Our Donor Program
Egg donation allows patients who are unable to conceive using their own eggs the opportunity to experience pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood. Our patients may need donor eggs for a variety of reasons. Some women may have had their ovaries removed or have had an issue or medical treatment which interferes with their ability to produce healthy eggs. Whatever the reason, you will be helping to create miracles.
You may have questions regarding the requirements for becoming a donor, the process involved, and what will be expected of you. Our donor team is also available by phone or email to assist with any additional questions. Please call RMIA at 651-222-6050 or 800-440-7359 or send us an email. RMIA utilizes anonymous donors as well as known donors.
Criteria
An ideal egg donor candidate must meet the following criteria:
- Must be between the ages of 21-31 years old at the start of the screening process
- Body mass index (BMI) cannot be greater than 30
- Must be a non-smoker for a minimum of 30 days prior to initiating treatment and must also agree to not smoke during treatment
- Family history must be available for review, thus, adoptees with no access to genetic/birth parents’ histories are ineligible
- Potential donors must pass all screening and testing requirements
Compensation
In addition to the personal satisfaction you will have knowing you helped create a family, you will be compensated for your time and effort. Anonymous egg donor compensation is $6,200 for a completed cycle. Payment is taxable, and donors are provided with appropriate tax documentation at year end. Our clinic follows ASRM guidelines which allow a single donor to go through a lifetime total of up to 6 cycles. Compensation is for time, inconvenience and discomfort and is not based on the number or quality of eggs retrieved.
Gestational Carriers
Carrying a pregnancy and delivering a healthy child for another person is a life-changing event for everyone involved. Please call RMIA at 651-222-6050 or 800-440-7359 or contact us if you are interested in being a gestational carrier. We will guide you through the process, including expectation setting, screening, legal and psychological counseling. Generous compensation is available for your time and effort.
Registration
If you meet this initial criteria, please fill out our registration form. Someone from our donor team will contact you once we have reviewed your application.
Egg Donor Process
Egg Donor Process
Prescreening: After you complete our online donor registration form, if you meet the basic requirements for oocyte donation, our donor team will provide instructions on how to complete the online donor application.
Online Donor Application: Our application will ask in-depth questions regarding your personal and family medical history and your genetic history. Your application will be reviewed by EVERSANA. You may be contacted to provide clarification or additional information. If approved to proceed, we will ask you to come to the clinic for Visit #1.
Visit #1: The first visit is a brief clinic visit which includes a height, weight and lab check for Day 3 hormone levels. When we have received your results one of our staff members will contact you. If results are within normal range you will move on to the next visit.
Visit #2: This clinic visit includes a blood draw for infectious disease labs and urine sample, followed by watching the donor video. The blood and urine sample will be tested for infectious diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. We will also test hormone levels that relate to ovarian function, blood type and cystic fibrosis. The results can take up to 2 weeks to receive. Once the results have been received, a staff member will contact you and let you know if the test were within normal range. If results are within normal range you will move on to the next step.
Visit #3: The third screening visit will happen after you meet with a psychologist. We will refer you to one after receiving the rest of the test for your last visit if within normal range. You will have a physical exam and upon successful completion, our staff will provide paperwork. You will receive consents to sign and teaching on injection medications. You will be provided birth control pills to help coordinate your menstrual cycle with the recipient’s. After this visit is complete, you will be added to our donor pool.
Donor Pool: At this point, you have been fully approved and are waiting for an appropriate match to a recipient’s. Matches are made based primarily on physical characteristics. Often one donor will be matched with two recipients and any eggs retrieved will be divided between them. The decision of whether to match a donor with one or two recipients is at the discretion of the physician, as well as the recipient’s preference. Once a match has been made, you will be contacted by our donor coordinator to schedule the dates for your cycle. This will include start and stop dates for birth control pills, injection medications and initial monitoring, as well as the tentative date for the transvaginal oocyte retrieval (TVOR).
Cycle Monitoring: You will receive a baseline ultrasound. All of the ultrasound procedures will be done using a transvaginal ultrasound probe. An ultrasound is similar to a pelvic exam. A nurse will insert the ultrasound probe into the donor’s vagina to evaluate the endometrial lining, ovaries and follicle growth.
Transvaginal Oocyte Retrieval (TVOR): The TVOR is the procedure when the oocytes are retrieved from the donor’s ovaries. Anesthesia will be used during the procedure so that you do not feel any discomfort and will be able to sleep throughout the procedure. The physician will use an ultrasound machine to carefully guide a needle through the vagina and into your ovaries. The procedure is short, averaging 15–20 minutes with about an hour of recovery time. During the recovery stage, a nurse will be there to monitor you as you wake up from the anesthesia. Any discomfort following the procedure is similar to that during menstruation. A responsible adult must be available to provide transportation after the procedure, due to the effects of anesthesia.
Follow-Up Visit: At the follow-up visit, the donor will meet with a nurse for a weight and vital sign check. The nurse will ask if there are any physical symptoms that the donor has experienced. This is the time to ask any further questions to the nurse. You will receive the compensation check at this appointment. If you wish to donate again, we will contact you within 2-3 months to update any information. If you prefers not to donate again, our staff will contact you within 6 months to repeat infectious disease lab tests.
