The principle of egg donation involves IVF cycle for two parties (donor and recipient). The donor must undergo the first part of IVF, including ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, whereas the recipient must undergo the embryo transfer.

Doctor needs to synchronize these two women’s menstrual cycles that can be achieved by a combination of birth control pills and Lupron.

When the cycle begins, the donor takes the usual stimulatory medications used for fertility therapy, whereas the recipient takes a combination of estrogen and progesterone to prepare her uterine lining for embryo transfer and subsequent implantation.

When the donor’s eggs become mature, the donor will undergo the standard procedure of follicle aspiration by trans-vaginal ultrasound-guided technique under conscious sedation.

The recipient’s partner provides the sperm. The sperm of the recipient’s partner and the egg of the donor fertilize in laboratory as that of standard IVF procedure.

Embryo transfer is usually scheduled for day 5 (blastocyst), unless other factors dictate a transfer on day 3.

After the embryo transfer is performed, the recipient continues to take estrogen and progesterone until the end of the first trimester of pregnancy.

Since in natural conception, the ovary produces estrogen and progesterone in order to support embryo implantation.

At the end of the first trimester (13 weeks of gestation age, or about 10-11 weeks after embryo transfer), the placenta will produce all kinds of hormones that are needed, and estrogen and progesterone supplementation can be withdrawn.

Other aspects of the egg donation cycle are identical to those of standard IVF procedure. The ovarian stimulation of the donor is the same as the stimulation of IVF patients using their own eggs, laboratory procedures are identical, and the type of embryo transfer technique is also the same as used for regular IVF patients.

Egg donation is clear with good successful rate in fertility procedure. The combination of young eggs, optimal preparation of both donor and recipient, and careful synchronization between donor and recipient are the factors that contribute to the success.