Egg donor experiences
Each year, hundreds of people in the UK choose to donate eggs. Here, you can read how two egg donors experienced the process and life after donating.
Astrid's experience
Astrid donated eggs for the first time when she was 24. In the following year and a half, she donated six times.
Astrid's experience
Why did you decide to donate eggs?
"For me, the idea to become an egg donor came from me wondering what else I could do in addition to being a blood donor. As cliché as it sounds, I wanted to do something good for others.
Personally, I don’t want children but I think everyone should be able to make that choice for themselves. I can’t begin to imagine what struggling to conceive must feel like to someone who so badly wants to have children. As such, I wanted to contribute with that last little something that would allow someone to have their dream child."
Astrid's experience
What was the egg donation process like for you?
"I donated six times in total. For me, there was some pain related to the actual egg retrieval, but it is manageable. I would recommend other egg donors to take it easy the following week or so, as it means you’ll be back on your feet faster."
All in all, the process has truly been worth it to me, considering the joy it brings to others.
Anja's experience
Anja donated eggs once when she was 28. Today, she has two children of her own.
Anja's experience
What was the egg collection procedure like?
"The egg retrieval was super efficient and professional. I'm the kind of person who finds it really fascinating to see how the body works, so I thought it was cool that I could follow along on the screen and see each egg being collected.
I felt all of the eggs as they were sucked into the tiny tube. In one ovary, I just felt that small suction feeling every time, but in my other ovary, I did feel some discomfort each time an egg was collected. The same ovary required me to pause my training for two weeks after the egg retrieval, but after that it was fine."
Anja's experience
What advice would you give to someone considering to donate eggs?
"If you choose to donate eggs, it will bring immense joy to other people. I found it helpful to take some time to really think through the implications of donating. For instance, I thought about how I would feel about children outside of my family having my DNA. I had no issues with it, but for others, it might be a big deal.
And then I would tell people to take the egg donation process as an experience that shows how incredible our bodies are and what they are capable of."