THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR EGG DONOR PROFILE

During your admissions process, you’ll be asked to complete your donor profile and video. This is the information that is posted on our database for prospective parents to review and select their perfect donor. Your profile consists of your educational history, medical history (mental health, reproductive health, etc.), family/genetic history, and most importantly, photos, and personal essay questions.

Some parents are looking for specific qualities in an egg donor, like a higher education level or certain ethnicity, but most parents are hoping to find a donor they can relate to, whether it’s through appearances, personalities, or similar interests. Your profile and video give parents an opportunity to get to know the “real” you.

It’s important to take your time creating your profile and not rush through it. Parents are also looking for an egg donor they can trust. Using proper grammar and providing well thought-out responses gives parents confidence that you are serious about this process.

KEY ELEMENTS OF YOUR PROFILE

Medical

Most of your profile consists of listing your medical history. It’s helpful to consult with trusted family members about your family health history, so you can give honest and precise answers. The more details you can provide the better. Parents are looking at this information to ensure they have a compatible health history (i.e., not having a history of diabetes in both families). This is also information the parents will use in the future when providing their child’s health history.

Personal

The more fun aspect of your profile are the personal essay questions and photos/video. Are you adventurous and love to travel? Do you love animals and volunteer work? Are you a great cook? These questions are designed to really let your personality shine. When parents read your answers, they are hoping to find a connection with you, so it’s important to be honest and true to yourself.

MATCHING WITH INTENDED PARENTS

Once your profile is published on our database, intended parents will begin reviewing your information. There is no set time frame on when you’ll be selected, but we find that donors who take the time to create a great profile are usually selected sooner. After you’re selected by intended parents, you’ll begin the egg donation process, which consists of medical/psychological screenings, a legal contract, and the IVF cycle for the egg retrieval.

Often surrogates are curious which IVF doctor they’ll be paired with for their journey. Ultimately, the surrogacy doctor you will work with is chosen long before you receive the profile of the intended parents that you will be helping.

HOW IS A PHYSICIAN CHOSEN FOR MY SURROGACY JOURNEY?

When intended parents retain Growing Generations for surrogacy, they will have the option to either continue working with one of their own private practice IVF physicians or select one of our partner doctors.

Many couples do not have pre-established relationships with doctors when they retain us and will select one of our partner doctors. Growing Generations is very proud to work with doctors we believe to be some of the best IVF physicians in the US. Many of these doctors are industry leaders boasting some of the best success rates in their fields.

These doctors include:

• Brad Kolb, HRC Fertility

• Shahin Ghadir, Southern California Reproductive Center

Occasionally, we will encounter intended mothers who have tried to attain pregnancy on their own before turning to surrogacy and have developed a trusting relationship with their personal IVF doctor. We will allow them to continue working with their own IVF doctor in these cases.

WILL THE IVF DOCTORS BE NEAR ME?

That depends on a variety of factors, but most surrogates can expect to travel for some of their medical procedures. Often, the doctor you meet with during your medical screening process will be the one you wind up working with during your medical cycle and embryo transfer. However, sometimes your doctor will change depending on the doctor your intended parents have previously chosen. This is a normal part of the process and not a cause for concern.

Know that whichever doctor you’re working with, it’s one that Growing Generations has great faith in. You should always feel comfortable and informed when it comes to your health and the doctor that you’re working with. Each doctor has their own staff of third-party reproduction nurses who will be in regular communication with you during your medical phase. You should always feel comfortable reaching out to your nurse with any questions or concerns that you may have.

To learn more about the surrogacy and IVF process, contact Growing Generations.

Revised 5/15/18

Yeast infections are common and impact millions of women every year. Even so, many women will experience their first yeast infection, or potentially her first outbreak of several yeast infections, in her surrogate pregnancy.

WHY ARE YEAST INFECTIONS MORE COMMON IN SURROGATE PREGNANCY?

According to the American Pregnancy Association, the second trimester of pregnancy represents the time in a woman’s life where she is most likely to experience a yeast infection. So why is there an increased likelihood of a yeast infection in surrogacy if you never experienced one during your own pregnancies? The link could be because several potential causes of a yeast infection occur all at once as a woman prepares to become a surrogate.

For example, some common causes of yeast infections include: 

• Hormonal changes related to pregnancy

• Starting hormone therapy treatments (including birth control pills, estrogen, or progesterone treatments)

• Taking antibiotics or steroids (a common component of your pre-transfer medical protocol)

• An increase of sugar in the diet (sweets are a common craving for pregnant women)

• An influx of vaginal intercourse (potentially before or after doctor ordered pelvic rest)

• Blood or semen in the vagina

Often characterized by an increase and change in appearance of your normal vaginal discharge and a persistent, insatiable itch, yeast infections are caused when the levels of yeast and acid in the vagina are out of balance. Both elements are present in your body normally, so the presence of bacteria is not the problem; it is the unbalance that presents the issue.

