Step 1 - Recipient Consult Appointment
The first step is to contact Seattle Reproductive Medicine (SRM) and schedule a comprehensive consultation with one of our physicians. A SRM physician will thoroughly review your medical records and ensure that Donor Egg is the appropriate treatment.

Step 2 – Recipient Counseling Appointments
Social Work Appointment - The decision to turn to egg donation can be very difficult. Our fertility counselors understand the complex and delicate nature of egg donation as a means to starting a family. The appointment with our fertility counselors will enable you to discuss any questions or concerns you or partner may have and will give you a general description of the donor egg process.

Genetic Counseling Appointment - The second counseling appointment is with our Genetic Counselor. She will discuss with you the genetic testing your donor may be recommended to receive. The purpose of this appointment is to give you a better understanding of the genetic testing SRM may recommend for you and/or your donor and the implications of those tests.

Step 3 – Donor Program Consultation - Precycle Screening
The Donor Egg Cycle is complex, exciting and at times stressful. The Donor Program Consultation is important in order to review the screening process and time frames involved. At this appointment, the details of the donor egg process will be reviewed along with the screening requirements set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. All screening requirements must be completed prior cycle start. Click here to view the screening requirements

Matching Anonymous Donor and Recipient
You and your donor are usually matched, with the assistance of the Donor Egg Team, according to race and general physical characteristics. The donor profiles will be given and once a donor is chosen, a $1500.00 security deposit for SRM donors, $2,000 for NWFC donors, or $3,000 for any other agency donor will be placed in order to reserve the donor. Your Uterine Evaluation must be completed prior to placing a deposit on a donor. The start of your donor IVF cycle must occur within two months of placing the deposit on your donor. If the cycle does not begin within two months you will be required to place an additional monthly deposit of $1000 to hold your donor. $500 will go to your donor and $500 will go to SRM. If you elect not to continue to place despots to hold your donor, she will be made available to cycle with other recipients.

Step 4 – Cycle Coordination
Once you and your donor have completed all of your screening requirements, you will all agree on a target month for receiving embryos. Coordination and synchronization of your donor’s treatment cycle to your cycle will occur. This process may take several months based on, your natural menstrual cycle, the natural menstrual cycle of your donor and your personal schedules.

It is important to note that it takes 4-6 weeks from the time you and your donor are synchronized with birth control pills to the actual egg retrieval and embryo transfer.

Step 5 – Consent Signing, Protocol Review and Injection Training
At this appointment, the consent form will be signed and you have the opportunity to discuss any questions you may have with your SRM physician. Ideally, both partners should be present at this appointment. A member of the donor program staff will then review your individual protocol with instructions for medications, appointments, and retrieval dates.

A separate injection training class may also be scheduled if needed.

Step 6 – Egg Production and Recipient Uterine Preparation for Implantation
Your chosen donor will be given fertility medications over the course of 8-12 days to stimulate the production of multiple eggs. Her progress will be monitored frequently to ensure the eggs are developing appropriately. While your donor is going through the egg stimulation process, you will be given hormones to stimulate your uterine lining.

Step 7 – Egg Recovery and Sperm Collection
Once your donor is ready for egg recovery as determined by a SRM physician, she is given another medication exactly 35 hours prior to the egg retrieval. This medication will bring the eggs to final maturity. The sonographic egg recovery (SER) involves the use of an ultrasound guided needle to gently remove the eggs from the ovaries. Your donor will receive medication during the procedure and should experience little or no discomfort. Your male partner’s or donor sperm is collected on the day of the donor’s egg recovery.

Step 8 – Fertilization and Development of the Embryos
After the egg recovery, the embryologist prepares the donated eggs in the laboratory with the sperm from your partner or donor sperm. You will be called the day after the donor’s retrieval to discuss the number of eggs fertilized and you will be given a tentative day 3 transfer time.

Step 9 – Embryo Transfer
The embryo transfer will take 2-6 days after the egg recovery. The SRM physician will discuss the final embryology report and the recommendation to transfer 1 or 2 embryos with you on the day of embryo transfer. The embryos are then transferred through your cervix into your uterus via a small catheter.

Step 10 – Pregnancy Test
Ten to twelve days after the embryo transfer you will return to SRM office for a blood pregnancy test. If pregnant, SRM will follow progress with blood work, followed by one or more ultrasounds before you return to the referring obstetrician for ongoing care.

If the pregnancy test is positive, it will be necessary to continue the hormone medications for an additional 6 weeks in order to support early pregnancy.

Revised December 23, 2008