Become an Egg Donor - one donor's journey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 9, 2009 --

I was 23-years-old the first time I looked into being an egg donor. It was an exciting, yet nerve-wracking choice to make the phone call and find out what they needed from me. Do they want my egg(s) right away? Am I put on a waiting list? Who sees my profile? Will I know about my couple? Will it hurt? Will I have any eggs left? Will the child come find me when s/he is 18? The questions were endless but the desire to find out had me dialing the number I saw in my local college paper (truth be told, I hung up on them the first couple of times with frayed nerves). Fortunately I found the strength to complete the call - and I'm SO glad I did!

That was almost 11 years ago now and I've become quite an expert in the field of assisted reproduction via egg donation. My journey was so amazing the first time I donated (it was for an intended couple where the mother had survived breast cancer at the age of 30 and was in her 6th year of remission) that I decided to dedicate my life to this field. I've done 5 donations total, two to the same couple so they could have a genetically related sibling. While occasionally uncomfortable, I still consider these donations to be the best thing I've ever done in my life. Ever.

So, for all donors out there who are looking to begin their own journey - let me make this very easy for you! Consider this a donation "cheat sheet!"

1.) Once you qualify via an online application, you should be able to schedule an apt to talk to someone within 24-48 hours

2.) Qualifications:
* Between the ages of 20 - 29
* Healthy BMI
* Willing to make several doctors appointments (5-10 depending on the clinic) and have reliable transportation.

* Willing to fully and wholeheartedly commit to this process. The Intended Parent's have gone through enough disappointment already - to have a donor who doesn't take it seriously or backs out is devastating for the couple both emotionally and financially.
* Have a relatively uncomplicated health history.
* Be willing to submit several photos of yourself, including childhood/baby pics and family pics.

3.) The process includes taking subcutaneous injections for approximately 3 weeks. Side effects are usually similar to PMS and do include bloating (and perhaps some excessive expletives if someone cuts you off while driving).

4.) The retrieval process takes about 20 minutes and is done while you are under general anesthesia. A small needle goes through the side of the vaginal wall and into the ovaries where the eggs are aspirated. You WILL need someone to drive you home and stay with you the day of the retrieval process.

5.) Recovery is usually just a few short days of taking it easy, but sometimes longer if you produce a lot of eggs due to ovarian hyperstimulation (OHS). Ask an IVF doctor or agency about this as the Internet has a lot of misleading information about OHS.

For more information and to find out if you qualify as an egg donor, please visit: www.giftedjourneys.com.

More information can be found online at http://www.giftedjourneys.com