Egg Donation

[Mezzanine]

Hi there, just trying to get some information from anyone else who has either experienced egg donation or is still thinking about it. I am 43 and have finally accepted that I am never going to conceive naturally. I was told 2 years ago that I was going to experience an early menopause. I had never realised until that moment how much I had wanted to have a baby and now that chance was going to be taken away from me. Myself and my partner started trying immediately to conceive naturally, whilst at the same time I started having very expensive tests and consultations at Hammersmith for IVF. I was finally told that I did not have enough healthy eggs so my only route would be egg donation abroad. I contacted the clinic, sent them the blood tests and whilst waiting for an appointment, in January 2010 I found out that I had conceived naturally and I was 5 weeks pregnant! We were both ecstatic but at 7 weeks was told that the baby hadnt formed and I would miscarry shortly. I was devastated and as we had kept the pregnancy a secret, I couldnt discuss it with anyone else but my partner. We started trying again afterwards but went back to my GP in August who suggested one last try of stiumulating my ovaries in case I was not ovulating each month. I tried clomid but the blood test showed that I had not ovulated that month so have been advised that egg donation is now my only choice. I now have an appointment on the 5th November in Spain. Has anyone else tried this. I really do not know what to expect. I have been told that after this first appointment I will have to wait for a donor to be located who matches my characteristics. I will be told the day before the eggs are removed and I then have 2 days to get to Spain and may have to stay there for 2 - 6 days. I really dont know how this will work with my employers - I work in a school and I can only take time off during school holidays. Also the cost element is a big worry. Im sorry that I have gone on a bit but just wanted to put all my thoughts down on as I have not told any friends or family what I am going through. I just dont want that extra pressure. Thank you x

 

[urchin]

Hi Mezzanine

I'm pretty much in the same boat - FSH level of 23, AHM of around 3 .... so very few of my own eggs left. My consultant told me the IVF with my own eggs would give me less than a 5% chance of taking home a baby.....as I'm now 41, I am too old for NHS funding so we have to fund ourselves.

We are on the waiting list for donor eggs at our NHS clinic, but it is 3 years long . We have also applied to the Care clinic in Northampton - which has a 6-10 month waiting list! and it only costs about £500 more. Our initial appointment is on Friday and after that we will be on the waiting list.
They have 4 UK clinics - might be worth you having a look (possibly easier for you to organise around work than a clinic in Spain?)

Oh, and I'm also a teacher trying to fit this all round college holidays...and I miscarried my one and only baby at 10 weeks this time last year.
Feels like your situation is uncannily familiar xx

 

[Mezzanine]

HI Urchin, thanks for your reply. Our stories are very similar. My FSH level is so low. I hadnt heard about the Care Clinic. My consultant at Hammersmith told me my only option was to go abroad as there were not enough donor eggs in the UK as there wasnt the same level of annominity for the donor in the UK, which prevented women donating eggs here. I just didnt think it was possible here. Its great that you have an appointment - did it take you long to get an appointment with them. Can I contact them direct, or does it have to go through my consultant. Thank you xx

 

[urchin]

I'll pm you xx

 

[glitterqueen]

hey ladies
just to say i am considering donor eggs in care sheffield i will be 42 in dec one m/c this year and one failed ivf which was downgraded to iui so i am also in the same boat and would love some support from ladies in similar situation. fs is sending me all the info but do you know what happens regarding name on birth certificate i had read that its the donor name but surely that isn't right? do you know?

 

[urchin]

Hi Glitterqueen ... I'm just back from my appointment in Northampton. The donor coordinator there told me that the names on the birth certificate would be mine and my partner's

 

[glitterqueen]

thankds urchin
hope it all went well x
my amh is 7.5 fsh 9,6 after a lot of soul searching this weekend we are going to try one more time with ivf and if doesn.t work its egg donation for us. if i picked up my doc correctly he said we can register on the waiting list while we are trying ivf. hope that is right
good luck xx

 

[Mezzanine]

HI Ladies. HI Urchin - I am glad your appointment in Northampton went ok in Friday. Did they advise how long the waiting list is.

Hi Glitterqueen - all the very best for your next IVF. I had asked my consultant about that but he said it was not an option for me. We should keep in touch to let each other know how we are getting on. Its good to get support from others, as we are keeping this a secret from our family and friends. xxx

 

[Mezzanine]

I had my appointment in Spain and feel very positive after it. I am very fair, blond with blue eyes but they have told me that I will only have to wait 3 months for a suitable donor to be found. All the donors they use are university students wanting to earn some money - they dont use egg sharing as an option. As I work in a school, I gave them dates when I could get over to Spain again and it looks like this will be in February. They only insert two eggs - does anyone know if this is the best number. They said that the ideal number is 1 egg but I can choose to have 2 - which is what myself and OH have agreed to do. Since coming back I have looked at past results and my FSH level in June was over 80 - is that very high? The consultant told me that any number over 10 was going to prove difficult to conceive. I have now been told to wait until my next period to start taking Progynova, in order for the endometrium to thicken (its very thin at the moment). I am now concerned that my periods may have stopped, I have been told that I am going to experience an early menopause. My last period was on the 22nd September and before that it was the 31st July so I am just praying with every ounce of strength I have that I will have another period. Is anyone else going through this - need all the advice I can get. xxx

 

[urchin]

Hi Chick, FSH over 80 is very high - mine is 23 and that is considered too high to attempt IVF with my own eggs.

The waiting list in Northampton is 6-10 months (depending on whether either of us tests positive for a irus that I've forgotted the name of!)

 

[glitterqueen]

hey ladies
just been told by the clinic that i can't go on the waiting list until i have had my try with my own eggs in march which we have planned and also can't go on the list until we have the councelling which is a pain as we have to travel to the mainland to have it-more money!!
so thats 11 months from march not now-really pissed off every where i turn its a big fat no- anyone els given it one last go with their own eggs while on the waiting list- i feel i am being punished for just wanting to hurry the whole thing up while on the waiting list why does it have to be a choice? I will love it either way donor or my own egg i am just fed up with waiting

 

[padbrat]

wow.... other ladies in the same boat as me...I am 38 and due to undiagnosed thyroid problems only conceived after 4 years of trying... I have now lost 4 babies at about 11 weeks and am too old for NHS IVF. In addition after seeing many consultants they now believe my translocated chromosme may also be an issue for the lack of fertility and recurrent m/c's. My progesterone at 23 days was 25 so I have been told I am still ovulating, however, my eggs are duff and my Hubby's sperm, although good progression and mobility is at the low level of normal. I have now been told egg donation is the only chance for us... and that my Sister is the best donor. She has agreed...

I have just been referred to the Lister Hospital in London... and I am worried as my Sis turned 36 this month...my Hubby refuses to go abroad so it is my Sis or nothing...

Any advice/experiences would be welcome!

 

[Mezzanine]

Hi Ladies, I have not logged onto the site for a while. I have now been on two courses of cycloprogynova - 1st period was on 4th January and I started again last night - so delighted. I know that they are not real periods and only made possible by cycloprogynova but it just means that I am moving forward. I had to email the clinic in Spain when my period started and they confirmed today that I now had to start a course of progynova tablets and book myself in for an ultrasound test in about 2 weeks when they can check the thickness of the endometrium. They also confirmed that they have found a suitable donor for me!!! Myself and OH are so excited now. As the egg donation can only take place during school hols, it looks like half term in February will be too soon, but it looks like a trip to Madrid around Easter time is likely. I cant think of anything else.

Has anyone already experienced egg donation. Im not sure what to expect over the next few months