Egg donation is a wonderful thing to do, and provides the opportunity for parenthood to many individuals who might not otherwise have that gift. For the donor, it leaves a feeling of having deeply given back to society and helping those in struggle. It is also financially beneficial and can often help the donor pay for school or school loans, or many other things.
However, there are plenty of stories on the internet of donors who regret donating. After reading through many of the stories online, it seems that the regret is typically because the donor has not fully thought of their “why”. Egg donation sounds like a good idea when the donor signs up, but she has not thoughtfully considered their reasoning behind doing it. This leads to some donors regretting her decisions to donate.
Finding your “why” as an egg donor is important. Some donors donate because they want to help another couple. Perhaps they have known someone who has struggled with infertility or read about what it is like to struggle with infertility in a magazine. Or, maybe the donor just likes the feeling of giving back and helping someone who is struggling. There are also donors who know they do not want kids of their own but want the feeling of being able to help someone else have a child. Other donors donate purely for financial reasons. We believe your “why” is personal, and only you can determine it. However, we encourage all of our donors to think carefully about their why. How will you feel about this decision 5 days after you donate, 5 months after you donate, and 5 years after you donate. If your “why” still feels right after thinking about this, it is likely that you will not regret your decision.
Being an egg donor is not a difficult process but it is an experience that you can not undue. And, of course like with any medical procedure, there are risks involved. Therefore, it is essential that donors spend time considering how they will feel long term about egg donation.