This information was correct at the time of publishing. It may not reflect our current practices.
We know it takes an incredibly selfless person to donate their eggs to an individual or couple who are unable to conceive and give them the chance to start their journey to parenthood. So, when it comes to being an egg donor, we don’t ask you to change your lifestyle. Instead, we ask that you meet our egg donor criteria, and some of the requirements include healthy lifestyle elements like a good diet, no smoking, and limiting your alcohol.
A good diet, no smoking, and limited amounts of alcohol are best for your health in all aspects of life. When it comes to egg donation, the donors we support are already meeting our criteria or are ready to take the necessary steps to reach it.
Below, we explain more on what our criteria is and why we have this in place.
What is our egg program criteria?
Our dedicated donors have to meet the following criteria:
To start looking at what questions we ask in our criteria you can fill in our form to see if you can become an egg donor. Click here.
Manchester Donors also asks that you don’t donate if you’ve had a baby in the last six months, as your body needs to rest. But we’d love for you to keep in contact, and come back further down the line when the time is right for you to give the gift of life.
If you currently use the Mirena coil or implant as your method of contraception, you might need to change this too. But if the stars align and you meet all the above criteria, you can become one of our dedicated donors and make a family’s dream come true.
How these requirements help you, and those you donate to
Being between the ages of 18 and 35 gives the family who receives your eggs the best chance of having a baby.
The same is true of the required BMI range – we ask for it to be between 19 - 32 as this is a healthy BMI range. This is because being overweight can affect your own natural fertility. This means that you might not respond well to the necessary ovarian stimulation that’s needed to ensure you have enough mature eggs to donate; the quality of your eggs may also be affected.
Being unable to donate eggs because of a high BMI doesn’t mean of course that you can’t have children yourself naturally, many women who can’t donate eggs because of a high BMI already have children.
So, although it may seem unfair that you can’t donate, we have to maintain your own health, whilst also ensuring that we have quality donor eggs to offer our patients.
We’re required by the HFEA to check for genetic or hereditary conditions. That’s because families who struggle to conceive would be less likely to have a healthy baby if they were to inherit a medical condition. As for smoking, the consequences of tobacco are well known, and unfortunately, the requirement also extends to e-cigarettes/nicotine patches and gum.
Many inspiring donors have adjusted their daily lives to make others’ dreams a reality. In the past, they’ve found regular exercise and a change in routine has helped them meet the necessary criteria. The NHS also has free guidance and support on healthy weight loss and quitting smoking.
Is there a payment for egg donation?
While there is no direct payment for donating your eggs, you will be compensated for your time. Women who become egg donors will receive £750 for each donation cycle. This covers any expenses for attending each appointment.
What sets us apart at Manchester Donors
Our team has looked after egg donors for over 35 years. In that time, we’ve seen dreams come true and offered counsel to numerous women giving the ultimate gift to people and many families. It’s an immense privilege to support such amazing women, and for this reason, we pride ourselves on having a dedicated team of medical donor experts and an outstanding level of donor centred care.
You’ll receive donor care that is second to none, as well as thorough preliminary checks and expert counselling. Not only are we an award-winning facility, but each member of our team is an expert in their field and fully committed to guiding you on your donor journey.
Why donate with Manchester Donors?
If you’re able to help give an individual or a couple the opportunity to start a family, we’d love to speak to you. Manchester Donors is one of the UK’s most experienced egg donor programmes, and we can answer any questions you may have.You can call our friendly donor team on 0161 300 2734. You can meet our donor team here.
To see our full egg donation process and what it entails please see our egg donation steps page here.
If this is something for you and you do feel ready to take that incredible first step? You can fill in our online form and a member of our donor team will be in touch at a time that suits you.
Helping someone to have a family is incredibly rewarding, which is why so many amazing women decide to donate their eggs. But we understand that resea...
Start your journey to become an egg donor. Give the gift of life today!
