Rachel's home page - Egg donation - Getting started
It started for me when I saw a magazine advert for the Logan Centre recruiting egg donors. It was something I had occasionally considered doing and the advert prodded me into serious consideration.I was young, healthy, single and loved my job. I thought it unlikely I'd have children of my own any time soon. Like many women my age I felt a conflict between career and having a family: I reasoned that at least if I donated eggs I would have passed my genes on, even if I didn't get to see the results. And it should make another childless woman happy, which would be good.
After a bit I got in touch with the Logan Centre, they sent me some information and forms and I went for a medical checkup and counselling session a month or two later. The check up was some blood samples, pressure and heart rate, a gynaecological check and an ultrasound ovarian scan.
I was very impressed with the counselling, they made clear exactly what I would be doing and were quite thorough in making sure I understood what my motivations were and the various possible consequences, and how I might feel about them. I was also impressed with the clear medical explanation of what would happen to me, and the possible side-effects. The major potential side-effect is Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome (OHSS) which in extreme cases could require hospitalisation, but is usually manageable by diet and rest and is temporary. Fewer than one in 20 women get it, which I considered reasonable odds, given its manageability.
Having decided to go ahead, I was matched anonymously to a recipient couple. I never met them although I was told some things about them (they had paid for the advert I responded to, she was similar in appearance to me, she very much wanted her husband's baby). They also were told some things about me, and I supplied some information about my interests and my personality that the Logan Centre could give to them on request. It was an odd, but lovely experience, that reflection of each other in the eyes of other people. The clinic staff formed a connection between us so that the donation was still anonymous but not impersonal.
Rachel's home page - Egg donation - Getting started