Donor Nexus Team
May 2, 2025
Last updated September 2026
Traveling for a fresh egg donation cycle usually means flying to the intended parents' fertility clinic, keeping up with your medication schedule away from home, and resting near the clinic after your egg retrieval before you head back. In this 10-part vlog, Raina, a Donor Nexus egg donor on her third donation cycle, films her trip to Washington, DC, from packing her medications to how she felt five days after her retrieval.
What traveling for a fresh egg donation cycle involves
In a fresh, one-on-one cycle, you are matched with one set of intended parents, and your screening and egg retrieval take place at their chosen fertility clinic. When that clinic is in another city or state, travel becomes part of your cycle, and Donor Nexus covers the travel costs. Here is how travel typically works, based on our egg donation process.
Egg banking cycles work a little differently, with travel to Newport Beach, California, and our comparison of frozen egg banking vs. a one-on-one cycle walks through how the two programs compare.
Watch Raina's full egg donation vlog series
The playlist below plays all 10 episodes in order, and since most run under a minute, you can watch her whole trip from the airport to recovery in less than 12 minutes.
Episodes 1 to 4: traveling to the clinic and managing medications
Episode 1: Why I chose to become an egg donor
Raina introduces herself at the start of her third donation cycle and talks about why she decided to become an egg donor. She admits the process can seem a little intimidating at first, and she hopes that filming her cycle makes it easier for anyone considering egg donation to picture what it is really like. If you are still weighing the decision, 3 reasons previous donors chose to become egg donors adds a few more perspectives.
Episode 2: Flying to the intended parents' fertility clinic
Raina packs her medications in her carry-on and heads to the airport for her one-on-one cycle, and she talks about how easy it was to travel with them. If you are flying with injectable fertility medications, TSA allows medically necessary liquids over 3.4 ounces in carry-on bags, and unused syringes are allowed when they are packed with injectable medication and declared at the checkpoint.
Episode 3: Exploring Washington, DC, before my appointment
After landing in Washington, DC, Raina takes the metro to a doctor's appointment where she goes over the details of her cycle, and she gets to explore a bit of the city along the way. During the medication phase, monitoring appointments are typically scheduled early in the morning, which can leave the rest of the day open while you are away from home.
Episode 4: Managing egg donation medications while traveling
In the longest episode of the series, Raina shows what her medication routine looked like away from home and how she kept her injections on schedule, with her mom along as her travel companion to help film the trip. Your clinic teaches you your own medication protocol, and our dos and don'ts while on IVF medication and egg donation medications Q&A video cover common questions about this part of the cycle.
Episodes 5 to 7: egg retrieval day
Episode 5: Heading to the clinic for my egg retrieval
On retrieval day, Raina rides to the clinic in an Uber and talks through the mix of excitement and nerves she is feeling while making sure she gets there on time. Because the retrieval is done under sedation, donors need a companion to take them home and stay with them for 24 hours afterward, and Donor Nexus hires a private nurse for donors who do not have one. Our guide to preparing for egg retrieval covers the rest of the day-of details.
Episode 6: Arriving at the clinic for my egg retrieval
Raina gives a quick look around the clinic as she gets ready to check in, and with her appointment about to start, she shares how ready she feels for the next step of her cycle.
Episode 7: Getting prepped for the egg retrieval procedure
In the shortest episode, Raina changes into her gown and socks and stores her belongings before heading into the procedure, which gives you a sense of the last few minutes before a retrieval begins. If you are wondering how the procedure itself feels, our article on whether donating eggs is painful goes into more detail.
Episodes 8 to 10: recovery after egg retrieval
Episode 8: How I felt right after my egg retrieval
Just after her retrieval, Raina says everything went smoothly and that she feels relieved and excited to have finished her cycle. She also mentions that the clinic staff helped her feel reassured throughout the process.
