Egg donor clinic recommendations/ success stories?

[TheGlitterFairy]

Hi, after an unsuccessful 4th round of IVF - cancelled over the weekend due to my low ovarian reserve/ poor response, DH and I are looking to move to DE.

I’ve been scouring the boards looking for info on the best places to go, and know that anonymous donor vs non anonymous is probably the starting point for the discussion but I’d be grateful if anyone could share their story and/ or if anyone would be able to recommend the clinic they used?

I’ve seen lots written about IVI Spain/ Alicante and clinics in Cyprus too - and have been looking at egg donation friends. Equally, my clinic in London offer this too so lots of info but great to hear from others.

Thanks in advance!

@Wishywashy12 where in the UK are you? I’m with one of The Fertility Partnership clinics (Nurture Fertility in Nottingham). They match you with either altruistic or egg sharing donors. We’ve been matched with an altruistic donor and will share the eggs with another recipient. You can choose to get all the eggs if you prefer, might just take longer to match.
We were given an estimate of 3 months when we joined the waiting list in March, but with Covid it actually took 8 months.
We’ll be doing a fresh transfer in December once all cycles are sync’d with the donor.

The donor is anonymous but by law in the UK the child can find out their details when they turn 18.

I’ve also heard Care are good, and they have a database of frozen eggs ready to go.

Hope this helps.

Hi @zelda81. Thanks for your reply. I’m down south but thanks that’s really helpful. We’d begun to look at Altrui, Create and Care but hadn’t seen the Fertility Partnership. Do they have southern based clinics as well? Good luck with your transfer, hope it all goes well for you.

Hi @Wishywashy12 welcome to the thread! We opted for Altrui but also looked at the egg bank at CRGH - but I think quite a few of the donors that now have eggs frozen there are from Eastern Europe and we thought they may be less traceable in the future if the child wanted to seek them out, so went with Altrui in the end and we (I) was matched to a wonderful donor. It took a few months to be matched and then quite a number of months for her to do the treatment round. The beauty of an egg bank of course if that they're already there waiting for you!

@zelda81 how's your treatment going? I hope all well?

@Tryingtofigurethingsout hope you and baby are still doing well too. All fingers crossed for a smooth birth for you.

News here - we found out earlier in the week that the transfer has WORKED and I'm officially pregnant! Seems very surreal writing that down and I think I'm still in shock, as is DH! Trying to enjoy the moment rather than worry about all the things that may or may not happen and are very excited that after all this time, we're out of the starting blocks!

I'm on all the various meds for a while yet and have a scan booked on 7th Dec to check all is ok - fingers are firmly crossed!!!

Wow @TheGlitterFairy that’s amazing news. Huge congratulations! Really exciting. I’m thrilled for you. x

So far so good with our cycle. I had my down reg scan on Tuesday and that went well. The donor has hers on Tuesday next week so I should then be starting Progynova next Thursday.
It’s looking like my TWW will be over Xmas and new year, which makes me a little anxious as we’ve not told our families about this cycle yet.

Thanks @zelda81 !! Still feels very surreal and now I have to stop myself from reading lots of horror stories and just concentrate on being positive!

Great news on your cycle - all sounds as though it's going well! Is this your first cycle with a donor? The ladies who are donors amaze me - such an incredible thing to do for a stranger - it blows my mind! Will you let your family in on the cycle info do you think or trying to keep it quiet for now?

@TheGlitterFairy at this rate we might have to tell them as I’ll be on the TWW over Xmas. Our donor hasn’t had a bleed yet so her down reg scan has been delayed until next week, so we’re estimating embryo transfer will be sometime between 18th and 23rd December. Going to hold off telling them until we really have to though. I don’t feel like answering loads of questions from them at this stage.

Hi @TheGlitterFairy, sorry for radio silence from me. So delighted to hear that you're pregnant, especially after your long wait, what fantastic news! How are you feeling? The big news from me is that our little girl turned up somewhat earlier than planned! After the polyhydramnios I mentioned previously, my waters then broke at 34 wks, although I didn't go into labour at that point. At 37 wks, I went into hospital to be induced, but after two days of trying, that didn't work ... little one was obviously tucked up too comfortably inside. So, in the end, she was delivered by c-section, and I'm happy to say that she seems very healthy and well. Not sure where the last couple of weeks have gone! We are currently enjoying settling together at home as a family of three. She is totally gorgeous and our absolute world ❤️.

