Embryo donor

[Motherinwaiting18]

Could anybody advise me how I go about finding an embryo donor. I have had 4 failed ivf's and I suffer from polycystic ovaries, blocked tubes and endermetreosis. My partner also has a low sperm count. We have used donor sperm but now they are saying there's an issue with my eggs. We have been trying for over 4 years and as my endermetreosis is becoming worse, I don't want it to become too late. I also don't want the reason I can't become a mum be down to the reason of not being able to fund cycles using my eggs if they are never going to be of quality. I work as a teacher every day, and it's becoming harder and harder to do my job knowing I have this incomplete feeling inside.

My sense has always been that is fairly tricky to find donor embryos in the UK and probably much more straightforward to use an egg donor and a sperm donor.

I agree with Persipan. I think people rarely donate embryos. good luck xxx

Actually, thinking about it, going abroad might make it more doable. I believe there are European clinics with embryo donation programmes - although I think they'd be fully anonymous, not ID release, so something to be aware of.

There are donor embryos in the UK. I would suggest you contact the National Gamete Donation Trust for more information on clinics with donor embryos in the UK. www.ngdt.co.uk/
You can also search for clinics on the HFEA website. Yes, it is more unusual to have donated embryos in the UK but not impossible. Do consider that in the UK your child's donors will be able to be identified at 18 - something that can be very important to donor conceived children. If going abroad do consider counselling in the UK and also finding a clinic that gives lots of donor information for your child. Best of luck x

SIL had to go to Easter Europe for her egg donation.

Why don't people donate embryos though?
It's not uncommon to have several left over after fertility treatment is completed and there's only 3 options of what you can do with them long term. From my experience on infertility forums quite a lot of people donate them. Much more so than those who donate sperm in this country anyway (which is almost no one).
But your clinic should be able to advise about getting donor embryos surely?

It's rare to get donor embryos as a lot of clinics only accept them if there's a minimum of 3 good quality blasts which is rare for people to have left over once someone's completed their family, a lot of people just don't feel comfortable donating too so they end up perishing or being donated for training and for those that would donate both partners have to meet the criteria for donation as they would normally so genetic history, age at which the embryos were created and so on so they are few and far between in the UK

My friend was treated at a clinic in Barcelona following 3 failed ivf tries here . Two her own eggs .. one donor which co sent to use was withdrawn at the last minute .
She has 4 year old twins and said the treatment quality was fantastic. Much better than the uk

Is donor egg an option for you?

My eggs were non-existent (AMH of 0.57 - abysmal!)

We tried for over a decade in the UK then on our first attempt at IVI in Alicante we were successful.

If you read the OP her partner has a low sperm count too hence why she is looking for a donor embryo. I'm also an IVI Alicante mummy. Have you tried ICSI OP? A donor egg and your partner's sperm injected into the egg might be an option.

www.nightlight.org/snowflakes-embryo-adoption-donation/embryo-adoption/

There are a lot of people who donate embryos for adoption in the USA because of religious reasons. I don't know if you are willing to travel for treatment, but just putting another resource out there for you.

Good luck.

Hi there, we are currently chatting to two clinics in Czech republic (reprofit and gynem) about embryo donation or adoption. There is quite a bit of info online about both clinic. Embryo adoption is more common in America and Europe. Best of luck x

We have agreed to donate our embryos to a couple should we have any surplus after FET, we were happy to do so.
Some clinics have embryo bank's, just need to find the right one

Hi there @motherinwaiting @kriswithak and others.

Well i know quite a lot about this - partly because i am a know it all and partly because oh lordy lord it has been a journey. You can check the journey out in my profile but anyway, i am about to have an FET of a donor embryo on the 20th in Prague.

So, the simplest way to approach a donor embryo is NOT to look for someone to give you their spare ones to adopt. It is to go for 'double donation' as in - some sperm from a donor and some eggs from a donor - both of whom do not know each other. The downside is it is anonymous and always will be - so your child will not be able to trace their bio origins. The upside is - you can choose characteristics, they are healthy, they make several embryos from the combo which means you can create siblings who share genetic heritage and you don't have to go through the monstrous ordeal of IVF, egg collection no embryos to transfer feel like you will die etc etc.

The success rate is 60% for pregnancy and 40% for a live birth. Happy to answer any questions and to keep you updated.

I'm scared and tired by daring to be a tiny bit hopeful that after 3 years in the system it might finally be my time.

Just to add a clarification here - if you go for double donor in the UK, the donors' identities would be available to any child once they were 18. It's just if you go internationally that it might be completely anonymous (depending on the country).

Yes quite right i forgot to add that in. Thanks @persipan