Episode 9: The day after my egg retrieval
The next day, Raina feels proud of the part she played in the cycle, although she is a little bloated and it made sleeping uncomfortable, so she is resting, eating breakfast and planning to take it easy for the rest of the day. Mild cramping or bloating for about a week after retrieval is common, and our tips on how to make bloating go away after egg retrieval and what to eat after egg retrieval have practical ideas for those first few days.
Episode 10: Five days after my egg retrieval
Five days out, Raina's bloating has gone away and she feels back to normal. She describes her recovery as quick and mild, and she shares two things that helped her, which were staying hydrated with electrolyte drinks and keeping an eye out for constipation after the retrieval. Recovery looks different for everyone, so follow your clinic's aftercare instructions, and see 7 tips for recovery after egg retrieval for more ideas.
Thinking about becoming an egg donor
Raina's series follows one donor's trip from start to finish, and if it has you curious about donating, our step-by-step guide to becoming an egg donor explains everything that comes before travel, including the application, screening and matching. When you are ready, you can apply online and our team walks you through next steps from there.
Frequently asked questions about traveling for egg donation
Do egg donors have to travel
Egg donors travel when their cycle takes place at a clinic that is not near where they live. In a fresh, one-on-one cycle, screening and egg retrieval happen at the intended parents' chosen fertility clinic, and in an egg banking cycle, travel is to Newport Beach, California. Our comparison of frozen egg banking vs. a one-on-one cycle explains how the two programs differ.
Who pays for travel during an egg donation cycle
Donor Nexus covers travel expenses for egg donors and their companions, including flights, accommodations and transportation. This applies to both one-on-one and egg banking cycles, so donors do not pay out of pocket to travel for their cycle.
Can I bring someone with me when I travel for egg donation
Yes, and a companion is part of the plan for retrieval day. Because the procedure is done under sedation, donors need someone to take them home and stay with them for 24 hours afterward, and Donor Nexus covers the companion's travel too. If you cannot bring someone, Donor Nexus hires a private nurse for you. Raina brought her mom along as her companion.
Can you fly with egg donation medications
You can, since TSA allows medically necessary liquid medications over 3.4 ounces in carry-on bags, and unused syringes are allowed when they are packed with injectable medication. Declare them at the checkpoint, where they are screened separately, and TSA recommends keeping medications clearly labeled. Raina kept hers in her carry-on so they stayed with her, and your clinic can tell you whether any of your medications need special storage while you travel.
How long does it take to recover from egg retrieval
Donor Nexus recommends taking it easy for the rest of the day after your retrieval. Mild cramping or bloating for about a week is common, and most donors are back to normal activity within a day or two, often returning to work or school the following day. Raina felt back to normal by day five, and our recovery tips can help in the meantime.
How long is a fresh egg donation cycle
A fresh matching cycle can take several months because of the matching and screening period. Once your cycle starts, you typically take birth control pills for 7 to 10 days, then stimulation injections for about 10 to 12 days, followed by a trigger shot before your egg retrieval. Our breakdown of how long the egg donation process takes walks through each stage.
Keep reading
Medical disclaimer
This article and video series share one egg donor's personal experience and general information about egg donation, and they are not medical advice. Individual experiences may vary, so please talk with your healthcare provider or fertility specialist for advice about your own health and care.
California egg donor disclosure
Egg donation involves a screening process and not all potential egg donors are selected and not all selected egg donors receive the compensation amount advertised. As with any medical procedure, there may be a risk associated with egg donation. First, an egg donor must agree to begin the process and sign a legally binding contract. The donor is required to receive specific information on the known risk. Consultation with your doctor before entering into an egg donor contract is advised. [Ca. Health & Safety Code 125325(a)] In addition, a summary of the egg retrieval procedure must be given to the egg donor before there is a binding contract. [Ca. Health & Safety Code 125325(b)]
Donor Nexus Team
The Donor Nexus Team is the group of case managers, donor coordinators, and egg bank staff who run the agency's Fresh Donor Matching, Frozen Egg Bank, and Embryo Donation programs day to day. Since 2012 they ha…
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