Egg Donor & Freezing
Thank you for your interest in our egg donor program. Donor eggs offer the possibility of childbearing to women who otherwise would not be able to become pregnant due to age, ovarian failure, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, surgical removal of the ovaries, or genetic diseases.
Donated eggs are fertilized with the sperm to form embryos through a process called in vitro fertilization. These embryos are transferred into the recipient’s uterus.
Couples seeking donor eggs may approach a friend or family member who may be willing to assist them, but most commonly couples choose an anonymous egg donor through an egg donor program.
Once an egg donor has successfully completed the screening process, they are placed on our egg donor list. Recipient couples have the opportunity to review the confidential written personal, medical, and family history form provided by the donors.
Becoming an Egg Donor at Mid-Iowa Fertility
Mid-Iowa Fertility is always looking for women of all ethnicities to serve as egg donors for women who are unable to achieve pregnancy using their own eggs.
To be considered as a donor you must:
To apply to become an egg donor, fill out the application below. When completed, mail your application to Mid-Iowa Fertility.
Mid Iowa Fertility
1371 NW 121st
Clive, Iowa 50325
All donors must complete a detailed personal, medical, and family history questionnaire.
Our egg donor coordinator reviews this form and eligible applicants will be contacted to set up an appointment to begin further screening. All information provided will be kept completely confidential.
Once you pass our initial application process, you will be asked to complete blood screening, psychological testing, and medical exams. The complete screening process may take up to 2 visits.
Women who successfully donate eggs are given $5,000 as compensation for their time and effort. Mid-Iowa Fertility provides you with a 1099 tax form for the payment amount, as you are required to report the income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Please contact our Mid-Iowa Fertility Egg Donor Coordinators, Jolie at 515-348-6597 or Sheila at 515-348-6595 at their direct phone line or email at donornurse@midiowafertility.com to find out more information about our program.
Egg Donor Screening
All potential egg donors are screened according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines. Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 31, non smokers, have a normal body weight, regular menstrual cycles when not on hormonal contraception, no history of substance abuse, and no family history of genetic diseases.
All donors must complete a detailed personal, medical and family history questionnaire. Our egg donor coordinator reviews this form and eligible applicants will be contacted to set up an appointment to begin further screening. All information provided will be kept completely confidential.
Further screening includes, but is not limited to, an interview with our egg donor coordinator, complete physical exam, laboratory testing, and psychological evaluation. A donor is considered eligible for the program if screening and testing do not indicate risk of infection or communicable disease. A consent form will be provided by our office and reviewed with all participants.
Matching of Egg Donor and Recipient
Once selected by a recipient couple, donors are contacted by our egg donor coordinator to review timing of the IVF (in-vitro fertilization) cycle. It takes approximately 2 months to synchronize the recipient’s menstrual cycle with yours once you are matched.
Egg Donor IVF Cycle
This process involves a combination of low dose birth control pills and self-injected medications to stimulate the development of multiple eggs in the ovaries. Prior to beginning the injections, egg donors will meet with the egg donor coordinator to review all medications, administration, and side effects.
Donors are monitored by vaginal ultrasounds and hormonal blood tests. This requires frequent morning appointments during the stimulation process at our Mid-Iowa Fertility office. The stimulation process lasts 7-10 days.
Once the eggs are mature, they are harvested from the ovaries under ultrasound guidance with IV sedation. This procedure is done in the morning and requires donors to be at the office for approximately 2 hours. Because of the sedation, a driver for the donor is required. Donors may feel tired and have minimal cramping after the procedure, should plan to rest the day of the egg harvesting, and may not drive or work that day. The eggs are fertilized with sperm in the lab, and embryos are transferred into the recipient’s uterus approximately 5 days later or sent for genetic testing.
Egg Donation Costs
There is no cost to egg donors participating in the program. All fees related to screening, lab testing, medications, monitoring, and procedures are the recipient’s responsibility.
You may contact Jolie or Sheila, our Egg Donor Coordinators, at 515-222-3060, extensions 105 or 107, or donornurse@midiowafertility.com to find out more information about our egg donor program in Iowa.
Using an Egg Donor
The Mid-Iowa Fertility Egg Donor Program can help match egg donors with women who are unable to use their own eggs to achieve a healthy pregnancy. This can be the result of age, illness, genetic abnormalities, prior surgery, or an unsuccessful response to fertility medications used to stimulate ovulation.
Women can either use an anonymous donor or a known donor, such as a family member or a friend.
When donor eggs are used, a woman is often able to carry the pregnancy in her own healthy uterus. To achieve pregnancy, the donated eggs are mixed with sperm, and the resulting embryo is implanted into her uterus. In some circumstances, a woman’s uterus is considered unsuitable for pregnancy, or less commonly, she does not have a uterus. Embryos created from donor eggs can also be transferred to the uterus of a gestational carrier.
All patients using an egg donor are scheduled for a private consultation with an egg donor nurse to review consents, treatments, and medications.
Reasons to Consider Freezing Your Eggs
A woman’s age is the single most important factor affecting fertility. In women ages 30 to 35, there is a gradual decline in the ability to become pregnant. After age 40, there is a sharp decline in conception and increase in complications, making it difficult for women to conceive. Egg freezing can help preserve future fertility and family-building options. As part of your decision-making process to have children, you may choose to freeze your eggs for the following reasons:
- Timing: There are a multitude of reasons you may not be ready to start a family. Some of the reasons frequently cited by egg-freezing patients are school, career, travel, or not having met the right partner yet.
- Future Family Planning: You may already have a child, but you know that by the time you’re ready for more, you may be older and your egg supply may not be as optimal. By freezing when you’re in your mid- to late-30s, your fertility at that point in time will be preserved for the future.
- Uncertainty: You may not know if you want children, but freezing your eggs provides you with the possibility later on if you change your mind.
- Known Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions may impair your ability to have children: endometriosis, family history of premature ovarian failure, or treatment for cancer, to name a few. Egg freezing can help to keep options open for the future.
Whatever your reason, Mid-Iowa Fertility is here to answer any questions you may have about our process. Please contact one of our nurse coordinators at 515-222-3060, option 1 (when prompted), or via e-mail at nurses@midiowafertility.com.