Egg Donor Interview: A Donor-Conceived Woman Shares Her Experience

Donor A was conceived through egg donation, and as an adult she decided to become an egg donor herself. In this video interview, recorded during her second cycle with Donor Nexus, she talks with Case Manager Lauren about screening, injections, retrieval day, recovery and working full time while donating. For the steps and timing behind her story, see how long the egg donation process takes and our egg donation process page.

In this Q&A video, Case Manager Lauren talks with Donor A during her second egg donation cycle with Donor Nexus. Because Donor A was conceived through donor eggs herself, egg donation feels personal to her, and she speaks warmly about why she chose to donate.

In addition to sharing why she wanted to become an egg donor, Donor A openly discusses the egg donation process, procedure, recovery, and more. A transcript of the conversation follows the video.

Egg donation experience by current donor and donor-conceived adult

Why did you choose to be an egg donor?

I chose to be an egg donor because I was actually born myself through egg donation and so I feel connected to it. I wanted to be a part of it as well. When my donor filled out the paperwork, she said the reason she became an egg donor was to make a miracle and that’s what I want to do, too, by helping a family start a family.

How did you feel when you found out that you were chosen by an intended parent?

I was so excited, so excited! I couldn’t wait. Now, this is my second time donating eggs and I can’t wait to do it again and I’m really excited.

Can you briefly explain the pre-screening process as an egg donor?

So, basically, it involves a psychological screening. There is also a lawyer meetup where you meet with a lawyer to discuss the logistics and the legal side of it. Then there’s the daily injections in the end. I was scared of the injections at first, but it ended up being just fine. It’s a very simple process and I’m glad that I’ve been able to do it.

How was it giving yourself the first injection? did you have any side effects?

I didn’t have any side effects. I was terrified to do it, but once I did, it was really easy. Actually, one of my friends wants to be an ER doctor and so he did it for me. He was afraid of needles so he wanted to do it.

On the day of the procedure, how did you feel?

A little nervous. That was my first time going under, so I was a little nervous, but it went fine. I trusted my doctor and I trusted my anesthesiologist so it went great.

How long was the procedure for you?

I want to say it was about an hour, but I was out!

How was the recovery process for you?

That day was a little bit painful. I had cramps that day, it was hard to stand up and move. The day after, I was back at work and felt perfectly fine.

Who did you work with?

I was with HRC Fertility. Dr. Potter was my doctor, and he was amazing. He’s very helpful. They worked with me, they were able to do last minute appointments and change appointment times for me.

What advice would you give to a potential donor or a first-time donor?

You’re doing something amazing. You’re helping someone start a family. Don’t be nervous, just get it done, the whole thing takes about two weeks so it’s really fast and really easy.

How did you feel once it was all done?

Relieved that everything was done and everything went well, and also that there were no side effects and no problems with the procedure. Honestly, I felt ready to do it again! I knew I was going to do it again later in my life, I didn’t think I would be doing it again literally two months after!

This is your second time donating, how do you feel about doing it all again?

Now that I’ve already done it once, it’s going to be easy, even easier this time. The last time I did it, they froze my eggs so they needed more eggs. This time, since it’s for a specific intended family, there won’t be as many eggs so the procedure won’t be as much and everything’s going to be easy.

How was it juggling being a full-time employee and donating at the same time?

Honestly, I just missed one day of work. That was it. I do work a lot, I do work full time but it didn’t really have an effect on my donating eggs.

View more egg donation experiences by our donors

We are grateful for every one of our egg donors and support them through each step of donation, and you can hear more of their stories on our egg donor testimonials page!

Become an egg donor with Donor Nexus

Donor Nexus is an egg donor agency based in Newport Beach, California, representing egg donors worldwide. Since 2012, more than 2,000 babies have been born through Donor Nexus programs. If you'd like to learn more about donating eggs with Donor Nexus, our team is happy to answer your questions.

Once you've checked the requirements to donate eggs and you're ready to take the next step, you can start your egg donor application online.

Frequently asked questions

Can a donor-conceived person become an egg donor?

Yes. Donor A was conceived through egg donation herself, and she was in her second egg donation cycle with Donor Nexus when she recorded this interview.

Can you work full time while donating eggs?

Donor A worked full time during her cycle and said she missed only one day of work. Most donors return to work or school the day after retrieval.

Related reading

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