The All Things Donor Conception Thread

[foxinorangesocks]

Thought I'd start an ongoing thread for all mnetters that are having, thinking about having or have had treatment using donor eggs or sperm or who are considering/have been a donor. Come and talk about all stages of using or being a donor, from exploring the idea of donor conception and pursuing treatment (or not) to parenting donor conceived children or being a donor- all in a supportive and encouraging space. Whilst I say All Things - this is NOT meant to be a thread for expressing concerns over the ethics/morals of donor conception in negative/forceful/hurtful ways. Please start a thread elsewhere for this.

Embryo Adoption: Required testing
Both members of the couple must have had the following tests done within the last year:
· HIV Antibody
· HBV (Hepatitis B surface Ag, HBs Ag)
· HCV (Hepatitis C Antibody)
· RPR/TPHA/LUES (Syphilis)
The female partner must have had the following tests done within the last year:
· Smear test
· Mammogram (for patients 40 years of age and above)
Further information required:
· Blood type of both members of the couple
· Digital picture of both members of the couple
· Photocopy of passport of both members of the couple
Before starting any IVF treatment, Spanish law requires that:
· Both members of the couple sign the specific Consent form relating to the treatment you have
decided to carry out.

I forgot about the smear - this also has to have been carried out in the last year (Spanish legal requirement)

I will have to book a smear then because I think it's been about 18 months.

We had all those blood tests last September but I think we will be just out of date by the time we managed a cycle.

Right I will get the ball rolling! I will contact my clinic on Monday re the records and the blood tests and will email Spain again if I've heard nothing.
I wonder if we would get a cycle in during October or if that's optimistic.

I really wish it was more freely available over here. Travelling abroad makes it so much more traumatic!

October sounds pretty doable to me, especially with guaranteed 28 day cycles.

I think there are a lot of reasons why donors are not as forthcoming over here, I really do think (from a personal perspective) that the lower age in Spain is a massive plus, and the financial payment and anonymity both really help matters - especially from a donor sperm point of view. I mean, who wants to risk being altruistic enough to JIAJ to help someone in desperate need, only to be hit with a CSA claim in a couple of years?

I've actually never been abroad. I've flown three times in my life, one of which was while I was under two years old, one was a pleasure flight to see the Halle Bop comet and once to go to Ireland for a long weekend. I am a massive worrier and can turn even the most fun event into a major traumatic experience for all concerned but somehow, going over to Spain has made this feel like it is within our grasp for once. We have even decided on a Spanish middle name, should we have a girl (if it is a positive outcome at all of course). Sorry, I'm rambling now!

9dpo/iui today feeling a bit sicky and crampy and if my last diui is to go by my period will arrive on Tuesday so feeling a bit down thinking I'm out.

sorry to hear that juneybean, i'm a little concerned that mine hasn't arrived yet after unsuccessful ivf last month, as i only bled for 2 days and spotted for one afterwards, and i usually bled for 5-7 days, my next period was due friday and nothing is happening so far, so very confused :(

Stick with it juney, far too early to know one way or the other yet.

Sideshow ivf really can play havoc with your cycles for a couple of months, my first one following ivf was always short and light, and my next one late as my body adjusted to normal hormone levels.

Afm, I am now PUPO (pregnant until proven otherwise) and enjoying an afternoon with my feet up. Tomorrow, the holiday starts in earnest :)

Nice one control! How did it all go? Juney I'm hoping for the best outcome for you, it could be implantation cramping?
Sideshow it takes a month or two to settle down. I'm having a mega period ugh. I'll be cycling again in January hopefully. Time for getting my body back to usual and work without ivf stresses.

wow control thats great!!
yes i'm now a day later than i should be, but been craving junk for days, so i know its on its way!!
fox i hope to try again by January privately if i haven't got anywhere with the nhs funding by then , as i should have saved up enough and got a loan in place by then too!!

Thanks fox and sideshow! The clinic were utterly amazing, far superior to anything I have experienced in the uk. They made me feel like I was their only patient, and that the outcome mattered personally to them. I had a private room to get ready in - full gown etc, dp had to gown up too because they said it was important for him to be present. In the transfer theatre, we watched the embryologist prep the embies on a big screen, and the dr made sure I could see the scan monitor and identify what I was looking at. They treated me like a person rather than a piece of meat the whole time. Then I was given a scan photo following transfer and wheeled back to the room where I had to lie down for half an hour. Then the dr came back in, we had a chat and he gave me a folder containing microscope photos of the embies.

Otd is sat 23 in the uk (day 3 embies - my mistake assuming they were day 5, seems they do day 3 freezing as standard).

If this cycle doesn't work, we will come back here in january for another round - looks like january is a popular time for retrying!

