Fertility Blog

At a glance → Egg donors at Illume must be 21–32, have a BMI between 19–29, and live within 90 minutes of Norwalk, CT → From matching to egg retrieval, the full egg donation process usually takes about 6–11 weeks → Screening takes about 4–8 weeks and includes medical exams, genetic testing, infectious disease testing, and a psychological evaluation → The donation cycle itself takes about 2–3 weeks and includes 5–8 monitoring appointments at our Connecticut clinic → Donors receive $15,000 per completed donation cycle, with compensation provided after egg retrieval Becoming an egg donor is a meaningful decision that can help another person or couple build the family they’ve been hoping for. This guide from Illume's donor team explains what to know before you apply, including details about eligibility, screening, and the donation process.

You're finally ready to take the next big step on your IVF journey - egg retrieval and embryo creation. This is an exciting stage, but can also feel disheartening as you receive daily reports of your dwindling egg or embryo count. Is this normal? And what is the IVF attrition rate?

As you prepare for your IVF egg retrieval, you may be wondering: What kind of sedation or anesthesia will be used for my egg retrieval? What measures are in place to ensure I remain comfortable? Get answers to all these questions and more, straight from an experienced surgeon at a fertility clinic.

You’ve finally made it to your egg retrieval! As you prepare for this big milestone, let's walk through the biggest side effects of IVF egg retrieval - what to expect, what symptoms to look out for, how to spot OHSS, and what comes next on your fertility journey.

Some Ask Monica episodes may contain references to our previous name, RMA of CT. Learn more here.

If IVF was a movie, the medications would be the villainous sidekicks. Not the menacing bad guy, but all the annoying, unwanted plot points along the way. Even when you know they're essential to the journey, you still wish you could skip to the end without encountering them.

Fertility treatments are considered very safe, but all medical procedures carry some risk of potential side effects. With in vitro fertilization (IVF), each stage of the process can bring on a unique set of symptoms. Here's what IVF side effects you can expect throughout your journey.

As a nurse at Illume Fertility who has also been a patient here, I know how daunting fertility treatment can be. One of the big milestones in IVF is egg retrieval day - let's talk about what to expect before, during, and after your procedure so you feel as prepared as possible!