The egg donor
journey

You will receive detailed counselling from a team of experts working at the Care Clinic. This is to ensure that you make an informed decision.

An appointed psychologist will conduct a psychological assessment and make certain that you are fully informed on the process of egg donation, how it may affect you and your lifestyle.

The clinic’s nursing and laboratory staff will explain the consent forms and explain the stimulation protocol (how & when to take the medication).

 Once you fully understand the process, you will complete and sign these forms.

Once you have passed the comprehensive screening process, you will be asked to provide the date of the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP). You may start straight away (Spontaneous Cycle), be given an Oral Contraceptive pill (Controlled cycle), or be given injection(s) (Down-regulation cycle) to coordinate your cycle with a recipient so that the eggs can be used in a fresh cycle.

You may also start immediately and your eggs will be frozen for future recipients.

You will begin taking medication & injections to stimulate the ovaries. Medication & injections must be taken/administered as per the treatment schedule prepared by Dr Ramdeo which will be given to you to bring in on all your visits

During the stimulation process, you will visit the clinic 2-3 times a week, for 2 weeks – for scans and blood tests. These in-house tests are done to monitor your response to the treatment. 

First-time donors may be asked to come in daily during this 2-week period to ensure that medication /injections are taken properly.

Once the follicles have grown and are ideal for retrieval, the stimulation process is complete.
  
You will receive an injection to trigger the maturation of your eggs which will then be activated for egg retrieval. The Egg Retrieval procedure will be scheduled to happen 36-40 hours after the trigger shot has been administered. 

You will also be required to fast (no food/water) from 8 pm the night before the egg retrieval procedure.
Donors will be required to come to clinic at 6.30 am of egg retrieval procedure where they will be admitted into the patient ward. When the team is ready, you will be taken into the operating theatre and asked to  lay down.

Anaesthetic medication for conscious sedation will be administered intravenously to put you to sleep before the procedure begins.

The procedure takes 20-30 minutes.

A scanning probe with a fine needle is pressed into the vaginal wall and into the ovary- from which the eggs will be aspirated. Approximately, 80% of the follicles will have an egg.

Once you awake, some tests will be done and your vital signs will be checked. Once your vital signs are stable and after a short rest in our ward. You will be provided with a meal and required to pass urine. You will be discharged to go home on the same day. 

We strongly advise donors not to drive themselves after the procedure. We request that you have someone pick you up because you may still be affected by Anaesthetic. 

Dr Ramdeo will request that you return for a post-op consultation 5 days after the egg collection procedure to assess if there are any signs of hyperstimulation or other complications.

Egg donation is a safe program and procedure. The procedure is simple and has minimal risk and side effects. Our team of experts are highly qualified and trained to conduct this program routinely.

The clinic will provide detailed counselling to discuss the safety of egg donation, and the possible risks and implications. We ensure that our donors are well-treated, respected and appreciated for their benevolent and brave efforts.