Sperm and Egg Donors

Sperm and Egg Donors

If you are interested in becoming an egg, sperm, or embryo donor but aren’t sure where you would even begin, Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, Inc. is here for you.

Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, Inc. is an international surrogacy agency that also serves sperm and egg donors, as well as embryo donors. Our mission is to help same-sex couples, individuals who have trouble conceiving or carrying children, and families make their dreams come true by matching them with surrogate mothers and sperm, egg, and embryo donors.

Donating eggs or sperm is a gift to a family that is desperate for a baby of their own. And it’s something that should never be taken lightly. Read on to learn more about how sperm and egg donation works and what you can expect if you choose to move forward with the donation process.

Surrogacy vs. Egg Donation

Many would-be egg donors are under the misconception that egg donation and surrogacy are one and the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. Surrogacy involves a woman who can carry a pregnancy to term carrying a baby for a family in need.

While the surrogate mother may use her own eggs to become pregnant, a number of intended parents choose surrogacy options that allow them to be the biological parents of the child.

In egg donation, the intended parents will have the opportunity to review profiles of potential egg donors and choose one they believe is a good fit. Both the intended parents and the egg donor have the option of remaining anonymous to each other if they wish.

Once you are chosen to be a family’s egg donor, you’ll begin to undergo mental health evaluations and physical exams to ensure your health and then proceed to the next steps of the egg donation process. Next steps may include taking medications and other medical procedures. The medical staff overseeing your egg donation will explain these procedures in further detail at your first appointment.

Egg Donation Criteria

Egg donation isn’t for everyone. You will need to meet many requirements in order to be an eligible egg donor. Some of these criteria may include the following:

  • Having a healthy body mass index
  • Being a non-smoker and drug-free
  • Being willing to take injectable medications
  • Submitting to psychological and medical exams
  • Having regular monthly periods and no reproductive abnormalities
  • Not taking medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera)
  • Being able to commit to a minimum of six months for the egg donation process
  • Being able to communicate with staff in timely manner
  • Being in good physical and emotional health

You’ll also need to be in the correct age range. Egg donors need to be mature enough to understand the full extent and impact of egg donation but young enough to ensure the health and viability of the eggs they may donate.

Compensation for Sperm and Egg Donors

A major aspect of your egg, embryo, or sperm donation will be compensation. The intended parents who choose you to be their egg donor will be the ones to cover the costs of your egg retrieval procedure, as well as compensation for the inconvenience it might have on your life, your time, and the effort you’ve put into making their dreams come true.

While sperm donors are also compensated, the process is much simpler and does not require an invasive medical procedure. Compensation for sperm donation is significantly less than compensation for embryo or egg donation.

Compensation can often be increased if you’ll be traveling, if you were a previous egg donor whose eggs produced healthy pregnancies and babies, and if you meet the desired traits of the intended parents. For instance, if a family is interested in having an ethnically diverse baby and your ethnicity meets their criteria, you could obtain additional compensation.

Compensation for the gift you’ve given to a family in need should never be your only reason for egg donation. There are many physical and emotional aspects of egg donation that you may be unprepared to deal with if compensation is your only motivation for egg donation.

Traveling as an Egg Donor

As an international surrogacy agency, we can accept egg donors from not only the United States, but from around the world. When you make the decision to be matched with a family in another location, travel may be involved in your egg or embryo donation process.

Once you begin taking the required medications, you’ll need to travel again for as long as two weeks so that you can undergo the egg retrieval procedure. During your travels, we encourage you to bring a support person with you so that you have someone you are comfortable with following the procedure.

All of your travel costs, including food, airfare, hotel accommodations, and the like, should be taken care of by the intended parents you are working with. The professionals at Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, Inc. can help you iron out the details of your agreement and compensation.

Sperm and Egg Donation FAQ

Unless you’ve been through the process before, it is very likely that you have many questions that haven’t been answered above. That’s why we’ve compiled answers to a few of the questions our embryo, sperm, and egg donors most frequently ask as they prepare for donation.

If you have further questions about egg or sperm donation that aren’t answered here, please reach out to Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, Inc. for more information.

Is there a limit for how many times you can donate eggs?

Typically, women who have previously had success donating their eggs can do so anywhere between six and ten times. The process can even become a little bit easier each time you donate because you’ll already have completed the egg donation screening process and otherwise have met the requirements necessary to donate your eggs.

Are there eligibility criteria for sperm donation?

Yes. These can vary, but you will basically need to be in good health and within a certain age range. Various lifestyle and physical factors can make you a more desirable sperm donor, too. To learn more, reach out to our agency as soon as you can.

Is egg donation painful?

The actual donation is rarely painful. However, egg donation is known to cause cramping in some donors in the days following the procedure, although every egg donor will have a different experience. Generally speaking, over-the-counter acetaminophen or naproxen will be enough to minimize any cramping you might have, but you should check with your doctor before starting any new medication.

Become a Sperm, Egg, or Embryo Donor Today

Donated eggs, sperm, and embryos are truly a gift to families that need help having a child. There are many components to egg and sperm donation that you’ll need to understand before you can move forward with your donation. Fortunately, Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, Inc. is here and ready to answer every question you have and prepare you for the egg or sperm donation process.

When you’re ready to help make a family’s dreams come true, reach out to Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, Inc. for all of your surrogacy and egg, sperm, or embryo donation needs. You can schedule your first appointment today by filling out the form below or by calling our office at 412-281-9906.