YEAST INFECTION TREATMENT DURING SURROGATE PREGNANCY

While yeast infections have no major risks or implications to the pregnancy, they can still be uncomfortable and problematic for you, especially if left untreated. Yeast infections during pregnancy can be difficult to control, so it’s best to get early treatment. 

Additionally, and unlike traditional pregnancies, yeast infections in IVF pregnancies and surrogacy may require a different form of treatment than your standard over the counter creams. This is because many IVF doctors do not want the creams or their plastic applicators introduced to your vagina in the early stages of your pregnancy. While some doctors may be OK with the creams with hand application only, other doctors may choose to call in a prescription to treat the infection orally.

We understand that it can feel embarrassing and invasive to tell your nurse about a potential yeast infection before simply self-treating with over the counter medications, but in the case of surrogacy, you should absolutely mention symptoms to your nurse, even if this is a multi-occurrence infection. 

Treatment is key, because if it is left untreated, the yeast infection can be transferred to the child you are carrying during birth, leading to a condition of the mouth called thrush.

Once you begin treatment you can expect to experience relief from the symptoms within 10 to 14 days, although most treatments will begin to offer relief from many of the symptoms within 48 hours. 

STEPS TO PREVENTING YEAST INFECTIONS DURING PREGNANCY

If you find that you are experiencing repeated yeast infections during your journey, you may opt to introduce the following natural prevention measures in order to try and stave off any future infections. 

• Wear loose clothing

• Wear cotton underwear

• Always wipe from front to back after using the restroom

• Limit sugar intake, as vaginal yeast feeds on sugar

If you have additional questions or concerns, try to focus on feeling comfortable mentioning this to your nurse or case specialist. Sending an email to approach the subject may offer you a bit more comfort than mentioning it in a call, but understand that both your case specialist and your nurse manage these sorts of issues every day, and they’re nothing to be embarrassed by.

Growing Generations is a premier surrogacy agency that provides intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors with exceptionaly attentive service. If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, contact us online or complete our surrogate application.

Daily injections are a part of life for most surrogates. In the majority of surrogate medical cycles, the IVF doctor will ask our surrogates to administer one intramuscular shot per day over the course of the first ten to twelve weeks of the pregnancy. This necessitates the need for you to keep a large inventory of syringes and IVF needles on hand during the medical cycle. 

HOW TO DISPOSE OF IVF NEEDLES

Once you are done with these injections and weaned from medications, it is typical for there to be several additional needles and syringes on hand. This excess supply often provides a conundrum for our surrogates: What to do with all of those unused needles? The simple answer is this: You need to talk with your intended parents and/or case specialist first. 

These needles and syringes are the property of your intended parents, as they purchased them for your use during the medical cycle of their surrogacy. No matter what you choose to do with the unused medical supplies and medications, this decision should be cleared with your intended parents first. 

CAN YOU RETURN UNUSED IVF NEEDLES?

Some surrogates and their intended parents will opt to send the unused medical supplies back to the pharmacy from which they were purchased. If this is the wish of your intended parents, you’ll want to call the pharmacy in advance to see if any restocking fees exist, if they’ll accept the return of sharps, and how to ship the items safely. 

Mailing the unused needles involves getting the appropriate packing materials, including disposal containers, bag liners, and return boxes approved by the U.S. Postal Service. Follow the directions to properly seal and package your sharps containers.

HOW TO DISPOSE OF LEFTOVER IVF NEEDLES

Perhaps the most common choice is simply disposal, as you’ll need to dispose of your used sharps anyway. In this case, it is important to open the sharps and deposit them into the sharps container as opposed to simply placing them into the trash. You’ll also want to find a location that offers sharps disposal. In many cases, local pharmacies, fire stations, or public health centers will offer disposal services. From time to time, there may be a fee associated with disposal of sharps. 

Sharps disposal guidelines and programs vary depending on where you live. Check with your local trash removal services or health department.

CAN YOU DONATE UNUSED IVF NEEDLES?

An unconventional option for needle disposal is to consider donating them to non-profit causes in your neighborhood. In many big cities, you may be able to find needle exchange programs that will accept donations of unused needles and syringes. 

Often these programs take used needles out of the hands of people with drug addiction, replacing them with the donated unused needles. The hope is that this needle exchange program will help curb the transmission of diseases such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. Other needle donation programs also exist to help medical needs in developing countries or, depending on the type of needles and syringes you have, to help those living with diabetes in the U.S. 

You can find a donation program by searching online for "donating unused needles near me."

BEGIN YOUR SURROGACY JOURNEY

Growing Generations is for you every step of the way, from surrogate screening to after the birth. Contact Growing Generations to learn more about surrogacy.

