Egg Donor FAQs

No, donors can't be paid to donate in Canada. But that does not mean this isn’t a rewarding experience without any perks! At Her Helping Habit, we are looking for egg donors whose primary motivation is to help someone conceive. We understand there is a component of a financial burden to this process, and donors should never be out of pocket for helping someone have a baby. Egg donors are reimbursed for their time spent at appointments and injecting medication (lost wages), dog or childcare and phone bill as well as supplements, travel, food, etc. associated with the donation process. This amount ranges from $4,000 - $7,000.  

We are not able to give medical advice, but we have seen many donors go on to give birth to their own children after donating.

Every woman is born with about 2 million eggs; however, by the time of her first period, there are about 400,000 left. Each month, a group of eggs begin the maturation process. Normally, her body selects only one egg each cycle to ovulate, while the rest are absorbed by the body. Fertility medications "rescue" some of these excess eggs that the body would have discarded, so using IVF drugs will not deplete your egg reserves any more than usual. It is a common fertility myth that stimulation robs you of future eggs and causes early menopause; that is simply not true.  

Yes and no… but, it's likely not as bad as you’re imagining! You can ask someone to give them to you daily, but you may not always be able to count on them being around when it’s time for your injection.

If you’re really struggling with the shots and the clinic is close to you, you could go daily for a nurse to inject you; however, that can be super inconvenient as the injections are time-sensitive. You will be given detailed instructions by your clinic, and your coordinator at Her Helping Habit is always a text or phone call away, so if you need something in the middle of an injection, we can help. We are happy to set up a video call to go over all your meds before you start them too.  

Known donation ensures that everyone involved has a fulfilling, rewarding experience. With known donation, you never have to wonder about the outcome of your donation—if it worked, if the children are like you or look like you, etc. As humans, it’s natural to get curious. Donating through the Her Helping Habit program means you will get to know who you are donating to and decide what level of contact you are comfortable with. You can meet in person, talk on the phone or receive yearly updates if you want! At Her Helping Habit, we encourage donors to stay in touch with recipients. This is the chance to develop a unique lifelong connection. Not only will this satisfy your curiosity—but it also gives the child a chance to know you in whatever capacity you and their parents have agreed upon ahead of time.

This also allows you to be updated on the health status of your donor offspring in the event something hereditary comes up you should know about, and leaves the door open for you to alert the recipient or offspring to any genetic conditions that may develop on your side as well.

The matching phase is what takes the longest. Once you’re matched, the preliminary testing described above can take anywhere from three to six months, depending on how busy your matched recipient’s clinic is as well as your own schedule and availability. Once this testing is completed, you will have a legal phone meeting with a lawyer to discuss the terms of your donation and sign the contract.

Once the legalities are taken care of, you will begin the syncing phase of your donation cycle. This means the clinic will put you on oral birth control pills to sync your cycle to the recipient of your eggs. The doctor will precisely time when you stop taking these pills based on your planned donation schedule. For example, you could plan to start this process so that you have your retrieval timed for a specific holiday break if you wanted. In some cases, you will not sync using birth control but will instead wait until your period comes naturally and begin medication on day three of menstrual bleeding. This can be beneficial for a woman who experiences negative side effects from oral contraceptives, but it’s also less convenient for planning purposes.

You will need to be on fertility medication for roughly 8 to 12 days. This consists of hormone injections into your stomach once or twice a day (using a pretty small needle that’s roughly 2 centimeters or three-quarters of an inch long).

Retrieval is a 20-minute procedure that will then be followed by one to four days of recovery, depending on your body. Katelyn has donated six times and she will help guide you throughout this entire process. Egg donation is a big decision and at Her Helping Habit, we recommend that everyone do their own research and take their time before deciding to donate. 

The biggest risks donors face is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which occurs when too many eggs have been retrieved and your ovaries have a hard time releasing fluid and shrinking back to normal. Persons with OHSS often experience increased pain post-retrieval, a sense of fullness, and—in severe cases—experience shortness of breath as the buildup of fluid can lead to respiratory problems. This is 100 percent PREVENTABLE with proper monitoring. This is why it’s important to have the support that we offer at Her Helping Habit; we will safely guide you throughout your journey as an egg donor. We will prepare you ahead of time so you know which potential risk indicators to look for. We will also coach you regarding what to ask for following your monitoring appointments, and we’ll help you advocate for a safer approach or change in protocol if need be. You are never alone throughout this process with us. 

In addition to OHSS, another possible complication is ovarian torsion. It’s best to avoid extreme exercise until after your period post-retrieval (which is when you’re in the clear from risks because your body has gone back to normal). It’s important to acknowledge and consider that, although those in the medical profession don’t suspect there are long-term effects from ovarian torsion, there is no research that exists to support or deny the possibility. Her Helping Habit is an active advocate for long-term tracking of donors’ health, and we are always here for you no matter how much time has passed since your donation.

The screening process includes a consult with your recipient’s fertility physician  and will cover the basics of egg donation⁠. This can be over the phone  or in-person, depending on the clinic’s proximity to you. Then you will have to undergo bloodwork (STI testing and hormone check), an internal ultrasound and a counselling session to make sure you are mentally fit and fully aware of the future implications of your donation.  