@zelda81 and @Wishywashy12, hello and welcome to the thread. I wish you both the best of luck in your journeys. In answer to the question about clinics, we went with BCRM in Bristol, who were absolutely amazing and very supportive. They use egg-sharing donors for NHS patients and altruistic donors for private patients. We were the latter, and didn't have a very long wait at all. Went on the list at the end of Nov 2019, found our donor in Jan 20, who began treatment straight away, and I had embryo transfer in Mar 20, days before all the covid madness hit!

A huge congratulations @Tryingtofigurethingsout !!! WOW! Wonderful news on the birth of your daughter! So very very exciting to hear that she's here now and you're both safe and well! What a year it's been!! I'm sure it's just amazing to have her here and it's so fantastic to hear that sometimes, good things do happen!!

Thanks on our news too! I still feel as though I'm in a state of shock and very much counting down to monday's scan - in addition to hoping and praying that everything is as it should be! 6 more sleeps to go and I think I'll be a nervous wreck by that point!! I'm not feeling too bad thanks - tired and bloated and have sore boobs. I've had a couple of waves of nausea over the last week - nothing horrendous, to the point I wondered if I was imagining it! Trying to concentrate on work and failing massively LOL!!! Thankfully I've only another couple of weeks before a break over Christmas and New Year!!

I wish you well for a wonderful Christmas and New Year too and hope that you're recovering well after your c section! Really thrilled to hear your news - it gives me hope of a happy ending!!!

@zelda81 I hope that your donor has been able to progress with her cycle and you can get going too!! The waiting around for things is hard.

Thanks @TheGlitterFairy things are moving on finally. Our donor had her down reg scan today and I start on Progynova tomorrow. Not sure I’m prepared for the hormones at this time of year but we will cope I’m sure...
Pleased to hear things are going well with you too. Hope the scan comes around quickly.

Thanks @TheGlitterFairy for your message. Exciting to hear your news, good luck for the scan. Hi @tryingtofigurethingsout. We’re thinking we may go back to Barcelona in the new year. Little scary with COVID but having had our first child through there it feels unfair to consider different options now. You can’t get donor details in Spain, so whether that’s good or bad I feel I should be consistent.

Hi @zelda81 and @Wishywashy12 just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing? I hope you’ve been able to move forward with treatment given the restrictions in place again.

All ok here still - I’m 12+5 today and have the 12 week scan later which I’m excited and nervous about! 7 week and 9 week scans went well and all looked as through should but think I’ll feel like this for as far as we reach!!

Hope all is well with you @Tryingtofigurethingsout and your little girl is settling in well with you all!!!

Hi @TheGlitterFairy (and everyone). Sorry I've been awol ... turns out having a baby keeps you quite busy . We're all well, thanks. Can't believe our little girl is two months old already! Both the longest and shortest two months of my life, I think . She's reached a really gorgeous stage of being smiley and playful, as well as starting to coo and gurgle a lot, which is absolutely lovely to see and hear. So pleased things are progressing well for you Glitter ... I certainly found things got a lot less stressful after successfully making it through that first trimester, so I hope that will be the same for you. Good luck to everyone else on their various journeys too: keeping my fingers crossed for you all!

Hi @TheGlitterFairy
Thanks for the message. We’re still hanging on for Barcelona but hard to see when we might get there at this rate. I’ll have to decide soon if we give up on that idea and choose a uk clinic. So glad things are progressing for you and hope the scan goes ok.

Hi @TheGlitterFairy
Well lots been happening here. We had our transfer on 23rd December. By some miracle it worked and we are 6 weeks pregnant today!
This week has mostly been filled with nerves and anxiety, our 7 week scan is still a week away and I’m dreading it. I’ve feel nauseous and tired all the time, but I also had those symptoms back in 2017 when I had a missed miscarriage.
I’m trying to stay positive and really hoping we get good news on Friday. xx

Hello ladies,
I've read all through the thread and it all sound encouraging.
I'm late to the party but we're at the DE stage in our fertility journey. For various reasons, speed is of the essence with us.
I have big worries about going the Spanish route as I worry about cutting off the opportunity for our future child to get more information on their genetics. DP is all in favour of going to Spain due to the speed element and also the reduced cost I need to do more research but thinking Portugal may be a good option due to them having similar rules about doner conceived children having access to information as an adult but shorter waiting lists. I've yet to look into cost.

