Egg Sharing

You’ll be invited to the clinic for a fertility assessment with one of our consultants. This involves a blood test for AMH, semen analysis (if needed) a scan and a doctor consultation to review your result and medical information for you and your partner (if applicable). This will help assess your current fertility health and your suitability for egg sharing.

If suitable, an initial consultation with our coordinator will be offered. This coordinator will explain the regulations of egg donation in the UK, and how it works, and will set up your treatment plan.

After being accepted to the egg-sharing programme, your coordinator will talk you through a number of consent forms, go through the medication that you’ll need for the cycle and arrange for our counsellor to make sure you fully understand the implications of the programme.

From the beginning of your menstrual cycle, our egg donation team will guide you throughout the process. They will also schedule scan appointments to monitor your response to the stimulation medication you receive over two weeks. During this time, you will need approximately three to four scans to track your progress and adjust your medication as necessary.

Once scans show that you’re ready, we’ll collect your eggs in a safe and painless procedure that takes about 30 minutes. 

After collecting the eggs, they will be fertilized with the sperm of your partner or donor. The remaining eggs will be donated to London Egg Bank and frozen for patients who need fertility treatment with donor eggs.

Following egg collection, an embryologist will discuss with you the fertilization of your eggs and the number of embryos that have developed. Embryos are typically cultured in the lab for five to six days after egg collection until they reach the blastocyst stage. Based on your treatment plan, the embryologist will either freeze all your embryos for a Frozen Embryo Transfer in a subsequent cycle or inform you about the timing of your fresh embryo transfer.

Thawed embryos can be transferred in a natural cycle (without medications) or in a cycle prepared with hormone supplements. Your fertility specialist will discuss with you the most suitable treatment based on your medical history and age.

Typically, a fresh embryo transfer occurs five to six days after egg collection when the embryo has developed into a blastocyst.

Nowadays, to reduce the chances of multiple pregnancies, most women undergo a single embryo transfer. The procedure involves inserting a speculum into the vagina (similar to a smear test) and placing a catheter containing the embryo into the uterus.

Following embryo transfer, there is a 12- to 14-day waiting period to determine the success of your treatment. This two-week interval is often challenging, causing anxiety about the treatment's outcome for most women and couples. The London Egg Bank provides support calls throughout the treatment process.

In case of a positive pregnancy test, you need to contact the clinic to book an early pregnancy scan. If, unfortunately, the treatment is unsuccessful, a review consultation will be arranged to discuss the cycle and explore any potential next steps. Counseling and support will be available during this period if needed.