Finding a recipient could take anywhere from a couple of days to many months. This timeline is so broad because we only present you with profiles based on the preferences you indicate in your own profile. Similarly, many recipients have a list of requirements the donor should meet, and they’re typically looking for someone like themselves in some ways. Making your profile as informative as possible can help narrow down the pool of potential matches quite quickly.

Generally, the actual syncing and donation process is anywhere from two to four months after you have confirmed a match. Injections are only two weeks themselves, and many recipients are willing to work with any scheduling conflicts you may have. Please just let us know when applying so we can find you a proper match.

Recipients can be anyone! People of all genders need donated eggs to start or add to their families. It’s not uncommon for single people as well as people in heterosexual or same-sex relationships to use donor eggs. Using donated eggs is also common among women who: experienced premature menopause, have undergone cancer treatments, have been diagnosed with secondary infertility, are concerned about passing on chromosomal abnormalities or other genetic conditions, and so on.  

Only if you want them to! We will present you with matches according to your comfort level and your wishes. At a minimum, we ask that you be open to contact with any offspring born from your donation when they reach 18.  

Adoption is not as easy as one may think, and there are several things an individual or couple considers before deciding to go down the egg-donation path:  

·       The financial burden of adoption is similar to that of egg donation.  

·       The waitlists for adoption are long.  

·       Many couples wish to experience parenthood from infancy.

·       Many couples also wish to be in control of what their child is exposed to in utero. 

·       A woman may want to experience pregnancy.

·       A couple may want their child to have a genetic connection to one partner. 

If you are interested and feel you are healthy and in a good state of mind, please fill out an initial application here and/or book a consult with Katelyn here so she can answer all of your questions and tell you more about the program and what to expect if you and Katelyn decide to take this journey together.  Once you submit an application, you will receive an informational packet via email and be asked to set up a video call with an egg donor coordinator. During that call, you can ask as many questions as you like and the coordinator will determine if you’re a good candidate. If you’re a good fit, the coordinator will move you to the next step of the process where you will fill out a more detailed profile form.

Her Helping Habit specializes in deeply meaningful egg-donation experiences. Egg Donor Coordinator Katelyn Paquin created this program to provide the support and information she wishes she had when she began donating. She took everything she learned during her first donation and pulled it together to form a friendly, informative and caring place for potential donors who have questions as well as experienced donors who are ready to embark on another journey. Katelyn works with every potential egg donor one on one to obtain completely informed consent, address all worries and concerns and help you decide if egg donation is right for you.

If it is, take Katelyn’s hand and let her guide you throughout the entire process. You don’t need to worry about feeling confused or alone on this journey. At Her Helping Habit, we are transparent, honest and quick to answer your questions. 

Her Helping Habit is also the first egg donation agency to offer strictly known donation services, which is something that best serves all parties involved, based on the latest research available. 

While on medication, egg donors are asked to live as healthily as possible. Many contracts will specify no intercourse, intense exercise, alcohol, and/or over-the-counter and illegal drugs. Your physician or nurse will likely go over this with you as well.  

Totally! Depending on how far the clinic is from your home, you may need to travel for three to five monitoring appointments in the days leading up to your retrieval. You may find it more comfortable to stay overnight somewhere close to the clinic following your retrieval procedure. For cycles that require flying, you should plan to be away from work or school for about a week. Remember, you will be presented with profiles based on what you have indicated interest in, so if you want to travel, indicate that. If you would rather stay close to home, we will only present you with local recipients.  

It’s important to acknowledge the financial strain most of our parents are under due to the high costs of fertility treatments and medications because these are not covered by extended health care plans. Because of this, it’s critical to take your responsibilities seriously. That means showing up on time to all appointments and giving everyone as much notice as possible anytime you need to cancel or reschedule. Handling your medications with care and administering them at the correct time every day is also crucial because fertility medications can cost between $3,000 and $5,000. Maintaining open, honest and frequent communication with the clinic, agency and intended parents is also a key responsibility of an egg donor.

Absolutely not. All your rights and responsibilities are waived in the clinic documentation you sign. This is covered in more detail in the legal contract developed between you and the recipient(s). Her Helping Habit will assist you with all of this and refer you to a lawyer who specializes in egg donation.  

You have the potential to develop a unique, lifelong relationship with your recipients and donor offspring. It’s a beautiful way to have more people to include in your family circle.

You will receive no-cost-to-you genetic and hormone testing, which could potentially provide invaluable information to you about your health.

A donor must spend roughly a week in a major Canadian city for almost daily appointments at a fertility clinic. Her day is hers to explore the city afterwards. All travel, lodging and food are covered by the recipients because the donor wouldn't be there otherwise. The donor is also required to bring a companion as someone has to check the donor out from her retrieval and help care for her for 24 hours afterward. Many girls make a nice little trip out of their donations! 

Yes, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that a donor donate no more than six times. Every fertility doctor has their own professional opinion, and some don’t follow this guideline. It's up to you to consider the pros and cons of donating multiple times. Research the risks, consult your doctor and—most of all—listen to your body.