We have an appointment with our clinic in a few weeks to discuss things and make a decision.

Welcome @CrazylazyJane
The thing to consider about treatment abroad right now is the Covid travel restrictions. I know people who have had treatment cancelled because they’ve not been able to get there.
I wouldn’t worry too much about information on genetics etc in relation to going abroad. You’ll probably find other brits also go abroad for treatment and if your child looks into it in the future they may well identify siblings in the UK.
It’s worth following definingmum on Instagram. She used a donor in the Czech Republic I believe.

I actually worry the opposite because we used a local clinic and I am concerned about the risk of our child inadvertently meeting/ dating a sibling in the future! We shared our donor’s eggs with another recipient so there’s a good chance another lady living near us will also be pregnant right now with a sibling to our child.

I’ve a child through double donation in Czech Republic and happy to answer any questions that might be of use.

Hi all, a friend of mine is now in Prague for DE and I went there myself for IVF. It looks the covid situation gets much beter over there, the cases numbers decrease. The price is low-egg donor package about £5- 6K.
The donors are non-identifyable.
@zelda81 - I know definingmum :-) she actually went to the same clinic I did

Hi everyone - just checking in to see how everyone is?

@Tryingtofigurethingsout am sure you'll well into the swing of things now with your daughter! Hope you're both well!

@Wishywashy12 did you manage to get to Barcelona or opt for a UK clinic instead? Hope you've been able to continue with your treatment one way or another.

@zelda81 how're things going for you? I hope all worked out well?

Welcome @CrazylazyJane sounds as though there's a few considerations to work through so hope that's going ok! We considered an overseas option to but then decided we'd stick to the UK for the reasons you outlined.

Here - we're doing ok and I'm now at just over 25weeks so we're getting there slowly! Still taking each day as it comes really and i'm constantly amazed that I'm pg and actually having a baby! Seems very surreal still, despite the bump I have now! The pregnancy has for the most part been fine, though a couple of UTIs earlier on but fingers crossed that seems to have settled now. I'm under consultant care and the next check is at 28 weeks so not too long to wait. We had a private scan at the weekend so DH could attend which was fantastic though aby was being stubborn and took a while to get a good pic!!

Hope everyone is well!

Hi @TheGlitterFairy,
Thanks for the message. So glad you’re progressing well! That’s great news. We’ve decided to go for a uk clinic as getting to Barcelona doesn’t feel an option this year. First appt is imminent!
Hope everyone else is doing ok

Hi all I'm trying to find a new frozen donor egg clinic in London after very disappointing results from a batch of donor eggs. Care have said I need to wait four months to go back on the register. I see London Egg Bank have no waiting list though something tells me their service will be extremely expensive. Can anyone give pointers?

Hi @TheGlitterFairy, so glad all is progressing well with your pregnancy. I'm very familiar with how surreal it can feel when you've waited so long for this ... and that doesn't go once baby arrives either! Can't believe our gorgeous girl is almost six months now. And it's so nice now that restrictions are starting to be eased and actual in-person baby groups are starting back up.

@NLBerry I don't know anything about frozen donor eggs, I'm afraid, but we went with BCRM in Bristol for our egg donor and IVF treatment and it was very quick: on the waiting list at the end of Nov 19, donor found in Jan 20, embryo transfer in Mar 20.

Hope everyone else is well!

Hi all, I was wondering if I could get some more information about Altrui @TheGlitterFairy

What kind of information do you get about the donor - do you know if they have children already / how many times they donate
Did you get many embryos from the egg collection?

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on donor conception and interacting with a lot of accounts on Instagram and the number one thing seems to be known donor as otherwise the children can experience a lot of heartache so I definitely wouldn’t do it unless the child could trace the donor. Another thing was that the children can find large numbers of half siblings stressful - I know this is less likely to be the case with egg donation as it’s a difficult process to go through but wondering if they give you any information on that too.

I’m following this thread with interest - I had my first appoint at a Nurture clinic yesterday, to donate eggs :) I’ve another appointment to be booked in for blood tests, but the scan yesterday got me really excited!

I hadn’t thought about half siblings much until I started reading this thread. Zelda raised a good point!

@TakeMeToKernow can I ask why you decided to donate out of interest?