How Does Donating My Eggs Impact My Fertility?

The simple answer is no; donating eggs does not affect your body’s ability to conceive in the future. However, most women are aware they are born with all the eggs they will have in their lifetime, which is around 2 million eggs at birth. With that knowledge, it would stand to reason that donating your genetic material (your eggs) would deplete your ovarian reserve and impact the chances of your ability to have children of your own in the future. Fortunately, research has shown there is no evidence that egg donation affects future fertility, and it is a myth that it diminishes your ovarian reserve. Likewise, the fertility medications you’ll need to take will not have long-term consequences on your ability to carry your own child.

Every month, about 10 to 20 eggs begin to mature, but the body only selects one for fertilization. A woman is born with about 2 million eggs, and only 400 of these eggs ovulate during her lifetime. There are, however, hundreds of thousands of potentially viable eggs in a woman’s ovarian reserve by the time she reaches peak fertility. The rest of the eggs will be absorbed by the body and die off naturally. Fertility medication simply rescues the remaining 9 or more eggs that would have been discarded otherwise. Egg donation involves taking hormone medication to make all the viable eggs grow equally rather than one egg becoming the most dominant.

It's important to note that because egg donation is a medical procedure that there are possible side effects or inherent risks to the donor. Some women experience moodiness, pain, swelling, bloating, and pressure from the hormone medications they must take during their cycle. There is also a small but noteworthy risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome developing, in which the ovaries become enlarged after egg retrieval. This condition is uncommon, though, and it’s rare that the side effects are serious.

Protecting Your Future Fertility

Whether or not you decide to become a donor, you can think about the future right now to help boost your chances of getting pregnant by leading a healthy lifestyle. You can make smart choices by staying fit, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and keeping you alcohol and caffeine use reasonable. You can also protect your fertility by practicing safer sex and getting routine screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs, also called STDs). Untreated STIs can cause serious fertility problems, and yet they are sneaky because most often, there are no symptoms.

A fertility checkup can help you find out what the time is on your so-called biological clock. Your fertility doctor will give you a clear picture of your ovarian reserve and hormone levels. The best part is that if you’re already at a fertility clinic to donate your eggs, you can get all the information you need while you’re there, and likely for free. If you’re still hesitant, remember that you can use the compensation you receive for your egg donation gift to spend on freezing your own eggs for future personal use.

Contact Us at Palm Beach Fertility Center

Our fertility specialists are thrilled you have chosen to give your biological material and donate your eggs to a couple of hopeful future parents. It’s important you have all the information you need, so take your time to ask the fertility doctor your questions and research the risks and benefits of egg donation. It’s very admirable and compassionate to donate your eggs to a struggling couple, but you have to remember to practice your own self care and be kind to yourself.

To learn more about egg donation at Palm Beach Fertility Center, please contact us by phone at (888) 819-5177 or reach out online for a quick reply.