We are delighted that you have taken an interest in becoming an egg donor. We hope you find the information you need and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Quote from egg donor:
"It was a great experience to be such an important part of a couple’s wish for their own family. Thanks to the wonderful care by the staff at The Hewitt Fertility Centre the preparation and procedure went smoothly and without any complications. I am glad that I took the opportunity to give something so personal to people who are dedicated to create and nurture new life."
What is Egg Donation?
Women around the world, experience a range of problems or limitations which mean that having a baby themselves is not possible, or perhaps not the best route for them to follow. Egg donation gives hope to these women. Women who may have gone through early menopause, had chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer, or those who are looking to avoid passing on a genetic disorder to a child.
Your egg donation is highly valued by these women and here at The Hewitt Fertility Centre, we are delighted to welcome women looking to donate their eggs.
Who can donate their eggs?
Women must meet the following minimum requirements in order to donate their eggs:
- Donors should be healthy women aged 21-35 years
- Free of any serious medical infection, disability, congenital, family or hereditary diseases
- Not significantly overweight for their height
- Non-smoker
Some birth defects (e.g. spina bifida, cleft palate, cleft lip) and some serious diseases (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, asthma and haemophilia) can be genetically linked, so it is not possible to accept donations from women where there is a family history of these conditions.
It is important to bear in mind that at the time of donation, the donation is anonymous. However, since April 2005, identifying information about donors is held on the HFEA Register and may be given to any child born from donation once they are 18 years old.
If you would like to donate your eggs, please complete our online 'apply to be a donor' form at the bottom of this page or our Ovum Donation Co-ordinator on 0151 702 4212.
How we perform Egg Donation
Step one: Meeting the criteria
Before you can go through the egg donation process, it is important that you meet the criteria. Generally, women aged 21-35 with no serious medical conditions and who are not overweight meet the criteria. However, for more detailed requirements, please read the section; ‘Who can donate their eggs?’
We’ll also ask you to give us permission to contact your GP to allow us to ensure that there is no medical reason why you should not become an egg donor.
Step two: Joining us in the centre
We will need some key information about you and therefore will ask you to fill out two forms and return them to us. After we receive these, we can arrange your first consultation with our trained specialists.
Our trained specialists will be able to tell you everything you can expect on your journey, including the procedures you will be undertaking. They will also assess your suitability to become an egg donor. Our team is there to help and if you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask.
Step three: Initial blood tests
The initial blood tests form part of your preliminary health check and are really important as they tell us crucial information – determining whether you can become a donor, as well as giving us additional information about your current reproductive health.
You will be tested for Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) to determine your fertility level.
You may be using contraception and we advise you not to stop with your contraception method until directed to do so.
Step four: Genetic testing
Once we have assessed your fertility, there are some more tests that we can continue with. This includes genetic tests by Chromosome Analysis and Cystic Fibrosis, screening for certain transmissible viruses and a check of your blood group.
Step five: Counselling
At The Hewitt Fertility Centre, we work to ensure that the wellbeing of everyone using our services, therefore all donors and recipients of donated eggs will have implications counselling as part of the preparations for treatment. If you have a partner or are married, it is important that you are together for your counselling sessions (which usually last around an hour).
Counselling sessions are your opportunity to talk to The Hewitt Fertility Centres qualified experts who can advise you and answer any questions you may have.
Step six: Your treatment
Once it is confirmed that your test results meet the requirements and you feel ready to proceed following counselling, we will start looking for the right recipient, and synchronise your cycle with hers.
Typically, the treatment cycle involves five visits to the centre – covering scans and instruction on administering the medication to stimulate your ovaries, leading to the egg collection.
We will retrieve your eggs vaginally and this usually happens under sedation.
Dawn, Lead Embryologist talks you through the egg donation process:
How to become an egg donor?
If you would like to help a patient create a family of their own please get in touch, or fill out the donor form below, providing your contact details.