On this page, we provide you with an overview of the donor egg process from start to finish. Although this will provide you with a good understanding of what to expect when using donor eggs, the process may vary depending on your specific circumstances as well as the protocols of your designated fertility clinic.
Step 1: Find an egg donor »
To get started, you can register for free access to our online database to begin browsing through egg donor profiles. You can access our database through our website or download our app for easy mobile browsing. On our database, you will find a diverse range of egg donors available for fresh one-on-one cycles in addition to frozen donor eggs which are available in our egg bank. We add profiles to our database regularly so always feel free to check back.
Once you've narrowed down your egg donor search, we would be happy to connect with you via phone, email, or video conference to discuss your options regarding specific donors and our program offerings. If you have additional questions about a specific donor, we will do our best to contact the donor and provide you with an answer.
Step 2: Securing an egg donor or frozen donor eggs »
Once you’ve chosen an egg donor or frozen donor eggs, you will receive preliminary paperwork, a contract, and an invoice. All items must be completed and returned to Donor Nexus within 7 days. Once we receive the paperwork, signed agreement, and initial deposit, the donor or cohort of frozen eggs will be secured for you and we will send the official match sheet to your IVF clinic. Upon receipt of the signed contract and funds, the cycle will be CONFIRMED. For a fresh cycle, the egg donor is reserved and her status is changed to “in cycle” on the database.
*The initial deposit ranges from $7,500- $9,500+ USD and includes 50% of the agency fee and the donor’s prescreen evaluations.
Note: Steps 3-7 only apply to Fresh Egg Donor Cycles. If you are using Frozen Donor Eggs, skip to Step 7!
Step 3: Egg donor begins screening evaluations »
Note: This step is only applicable to fresh egg donors. If you are using frozen donor eggs, the donor has already completed and passed the screenings listed below and the frozen eggs are ready to be shipped. So, you can skip ahead to Step 7!
Now that the cycle is confirmed, we will initiate the egg donor screening process.
Donor Nexus adheres to the highest egg donor screening standards in our industry. Donor prescreening consists of medical and psychological evaluations and a legal consultation. The evaluations can take up to 3 months to complete, depending on the egg donor’s menstrual cycle. The egg donor may or may not be put on birth control pills.
Step 4: Donor begins cycle medications »
Once the clinic has provided medical clearance for the egg donor, we will submit the psychological evaluation and legal clearance letter from the lawyer. The remaining funds are due once medical clearance is issued by the clinic and the egg donor is cleared to cycle.
At this point, the clinic will provide the egg donor with a cycle calendar and medication instructions. We keep in close contact with the egg donor throughout her cycle. We remind her of her appointments via text message and make sure she is feeling okay, emotionally and physically.
Next, the egg donor will have a “baseline appointment” to check her ovaries and blood levels to clear her to start medications. Once cleared to start medications, the egg donor will have monitoring ultrasounds and blood work every 2-3 days.
If you select an egg donor from out of state, the number of days she needs to spend at the clinic will be determined by your physician. Most physicians will allow the egg donor to have a baseline ultrasound and 1-2 monitoring appointments close to her home. The egg donor will then spend 6-10 days monitoring at your fertility clinic. Donor Nexus will orchestrate the outside monitoring appointments, travel, and accommodation for the egg donor and her companion.
Step 5: Trigger shot for egg donor »
At the end of the ~10-12 day stimulation phase, once the donor’s hormones have reached the appropriate level, she will take the “trigger” shot. This injection releases the eggs from the side of the egg-containing structures, called follicles. The trigger shot is taken about 34 hours before the egg retrieval.
Step 6: Egg retrieval for donor »
The egg donor will be accompanied by her companion to the egg retrieval procedure. This will be completed at your chosen clinic and the procedure itself is no longer than 20-30 minutes.
If the egg donor is from out of town she will likely fly home the day after egg retrieval, as long as she feels okay. Most egg donors can return to school or work the next day. The egg donor has earned her compensation once the egg retrieval is completed.
Step 7: IVF procedure in lab »
Once the egg donor has completed her egg retrieval or the frozen donor eggs have been received, the rest of the process is handled by your IVF clinic. However, we are still here to support you in any way we can.
The IVF process will vary depending on your specific situation and your clinic's protocols. The retrieved donor eggs will be placed in a petri dish with the received sperm cells to become fertilized. In some cases, ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) may be used to inject a single sperm cell into an egg. Once the eggs are fertilized, they become embryos. The embryos are usually grown in the laboratory for 5-6 days until they reach the blastocyst stage. If you elect to do PGT-A testing on the embryos, the viable blastocyst embryos will be biopsied and sent for genetic testing. The results generally take 1-3 weeks. You will then discuss with your physician and determine which embryo(s) to thaw and transfer to your uterus or designated gestational carrier surrogate.
Step 8: Embryo transfer »
The embryo transfer will take place at your chosen fertility clinic.
On the morning of the embryo transfer, the physician will discuss the results of the cycle and show you photos of the embryos. You will determine which embryos to transfer/freeze/discard. Most physicians require 2 days of bed rest following the embryo transfer.
Step 9: Pregnancy test »
You will be seen at your local clinic 10-12 days after the embryo transfer for your initial bHCG blood test. If there is a positive pregnancy, you will continue to monitor at your fertility clinic for the first trimester.
Once you reach your second trimester, you will return to your OBGYN for the remainder of your pregnancy.
At Donor Nexus, we've made it our mission to help intended parents along their unique journeys from the very beginning of the process. Throughout our website and blog, we provide a wealth of information to help guide you through the donor egg process and provide you with hope for what's to come. If you have any additional questions, our team is here to help in any way we can.
