There should be a limit

Repeated ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval expose a donor to the risks of treatment more than once. For that reason, established programmes usually set a maximum number of lifetime cycles and review donors after each retrieval.

Why six cycles is often discussed

Oocyt recommends limiting a donor to no more than six stimulated donation cycles. The principle is risk reduction: even when serious complications are uncommon, repeated procedures increase cumulative exposure.

You do not have to reach the maximum

A maximum is not a target. You can donate once and decide that is enough. Your experience, recovery, life circumstances and feelings about donation all matter.

What the clinic should review

Before another cycle, the fertility team should consider how strongly you responded, whether you developed OHSS or another complication, how you recovered, and whether anything in your health or family history has changed.

How long should you wait?

The appropriate interval varies. We recommend three or more natural cycles before stimulating again. Your clinic should give you a clear recovery plan rather than scheduling repeat treatment automatically.

Oocyt perspective

Repeat donation should never feel like an obligation because the first cycle went well. Every cycle requires fresh consent and a fresh safety assessment.