Though each Fertility Specialist has their own specific routine that they follow, there are some basic steps that are generally the same with each egg donation process, including;
Day 1 (start of cycle): The Egg Donor undergoes assessment of ovaries and has blood tests to check hormone levels. Fertility drug treatment is administered in sync with the donor's usual menstrual cycle.
Day 5: Progesterone therapy is initiated in the egg recipient to prepare the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg.
Day 11: Egg donor is again assessed, including the use of ultrasound, the given an additional fertility drugs to stimulate follicle development.
Day 17-19: Several ultrasounds are performed to assess the status of the ovaries and follicles development until it's determined that the patient is ready for retrieval, also called "harvest."
Day 21: If the follicles are large enough, the egg donor gets shots of hormones, to ready the eggs to be harvested.
Day 22 : The egg recipient receives a shot of progesterone, another fertility hormone, to further prepare her uterus for the soon-to-be implanted eggs.
Day 23: Eggs are harvested from the egg donor, using a long needle, guided by ultrasound. The eggs are placed into a test tube or petri dish and fertilized.
Day 26-28: The recipient will receive between 2 and 4 embryos depending on age and quality of embryo, via implantation into her prepared uterus. Any remaining viable embryos will be frozen, if the first cycle does in a pregnancy.
As you can see, there are specific steps that must be taken, in a prescribed manner, in order to synchronize both the egg donor and the egg recipient, to ensure successful development, harvest, and transfer of donor eggs.
