Although the thought of giving yourself injections daily may sound intimidating at first, your nurse will teach you how to self-administer injections properly to make sure that you are confident. The needle used for hormone and stimulation injections is very thin and should not cause any significant pain, but you may experience bruising or light bleeding at the injection site. However, most donors say they don’t experience any bruising or bleeding when done correctly.
The egg retrieval is a surgery that requires the egg donor to go under general anesthesia. The procedure itself only takes about twenty minutes, but the donor may feel groggy from the anesthesia after waking up. This is why we require our donors to bring a companion with them for the retrieval to drive them home afterwards.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a rare complication caused when the ovaries respond too strongly to the stimulation. Fortunately, severe cases of OHSS continue to decrease with advancements in the field. Nowadays, most cases of OHSS are mild cases which cause temporary discomfort. If you experience severe vomiting, shortness of breath, rapid weight gain, or blood clots, contact your medical provider. It is estimated that less than 1% of donors have issues such as severe OHSS1.
For the best experience, it’s important to be open and honest with your medical provider throughout the process. If needed, your doctor can make adjustments to your medication schedule at any time. Additionally, make sure to take care of your body, manage your stress levels, and follow requirements like refraining from physical activity and sexual intercourse during your cycle to keep yourself safe.
If you’re wondering, “does donating eggs hurt?” You’re not alone. This is a common and valid concern. It’s important to do your research ahead of time to help alleviate any fears you have about egg donation being painful to make sure you know what to expect before making the decision to donate your eggs.
The egg retrieval procedure itself is not painful as you are under general anesthesia for the duration of the surgery. After your egg retrieval, you may experience slight soreness in the vaginal area, mild abdominal cramping, bloating, or spotting. Although these side effects can last a couple of days, most women feel normal by the next day.
How painful is egg donation, exactly? Most egg donors relay that donating eggs isn’t painful. As we discussed above, you may experience some changes in your body due to the medications throughout your egg donation cycle and you may feel mild pain or discomfort after the egg retrieval procedure. However, egg donation is not typically described as being a painful experience.
While we don’t shy away from being open about the possible side effects of donating eggs, we are encouraged by the sentiments shared by egg donors during and after their egg donation journey. Ultimately, our egg donors feel that the temporary discomfort was more than worth it for the gratifying experience of helping someone else start or grow their family. We encourage you to read through first-hand experiences shared by previous egg donors to gain a deeper understanding.
At Donor Nexus, we offer highly attentive, personalized care to our egg donors throughout the entire process. For women who are considering donating their eggs, we aim to provide transparent information and resources (like this blog post!) to help you decide whether being an egg donor is the right choice for you. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will be happy to assist you.
Additional Resources:
Egg Donor Videos:
References: 1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17972-ovarian-hyperstimulation-syndrome-ohss
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is intended to provide a general overview of common egg donation side effects and is not to be considered medical advice. Please consult with your physician for more comprehensive information.
Warning: Egg donation involves a screening process and not all potential egg donors are selected. As with any medical procedure, there may be a risk associated with egg donation. First, an egg donor must agree to begin the egg donation process and sign a legally binding contract. The donor is required to receive specific information on the known risk of egg donation. Consultation with your doctor before entering into an egg donor contract is advised. [Ca. Health & Safety Code 125325(a)] In addition, a summary of the egg retrieval procedure must be given to the egg donor before there is a binding contract. [Ca. Health Code 125325(b)].
