Ask an Egg Donor
Posted in: Resources, Tips, 02/19/2020
Got Questions? Our Donors Have Answers.
Tell me the truth: do the injections hurt? Be honest!
Honestly? They’re really not that bad! The first shot is definitely the hardest one, but it’s mostly mental: we’re so used to doctors and nurses giving us our shots throughout our lives that when you’re suddenly sitting on the edge of the tub with a needle in your hand, it’s nerve-wracking. But for me, the actual pain of the injection was not that big a deal. I just had to swallow hard, take a deep breath, and do that first shot despite how scary it felt. After the first one, the rest were pretty easy! If you’re someone who really doesn’t like needles but you also really want to be a donor, it might be helpful to line up a friend or relative who can help you with the injections so you don’t have to worry about doing them by yourself. And also keep in mind that the shots are a relatively quick part of the whole donation process – about 10-12 days of daily injections and that’s it!
What if the intended parents want to meet me or Skype with me? What’s that like?
I met one couple via Skype when they were deciding whether I was the right donor for them. I was nervous to do it but I also understood why they wanted to talk with me before making such a huge decision. It turned out to be really relaxed – they just wanted to get a sense of my personality and mannerisms, which is pretty hard to do just by reading an egg donor profile on the computer. They didn’t ask me any hard questions and all I had to do was be myself.
With another couple, I met them in person after they’d chosen me and the cycle had started. They wanted to be able to tell their future child that they’d met his or her donor, and what I was like. It was actually a really moving experience to sit across the table from this couple, knowing what I was doing for them and how appreciative they were. We all felt emotional and happy about getting to talk with each other.
In both situations, someone from the agency was there to make sure we all felt comfortable, and to answer any questions we had.
Is the compensation worth it?
For me, without question! And actually, the money isn’t the only reward that comes from donating eggs. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the financial compensation is great and really helpful, but I also wanted to be an egg donor for this amazing gift I could give to someone – as cheesy as that sounds! When I started thinking about all the people out there who are struggling to have kids, and the eggs that I have that I’m not using every month (and the student loans I’m paying off!) – it just made sense to me to do this. After one of my cycles was finished, the agency forwarded me a card that the recipients had written to me, telling me how grateful they were to have found me, and how they would always remember what I’d done for them. That alone made it all worth it.