Using donor eggs - what do I need to know?

[WinterHoliday]

I recently had a fertility check up, hoping to do IVF with donated sperm but discovered that my chances of conceiving using my own eggs are almost impossible. I'm 41 and have endometriosis so I wasn't totally surprised. I've been advised (by the LWC) to consider using donor eggs.

Before my consultation I'd told myself that if it wasn't possible to use my own eggs I'd leave it there. However, now I am considering donor eggs. The clinic advised me to think it over, saying any treatment wouldn't start until January anyway. I've been sent an introductory email from a nurse and will get in touch but I don't know anything about the process so I thought I'd ask on here.

What are the basics that I need to know? Also do I need to track my cycle? I briefly started doing this but gave up when I thought I wouldn't be able to do IVF. Do I need to start taking conception/pregnancy vitamins now? Should I be avoiding multi-vitamins which contain vitamin A? (only asking as I have some at home and wondering whether to take them or not).

Any info on how the process works or experiences from people who have been through this would be much appreciated!

Hi there!

I have a son who is DC, I had treatment when I was 27.

There really is such a huge range of information surrounding the topic! It might be better if you ask some questions and I can do my best to answer? I don’t want to rabbit on for ages about parts that aren’t of interest to you!

As for vitamins etc, it won’t do you any harm to maximise your health now. Live as if you were already pregnant would be my advice! Tracking your cycles may be helpful to your clinic and, seeing as it doesn’t take much effort, you might as well!

Like I say, happy to help anyway I can, just lemme know what you want to know! :)

I’m following this thread with interest as I’m in a similar position although I will be going through the process with my DH (using his sperm).
There doesn’t seem to be as many threads on this subject as on the general IVF board so all information is most welcome!
I would also be very interested in hearing about ladies experiences of fresh vs frozen eggs and any clinics they would recommend.

Hi Egcellent 29, thanks for replying. Glad to hear the process worked for you!

I guess the main things I wanted to know is exactly what the process involves, (I know very little about it) and how long it takes between confirming that I want to go ahead with the treatment and the first attempt?

I actually found tracking my cycle a bit of a faff and kept forgetting to do it at the same time every day but if this is something I'll need to do then I'll have to get used to doing it.

Okay, no problem!

Like @PositiveThinkerAlways says, you can use fresh or frozen. Now I’m a little different here because we did an egg share cycle, where another woman shares the eggs produced from her own IVF cycle.

So for us, the wait was mostly in matching with her. Once we had a match, we had to sync up using the pill, which was a month, then the IVF cycle began and it was about 5/6 weeks until transfer day.

When we did an FET, it was just the medicated 5/6 weeks.

Oh sorry, I’ve totally misunderstood you there! When you said tracking, I thought you meant just making a note of when your periods are! 🙈 that’s all my clinic wanted to know

You may find this thread helpful - myself and some other DC mommas had a good chat and answered some questions a little while ago

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/donor_conception/3950410-Thoughts-about-the-future-with-DE-baby

@Eggcellent29 Thank you for the link to that thread - very helpful.

Hi OP - I've also been there, done that, and got the t-shirt (and, eventually, the baby!)

I've been both a fresh egg share recipient - which involves syncing your cycle with the donor's - and used frozen eggs, in which case the process is very similar to doing a frozen embryo transfer.

Typically, fresh eggs are thought of as better - however (rather to my surprise) I actually eventually had success with frozen eggs. I was also with LWC (although not in London) and, after my second egg-share attempt was unsuccessful they advised that the wait for another donor at that time would be long, whereas using frozen eggs I could cycle again as soon as I wanted, and that their lab statistics for frozen eggs were now really close to those for fresh eggs.

Anything in particular you'd like to know?

Thanks for the response. I think I just need to give this a lot of thought and find as much info as I can about this. It's a huge step and not one I'd considered at all until very recently. Glad to hear you had success though! The thought of going through an egg transfer and it not working is something that is playing on my mind a lot.