Selecting an egg donor is an intimate and personal choice. It is a major milestone in your journey toward building or growing a family. When you’re ready to begin the process, it will be important to consider what characteristics and qualities are most important to you and discuss those with your partner and/or social networks.

You’ll also have to decide whether to find an egg donor through personal connections, an agency or social app. Here are a few attributes that many intended parents consider while going through egg donor profiles at Growing Generations.

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING A DONOR

Before creating your checklist, remember that no one is perfect. Keep in mind that it is highly unlikely you will find one donor who meets all of your specifications in every area. Just as with all things in life, choosing your ideal egg donor is a balancing act, so it’s helpful to decide what the most important attributes are in your ideal egg donor and which are more secondary or optional.

WILL THE EGG DONOR BE KNOWN OR UNKNOWN?

Decide whether you prefer an egg donor you know, such as a friend or family member, or someone who is unknown to you. Some intended parents prefer to choose a known donor so that the child will be able to form a relationship with her. Others prefer an unknown donor that an agency or fertility center helps them find. The latter option provides greater confidentiality and simplifies some of the legal issues.

WHAT IS HER MEDICAL BACKGROUND?

In order to do your part in having a child that is healthy and not at risk of hereditary diseases, make sure to have a full medical analysis and screening performed before confirming your egg donor.

WHAT ARE HER PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS?

For many intended parents, choosing a donor who shares their physical traits is important. When going through an agency, you will have a wide selection of women to choose from, so narrowing your preferences can save you time and stress. Factors such as ethnicity, skin tone, height and hair and eye color are common considerations.

WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS DOES SHE HAVE?

It helps some intended parents to know a little bit about the kind of person their chosen egg donor is. This makes it easier to create a birth story that is empowering and interesting for their child. Your egg donor’s profile will help paint a picture of who she is, including her reasons for becoming an egg donor. This knowledge can help you decide between multiple candidates. IQ test scores are also often shared if the egg donor has taken the test.

DOES SHE HAVE A HISTORY OF DONATING EGGS?

Are you willing to work with a first-time donor, or do you prefer someone who has been through this process before? When working with a previous donor, you may be able to see if she produced a strong amount of viable eggs, and if they resulted in a successful pregnancy.

WORKING WITH AN AGENCY

When you search for an egg donor through Growing Generations, we are hard at work behind the scenes to help you find the right donor. Before an applicant can become an egg donor, she will answer many questions about herself including information on her health history, her family’s health history, if she’s on medication, and if she is a tobacco user. Growing Generations’ egg donors meet strict criteria for acceptance including:

• A BMI lower than 27.5

• Between the ages of 21-30

• No history of inherited cancers

• No familial history of multiple family members with heart disease or heart attack before age 55

• Must pass Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening

• Must pass drug screening

• No psychiatric hospitalizations

If you're considering becoming an egg donor, you may be wondering about the number of eggs needed for donation. Are you born with all your eggs, or does your body make more eggs over your lifetime?

HOW MANY EGGS ARE IN YOUR OVARIES?

Females have around 300,000 eggs in their ovaries when they reach puberty, even though they are born with one to two million immature eggs. Many of those eggs are lost before puberty through a natural process called ovarian follicle atresia.

Of those eggs left at puberty, it is estimated that a woman may lose as many as a thousand eggs per month over her fertile years. Of the roughly 400 follicles that will reach ovulation over the course of a woman’s fertility, a woman can expect 20 follicles to mature each month with just one egg being released.

DOES THE QUALITY OF EGGS IN YOUR OVARIES DECREASE OVER TIME?

Science goes on to tell us that only the best quality eggs will be released and that, over time, the overall quality of these eggs begins to diminish as menopause approaches. This is commonly believed to be the reason women of an advanced maternal age may have difficulty achieving pregnancy with their own eggs. 

DO WOMEN PRODUCE MORE EGGS OVER TIME?

Women may be able to produce new eggs during their lifetimes, according to research. The theory is based around the existence of stem cells found within the ovaries of female mice in a 2004 study. In 2012, a study conducted by scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Edinburgh and published in PLOS Genetics  found that stem cells inside of a human female’s ovaries are capable of dividing and generating new oocytes, which then become new eggs.

While the research is still in its infancy and has only been conducted on mice at this point, it suggests that fertility and egg development may continue long after birth.

HOW MANY EGGS ARE DONATED AT ONCE?

Whether or not your body produces more eggs, only 10 to 20 eggs are donated during egg retrieval. Donors usually have ample eggs to donate and use for their own family building. Learn more about what to expect during your egg donation journey on our Egg Donation Process page.

GET STARTED

If you're considering becoming an egg donor, but you haven't taken that next step, we're here to help. To learn more about becoming an egg donor with Growing Generations contact us online or apply today.