Once you have selected your egg donor — whether it is a known or anonymous donor — you will choose a time to synchronize your cycles. It is imperative that you both be hormonally regulated to the same cycle, using a variety of medications.

Synchronization is a very important step in the process of using donor eggs. This will ensure that your uterus is at the right phase to accept the eggs from the donor at the time they are ready. If this step is not done, or if it is done incorrectly, it can lead to an entire cycle being wasted and an unproductive procedure.

What She Does

Your donor will begin oral contraceptives during her period. She will then be placed on a medication like Lupron to prevent her from ovulating too early. After the Lupron she will begin taking stimulants to induce ovulation. Remember, the goal is to get as many good-quality healthy eggs as possible in one retrieval. She will be monitored by blood work and ultrasound to choose the day to trigger her for release and retrieval.

What You Do

During this process, you will also be preparing your body. You will not be taking stimulants to help you ovulate. Instead you will have ovulation suppressed during this cycle so that you do not spontaneously ovulate, this includes oral contraceptives, like your donor. You will be given medications to help build a strong lining (endometrium) in your uterus. This is where the donor eggs will implant.

Once the eggs are retrieved, they will be fertilized with your partner's sperm or donor sperm (whichever you have decided upon). The eggs will be incubated typically for several days before you will take part in the embryo transfer. Typically, any remaining embryos that are not put back into your uterus are frozen and are yours to use at a later time.

Once the embryo transfer or return is done, you begin the two-week waiting period to see if the pregnancy takes hold. Waiting for the pregnancy test is difficult. You will be taking daily progesterone to supplement your body to support the pregnancy. This will continue until your reproductive specialist tells you to stop, usually until you are about twelve weeks pregnant.

Cycle synchronization is a vital element to your egg donation. Talk to your doctor or fertility team if you have any questions about how it will be done. This can be a very exciting time, but it can also be a time of worry. You have to leave the control of the stimulation medications to the egg donor that you may or may not have contact with. Take heart in the fact that many of the egg donors who are anonymous have done this before. The egg donor is also given all the tools she will need for a successful cycle.