Wishing you best of luck control and a very happy holiday x x
Sunshine and relaxation must be good for embryos :-)

hi guys really annoyed i've had my funding request turned down because i'm single!!
stupid idoits i know i'm single, whether i'm in a couple or not i need ivf to conceive!!
need help with next steps everyone please!!
yes i am challenging this i will not be discriminated against!!
sorry rant over!

It's so unfair :( what are we supposed to do? Go out one night and sleep around and possibly transmit a sexually transmitted disease.

What about myself as a single lesbian?

it is unfair that's my issue, even if i slept around i wouldn't get pregnant, as i have low ovarian reserve and barely any eggs!!
utterly pissed off, i'm due on and very late, that's making me double cranky, as now i'm wondering if now i'm pre-menopausal, hormones all over the place!!
just has discrimination all over it!!
yes i can save up or get a loan, but why should i!!
i've paid into the system since i was 17 i deserve just 1 thing back!!

Sideshow I'm sorry your request for funding was turned down. It's horrible seeing it in black and white like that. I think for whatever reason the nhs trust write their policies to exclude people who require donor products wherever possible. My original nhs twunty consultant told me it didn't matter what order I did iui/ivf, the funding was there for me but when I went back to him following failed ivf and requested to do donor iui and that I was prepared to pay personally for the donor part of the costs I was refused. Most trusts are also starting to phase out iui in total, thanks to the revised NICE guidelines.

I've had to email the clinic today because my bbt didn't rise sigmificantly following the start of the progesterone, and I've had a couple of days of spotting and today I'm really crampy and twingey. I'm panicking in case for some reason this cyclogest isn't giving me enough progesterone this time. I have enough with me that I could increase to three a day. Does anyone know anyone who has had to do this before? Normally I get a really strong shift, both naturally and on cyclogest, but on both of my previous ivfs my ovaries had been stimulated rather than shut down so I probably had natural progesterone in my system too. God wjy won't the menkulling ever end?!

Just posted this on the wrong thread...

I think I'm out, temperature dropped and feel periody. Gah! I don't know what to do next. I only have one vial left and if I don't do it now will have to wait til next August.

thanks control, was really angry yesterday, that just because i don't fall into any relationship that i know isn't going to go anywhere, i can't have treatment on the nhs, there's a phone number on the emailed letter thinking about phoning and asking the woman directly or do i need to follow the correct protocol and put everything in writing??
sorry i'm not sure about cyclogest as i had to use them day and night, they release what is needed over 12 hours that's all i know, my consultant said he may use them and patches for me next time, not sure what the patches are for though!!

great news everyone, my gp agreed that we should put in another funding request, as the reply we got back was just a bog standard 'go away', she loved the letter i had already written and wanted 2 things added, also i had typed out a whole list of tests and treatments with dates and places and outcomes, which again she added to, i've typed everything back up again and taken it back to the doctors before it closed, so now another 2 to 4 week wait to see what happens next!!
how is everyone else??

I know it's stupidly early ( 6days past 3day transfer, so effectively 9dpo), so anything could happen. Otd is on Saturday, if I can get a blood test booked with my clinic, otherwise my spanish clinic will accept a pee stick result from the following monday.

Sorry to post and run, on the verge of missing the hotel breakfast window!

Congratulations control!

Did you have two put back? So could be twins? I've just rung them myself to try and get the ball rolling. I'm really hoping they say I don't have to take the estrogen though as I think that might be a show stopper. I'm fairly sure I'd be a high stroke risk. I'm hoping because my periods are so regular I might get away being unmediated.

Anyway great news, bet you're thrilled! X x

Thanks sleeps! Yes, two good ones went in, and I'm trying not to think about the possibility of twins - a line on day 9 could still be from a singleton, right?!

Good luck when you speak to them, I really hope they let you do an unmedicated cycle. Turns out my migraines were weather related if that gives you any hope though? I'm on three progynova a day now and haven't had a single hint of a migraine since coming to Spain.

wow, control my fingers are crossed for you!!
and good luck sleeps too!!
period came and went very fast again!! heavy for a day, medium to light for another day and spotting on the last, making a short 3 day period, never bled like this before, always bled for 5-7 days days and at least half of that heavy and painful!!

Well I got a bfp with my natural pregnancy at 8dpo on an early first response. And he was only a singleton.

Was it an early test? If not then it might be twins!

Sideshow it might take a couple of cycles to settle down, but sometimes the ivf drug regimes can sort out painful periods for longer term. Since my last one in January mine have been very light and painfree.

Sleeps my test was an frer, it's the only type I trust. Fingers crossed for a trouble free singleton :) glad I am not the only one who tests stupidly early!

ahh thanks control, i've been wishing for pain free periods for so long!!

Morning ladies! How is everyone doing?

I got a good strong line on an frer this morning, which made a total mockery of a massive