No.  The process or the medications will not affect your chances of becoming pregnant later unless infection occurs.

No.  Women have many eggs.  A small amount of these eggs are lost each month through ovulation.  Fertility medications only utilize theses eggs for the in vitro process.

No.  You are an anonymous donor.  Therefore, all identities are kept in confidence unless ordered by a court of law.

Monitoring is performed by a vaginal ultrasound and estradiol blood tests (E2), which indicate the response to medications.  Both the ultrasound and estradiol blood tests are used to determine the dosage of medications.  This will be done approximately 10 to 14 days after starting your Lupron injection to confirm that suppression has occurred and there are no ovarian cysts, which could interfere with proper stimulation.  If suppression has occurred, you will begin Follistim, Gonal-F or Repronex injections. The daily injections are continued until the follicles are a proper size and the estradiol levels reach an optimal level.  This monitoring optimizes ovarian stimulation and provides for increased measures.

Note: Follicular Scan-is used to assess the thickness of the endometrium (lining of the uterus), and monitor follicular development. If the lining is thin, it may indicate a hormonal problem.

The E2 blood tests are for the AFCT Team so they can manage your care.

The IVF process begins with at least one (1) month of birth control pills.  This will place the ovaries in a suppressed or “quiet” state. You will be given instruction for the start date and the date that you will take your last birth control pill. 

During IVF, Lupron is used to suppress or control the timing of ovulation so that mature eggs may be retrieved before they are spontaneously released.  Lupron is a subcutaneous injection (under the skin administer in the belly) administered when you are advised to finish taking the active birth control pills.

It usually takes 1 to 3 weeks for Lupron suppression to occur. When advised of the date, the medications Follistim, Gonal-F, and Repronex (subcutaneous injections), will be administered daily to simulate the ovary.

• Follistim and Gonal-F – also called FSH

• Repronex- also called LH and FSH and is used to supplement FSH.

As you know Lupron suppresses the ovaries and this is how we can manipulate your cycle. The day you have been instructed to start your FSH is considered Cycle Day 3.  (you may not have a flow).

You will need to have an estradiol level drawn on day 3.

The injections will typically begin around day 3 of the cycle and continue until an optimal follicle size is reached.  Monitoring with ultrasound and estradiol will typically fall on day 6, 8, 9&10 of the cycle. This lasts for a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 14 days.

Once at least two mature size follicles are seen, Profasi (hCG) (an intramuscularly injection) will be given to induce ovulation.  Ovulation usually occurs about 36 hours after Profasi (hCG) is injected; therefore, the removal of eggs is timed approximately 34 to 36 hours after injection.

The egg retrieval, also called oocyte aspiration, is done in approximately 34 to 36 hours after the Profasi (hCG) injection.  This process is performed under intravenous sedation.  The vaginal ultrasound guides the thin aspiration needle through the vaginal wall into the ovarian follicles.  After the eggs are removed, they are taken to the laboratory in a culture tube with a special media to examine the follicular fluid for eggs.  The eggs are evaluated for maturity and placed in a culture medium.  The climate in the laboratory is specifically controlled to provide the maximum environment for the eggs and future embryos.

This procedure may be associated with some discomfort or intermittent sharp, crampy pains.  A qualified anesthesiologist will give you IV sedation to help you be as comfortable as possible.

The egg retrieval will last approximately 15 to 30 minutes.  After the procedure, you will be monitored for approximately two (2) hours.

Yes, this is very common.  As your estrogen goes up you may see an increasing amount of clear discharge.  This is a normal response and does not mean you are ovulating prior to your procedure.

Fertilization is the penetration of the egg by the sperm and the fusion of genetic material leading to the development of an embryo.  The eggs will be examined for fertilization about 16 to 18 hours after insemination.  If fertilization does not occur, a second sample may be needed.  Sometimes embryo development stops shortly after fertilization.  Cell division of the embryo will occur approximately 24 hours later. An embryo transfer will be scheduled the day after retrieval.

We prefer to have donors who are less than 34 years old and have at least 10 or more follicles (eggs) at the baseline ultrasound. This is to minimize the risks of Down Syndrome and increase the chance of conception. If you are interested in committing to provide a meaningful gift to a couple, give Advanced Fertility Center of Texas a call at (713) 467-4488 ext 449

Due to the strict criteria, not all applicants will qualify to become an egg donor. Once we have received and reviewed your application, you will be informed whether you have been denied or will proceed to the next step in becoming a donor. If you are chosen to continue in the donor process, you will be asked to complete a more detailed Donor Application Form.

After we have received and reviewed your records, we will schedule a consultation, possible physical exam and ultrasound.