The Medical Cycle

At the beginning of the medical cycle the doctor’s office will send your you and coordinator your/your surrogate's medical calendar and your donor’s medical calendar. The medical cycle takes about 4 to 6 weeks. The doctor will first have you/your surrogate and your donor take a round of birth control pills to synchronize the two menstrual cycles. Your/your surrogate's cycle will begin a few days after the donor’s. Approximately 2-3 weeks after that, your/your surrogate's medical cycle goes in two different directions -- one for the donor, and the other for you or your surrogate.

Your donor will begin taking hormones (to suppress her natural ovulation) and injections (to increase her follicle stimulation). A successful retrieval results in anywhere from 10-20 eggs. The retrieval is an outpatient procedure that typically lasts from 10-30 minutes. Your donor receives a light anesthetic and the eggs are retrieved through an ultrasound-guided needle. After the retrieval your donor will be required to rest for the remainder of the day and possibly the following day. It can take as long as two weeks for the donor to feel completely normal (this varies and can take as little as a day).

You or your surrogate will be taking daily hormone injections that will prepare your/your surrogate's uterus as well as the rest of your/her body for the implantation of the embryo(s). On the third or fifth day after the egg retrieval (during which time the eggs will be fertilized and checked for viability), the doctor will transfer the embryo(s) into your or your surrogate's uterus. This is typically done without general anesthesia, and only takes a few minutes. You or your surrogate will most likely be required to have bed rest for one to three days following the transfer and then must follow your doctor’s instructions carefully. Approximately 10-14 days later, you or your surrogate will take a pregnancy test to determine if the transfer has been successful.

It is important to remember that every cycle is different and that each doctor has her or her own procedure. BHED is proud to work with some of the world’s leading reproductive endocrinologists and we are happy to help ensure the success of this procedure for both you and the donor.  As always, we are here to help you through every aspect of the process!