Egg Donor Recipients: Ten Steps to success

1. Consultation—Meet Dr Lavy and the egg donor team. Your medical records will be reviewed and a treatment plan discussed. The egg donor coordinator will explain the detail of the process and provide you with information about the donors.
2. Mock Cycle—We strongly believe in having a “trial cycle”; one in which the effect of hormones (estrogen and progesterone) on the uterine lining is evaluated. This allows us to be sure that the hormonal regimen is suitable for you, and then make adjustments if needed thus maximizing the chances of success. The matching process begins after the successful completion of the mock cycle.
3. Psychological Counseling—The recipient couple will meet our egg donor counselor. The same counselor also meets the donor. She will be able to answer questions regarding the emotional impact of egg donation and help you make a decision that is right for you.
4. Recipient Couple Screening—Both partners require blood tests to rule out infectious diseases. In addition, the female partner will have hormonal tests as well as a saline ultrasound to evaluate the uterus.
5. “Matching”-—The recipient couple is asked to list the important characteristics they are seeking in a donor. We will use this information to present you with donor profiles for review. Our large donor database will expedite the process of donor selection. Most of our recipients will find a donor within 2–3 months.
6. Protocol Review, Consent Signing, Injection Teaching—You are almost ready to start. We will ensure that the details of the process are clear and that you are familiar with the administration of the drugs and your specific drug protocl.
7. Cycle Synchronization/Ovarian Stimulation/Uterine Preparation—Your cycle will be synchronized with the donor’s. This is usually done by using oral contraceptives. Once in synch the donor will begin her stimulation medications and the recipient will begin the uterine preparation.
8. Egg Retrieval/Sperm Collection—The egg retrieval procedure will be scheduled as soon as the donor’s eggs are mature and ready. The recipient couple will be notified regularly on the donor’s progress. The male partner is required to submit a fresh semen sample on the day of egg retrieval. The female partner will add progesterone to her estrogen regime one day prior to the donor retrieval.
9. Fertilization/Embryo Retrieval/Embryo Transfer—On the day of of the retrieval we will attempt to fertilize all the donor’s eggs. As with standard IVF the fertilized eggs (embryos) are observed for 3–5 days prior to embryo transfer. The transfer procedure is simple, takes approximately 10 minutes and does not require anesthesia. We generally transfer 2 embryos in egg donor cycles however, Dr Lavy will make his recommendations on the day of the transfer based on the appearance and development of the embryos and your past history. We will assist you in making this difficult decision. Following the transfer some bed rest is required and you will continue your hormone supplements.
10. Pregnancy Test—Two weeks following the transfer a pregnancy test will determine if the cycle was successful. Once pregnant you will continue the hormone therapy for 6–8 weeks and will be followed at NEFI until you begin seeing your obstetrician.