that one or a combination of these methods will work for you.
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   Consume ginger like its candy. Ok, well maybe ginger isn’t the best to just munch on, but you should try to eat more of it to help you deal with the pain and digestive problems your period causes. Ginger works as anti inflammatory, soothing your inflamed uterine muscles and stopping them from cramping up and causing your pain. Add more ginger to your diet by incorporating it into meals, taking supplements, or drinking ginger tea.
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   Don’t give in to the desire to binge on sweet chocolate. When it comes to feeling crampy and crappy, chocolate is held on the same level as watching The Notebook and indulging in a whole bucket of ice cream. Sadly, it might be time to put the chocolate away (though feel free to watch The Notebook as many times as you want). Chocolate is high in caffeine, which can really mess with your system by aggravating anxiety, insomnia, and mood swings that could lead to both physical and mental pain. If you absolutely must eat chocolate, make sure that it is at least 70% cocoa. The bitter sweetness of the cocoa may help your muscles relax.^[4]
   • For that matter, stay away from caffeinated products in general. Drink less coffee and tea the week before, and during, your period to reduce your chances of feeling anxious or dealing with insomnia and mood swings.
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   Drink cranberry juice. As cliche as it sounds, cranberry juice can really help when it comes to cramps. Cranberries have a lot of potassium so they can help to keep you from bloating while also relaxing your cramped muscles. To get more cranberry action going without having to munch on the bitter berries, drink cranberry juice or take a supplement (which you can buy at any local pharmacy).
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   Try to exercise. While researchers go back and forth on whether exercise can be helpful or harmful while on your period, the only one who can really determine how you feel about exercising is you.^[5] Give exercise a go and monitor how you feel--if your cramps get worse, stop. Chances are though, you’ll feel a lot better after you move your body a bit. Try to get exercise for 30 minutes at least four or five times a week. Some exercises you should try include:
   • Walking or running: The endorphins (feel-good hormones) your body releases when you exercise will be well worth the sweat you might break into while you go on a jog.
   • Aerobics: Let the frustration of feeling crappy inspire you to move in an aerobics class. Whether its Zumba, pilates, or some other class, get your heart pumping and your hips shaking.
   • Planking: To work on those abs, you can get down on the floor, put your arms and elbows under your body, and raise yourself up using only your arms and toes.
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   Give some yoga poses a go. While inversions poses where you hang upside down are generally not recommended, most other yoga poses can actually help you alleviate your pain while also getting your mind into a zen-like state. In particular, pigeon pose is an effective pose you should try.^[6]
   • Pigeon pose: Start by sitting on the floor, bending your right knee in front of you you. Extend your other leg behind you, put your hands on the hips, and curve your back gently backwards. Hold for some breathes, then bend forward and put your hands in front of you on the floor. Again hold for several breaths and then repeat for the other side.
   • Other positions to try include: goddess pose, crane pose, and tree pose.^[7]

EditMethod 3 of 3: Using Medications

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   Fight cramps with NSAIDs. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are probably the quickest and easiest way to prevent period pain. However, you have to be careful, as taking NSAIDs on an empty stomach can end up really hurting your stomach’s lining--even relieving cramps is not worth that trouble. To avoid side effects of these drugs, always take them after you’ve eaten a meal.
   • The most common NSAIDs are over-the-counter and include Ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen.
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   Try acetaminophen. This over-the-counter drug has long been heralded as a great way to fight period pain. It is similar to NSAIDs in that it will work quickly to get rid of pain, but unlike NSAIDs, it is not anti-inflammatory. Instead, acetaminophen works to change the way your body senses pain, while also cooling down the part of your body that’s in pain.^[8]
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   Talk to your doctor about taking a diuretic to reduce the pain and frustration brought on by bloating. Diuretics work to keep your body from retaining too much water (the process that causes you to bloat), while also keeping your body from creating the hormone (antidiuretic hormone) that causes your uterine muscle to cramp up.
   • Some of the most common diuretics prescribed to fight period pain include Spironolactone, Amiloride, and Ammonium Chloride. However, unlike NSAIDs, diuretics are not over-the-counter, so you will have to talk to your doctor about getting a prescription.
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   Combine certain diuretics with acetaminophen. Keep in mind that it is very important to talk to your doctor before doing this. Some diuretics--specifically Pamabrom and Pyrilamine--can be taken alongside low doses of acetaminophen to create a super powerful period pain killer.
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   Up your intake of magnesium and calcium by taking supplements. You should start taking magnesium supplements five days before your period is supposed to start. Magnesium adjusts the blood supply running to your abdomen and keeps your body from retaining too much excess water in the area, so you are less likely to get cramps. When you take magnesium and calcium together, they work to reduce your period pain by controlling your uterine muscles and keeping them from contracting too much (the contracting is what causes cramps).
   • Some vitamins can also be taken to help your body absorb the extra magnesium and calcium. These vitamins include vitamin B and vitamin D.
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   Talk to your doctor about birth control. If you are the victim of a very intense period, you may want to consider talking to your doctor about birth control. Different types of birth control can actually help regulate your period and make it a lot less intense.^[9]

EditTips

• Avoid smoking cigarettes, as they can disrupt different systems in your body--including your digestive system--and make your period symptoms worse.
• Consider trying acupuncture to relieve your cramps.

EditWarnings

• Talk to your doctor before changing your lifestyle, trying natural remedies, or starting medication of any kind