Donor Registration  |  Donor Criteria  |   Donation Cycle  |  Compensation  |  Application Process  |  FAQs


What is egg donation?

Egg donation is the process in which another woman donates her eggs to another couple or recipient who is in need of some form of assisted reproduction. These eggs, when mixed in a laboratory with sperm, can become fertilized and form embryos. A reproductive endocrinologist can then place these embryos into a woman's uterus so that she becomes pregnant and gives birth.


How do I become an egg donor?

An eligible egg donor is a healthy, height/weight proportional, accomplished woman between the ages of 21 and 31 who sincerely wants to share her eggs as a gift with another woman who might never be able to experience motherhood. Potential donors then complete an application and undergo a medical screening. Donors that clear this process are then placed on the panel and are available for selection from a recipient. Special Creations is very proud of the quality of donors accepted into our program.


How much are donors compensated?

Egg donors are compensated for their time, effort, and responsibility. Any medications used during the process and associated medical costs are covered by the recipient during the stimulation cycle. At the completion of a cycle and retrieval, the donors are compensated their full fee. At times, a cycle needs to stop at various points for a number of reasons. Depending on the timing and events of a stopped cycle, Special Creations offers a modified compensation plan if this should occur.


Will I automatically be chosen as a donor?

No. All laboratory and diagnostic testing must show normal results for a donor to qualify.


How are the donor eggs retrieved?

After you have been selected by a recipient and undergone successful stimulation through hormonal therapy under the guidance of a fertility specialist, the retrieval process can begin. Under anesthesia and guided by an ultrasound, a thin needle is passed through your vaginal wall by the doctor into your ovaries, gently withdrawing the stimulated eggs. Deep sedation or anesthesia is used under the direction of an anesthesiologist for your comfort. The process of egg retrieval takes less than an hour at an outpatient fertility or surgery center selected by your recipient. After the procedure, a donor will generally feel groggy from the sedative and may experience some spotty bleeding and / or cramping for a few hours. Most donors return to work or school the following day.


Does it hurt?

During the stimulation phase, a donor might experience cramping, bloating and minor irritability. You will be closely monitored by our medical director and the recipients’ doctor throughout the process. If there are any problems, the staff at Special Creations and our medical director is immediately available to assist you. The procedure is done under sedation so a donor will not experience pain during the procedure.


How long will the stimulation and retrieval process take?

Before beginning this process, a donor must be "selected" by a recipient couple or individual and this can sometimes take several months. Once a donor is in cycle, the process is quite short, approximately 7 to 8 weeks from selection to the retrieval procedure.


What are the risks of egg donation?

Health insurance is provided to you at no cost during the stimulation process. The primary risk during a stimulation cycle is a condition called Ovarian Hyper-stimulation Syndrome. Fortunately, this is relatively rare, involving only 1-3% of stimulation cycles. Careful monitoring is done by the recipients’ physician to help avoid hyper-stimulation. Symptoms of hyper-stimulation include weight gain and a feeling of extreme bloating. Also, as with any procedure, a risk of infection exists after the retrieval procedure. This is also very rare.


Will a doctor monitor the stimulation process of the donor?

Yes. Special Creations, LP and its medical director will assist the recipient’s doctor in closely monitoring the donors during the stimulation cycle.


What kind of medication will I need to take?

Both the donor and the recipient will be taking hormones at the direction of the reproductive endocrinologist during the stimulation process. The donor, over a course of approximately 3 weeks, will self-inject hormones with a very small needle to stimulate her ovarian production. She is closely monitored by the physicians throughout this process. Once her eggs are "ready", she is scheduled for a procedure to remove them from her ovaries.


Could I become pregnant while on fertility medication?

As you might expect, the hormones given to stimulate your ovaries and egg formation greatly increase the likelihood that you will become pregnant if you are sexually active during the process. A donor must take precautions against pregnancy before, during, and at least one month after the stimulation process. During a portion of the time of egg retrieval, a donor is required to abstain from intercourse.


Will my future fertility be affected?

Currently there is no evidence that either the medications or the procedure compromise the possibility of becoming pregnant in the future. After the eggs are collected, the ovaries return to normal within a few weeks. If complications arise during the donation process your fertility could be affected. Fortunately complications which would result as such are extremely rare. Our agency will only work with doctors that take every precaution to ensure your comfort, health and safety throughout the process.


Is Special Creations, LP egg donor program anonymous?

Yes. Our egg donor program is fully anonymous. Any personal identifying information such as your name and contact information is held in the strictest confidence. Special Creations, LP does require its egg donors to allow us to share photos of each donor with recipients to aid in their selection process. The availability of pictures is very important to some recipients and does not compromise confidentiality.


Will I meet the recipient parents or the baby?

No. The egg donation arrangement is fully confidential and the donor never meets her recipients. All information regarding all parties is kept in the strictest confidence.


Will contracts need to be signed?

Yes. In order to become a donor with Special Creations, LP, you will need to sign our donor contract. The contract explains the process of egg donation, compensation, and the associated legal aspects regarding egg donation. Don’t be alarmed as this is standard in the industry and required for your protection.


Will I miss a lot of school or work?

Very minimal. Throughout the stimulation process, there will be necessary periodic examinations and blood test in order to monitor your progress and ensure your comfort. Most appointments are scheduled for early in the morning so a donor will have as little disruption to her schedule as possible. The egg retrieval procedure will require an entire day free. It is very important that you recognize the level of responsibility required in making and keeping these appointments.


Why should I choose Special Creations as an egg donor agency to work with?

Special Creations is a unique donor egg agency in that it is directed by a group of physicians that make special effort to ensure that all donors are educated and prescreened completely prior to starting the egg donation process. The majority of egg donors that are initially enrolled in programs around the country are not prescreened prior to initial selection by the recipient couple. Prescreening with a qualified physician increases the chance of a successful treatment cycle. The staff at Special Creations has extensive experience in the egg donation process and is dedicated to making sure that all donors are treated with close attention through all phases of the process.