Important Information
Your Lifestyle During Egg Donation
You must live a healthy lifestyle while you are a participant in our program. Please don't drink, smoke, or use recreational drugs - or even prescription drugs that we have not prescribed for you. (In particular, remember that you will be randomly drug tested throughout the cycle; if the test is positive, your cycle will be cancelled).Once your period comes and you start fertility medicines, you must refrain from sex (intercourse) for four weeks - until your next period. This will protect you from an unwanted pregnancy (remember, you will be very fertile during the cycle) and greatly decrease your chance of an infection.
You may take a standard multivitamin and Tylenol (Acetaminophen), if needed, during the 5 weeks of the active cycle. In general, do not take any medicine, herb, or health food store product without checking with us first. In particular, do not take Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, or similar drugs during the cycle. These drugs increase your risk of bleeding.
If you engage in daily exercise (dance, aerobics, biking, running, swimming, yoga, weight training) please refrain from your exercise regime while you are stimulating. Walking and gentle stretching is OK.
Communication Is Critical
We must be able to reach you or leave you messages while you are taking program medications. Please give us a reliable, private phone number or voice mail/answering machine on which it is OK to leave a detailed message. Make sure that your phone or machine is working properly, that it is turned on and that you check it frequently.Medication Details
For about two weeks, you will need to come in every morning between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM for a blood test and ultrasound (and, on some days, an injection). We will call you each afternoon or evening to tell you what dose of stimulating medication (Follistim, Menopur or Gonal F) to take-by injection-that night. This adjustment of dose is very important for your safety as well as for the success of the program.
As the eggs mature and you approach the night you will be administering the ovulation trigger medication (Ovidrel or Lupron), it may be necessary that you return to the office in the evening for an additional ultrasound. Again, it is very important that we are able to reach you.
Remember - with the ovulation trigger medication (Ovidrel or Lupron), the timing of the dose is critical.
Always keep track of how much medication you have available. Make sure that you always have an extra night's worth of medicine at home. If you are starting to run low on medicine, please ask for additional medication.
Retrieval Day
On retrieval day, come to the Admitting Office of the main hospital and wait there for someone to come and bring you to the IVF suite.You must have an adult to sign you out and accompany you home from the hospital the day of your surgery. Please make your arrangements with someone early.
Financial
If you receive any bills during or after the process please forward them to us via mail or fax as soon as possible so that the proper department can take care of them. You are not responsible for them. If you hold on to them we will never know and you will continue to get repeat bills.Finally
Be sure to advise the program of travel plans, take medications as instructed, comply with scheduled monitoring visits, live a healthy lifestyle, and contact us with questions or concerns. If you are responsible and careful, giving eggs will be a safe and very satisfying experience.
