Choosing to donate one’s eggs is not a decision to be taken lightly.
Being part of an egg donor program in California requires both physical and emotional commitments.
Accordingly, knowing what to expect — be prepared to meet the requirements of the process — can help women have an easier experience.
If you’ve decided to become an egg donor, or if you’re considering becoming one, we have put together some valuable information for you:
Becoming an Egg Donor
Unless you know the recipient parents, and are donating your eggs for personal reasons, you’ll need to register with an agency.
You can help your chances by starting your preparations early. This will help minimize any delays once you’ve been matched with intended recipients.
There are mental as well as physical aspects to preparing for an egg donation.
Planning and Soul-Searching
When you’re about to become an egg donor, you’ll likely need to make some lifestyle changes.
Make sure that you’re clear about your reasons for donating. Being emotionally prepared will help you meet any physical challenges more easily.
It’s also wise to anticipate some difficulties during the process.
During the donation process, you’ll be put on medication and receive hormone injections, which may take some getting used to.
Anticipating some challenges beforehand means you’ll be more patient with yourself when they arrive.
Physical Preparations
The physical preparations that egg donors need to make can generally be divided into the following categories:
1. Diet
As an egg donor, you should be consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Ensure that you’re meeting your daily nutritional requirements. If there are certain food groups that you don’t/can’t consume for any reason, you should be compensating for the lost nutrients via dietary supplements.
You’re not required to count calories, but it’s advisable to keep your calorie consumption in line with your lifestyle.
2. Physical Health
If you’re going to donate your eggs, you’re not expected to achieve Olympian levels of fitness or undergo a strenuous training program to attain a certain physique.
However, it’s important that you’re in good overall health for an average woman of your age.
Note that good health can be quite subjective, so don’t rely solely on figures such as your weight or BMI. A detailed medical check-up will provide you with a good idea of your physical condition and any issues that might cause problems down the line.
3. Abstaining from Drugs and Alcohol
Compared to the more relaxed guidelines for diet and exercise, this requirement is more stringent.
If you’re planning to donate eggs, you should avoid tobacco, alcohol, and drugs entirely. This includes recreational drug usage, such as smoking marijuana or having it in the form of edibles.
The idea here is to avoid any substances that may affect your reproductive health, ovulation, and fertility. If you’ve been a smoker, drug user, or heavy drinker in the past, consult with fertility specialists in CA about how it might impact your plans to donate your eggs.
We’re a fertility agency in Beverly Hills that works with model egg donors and arranges egg donors for gay couples. Become one of our many beautiful egg donors by contacting us today.