Cycle question after egg retrieval

needanustart

My apologies in advance for probably asking this on the wrong board, I just wasn't sure where I would find women who have experienced egg retrieval before and may have been charting their cycles. My story is I donated my eggs 6 years ago to an anonymous couple and I have a 19 month old son of my own. The recipient couple from 6 years ago requested a sibling cycle and I donated for them again in June. My husband and I really wanted to start trying for #2 (our own sibling cycle I guess you could say!) around then but I put it off for a few months because although I don't know the couple I really wanted them to have a biological sibling and was truly thrilled they were successful the first time. So now I am 3 cycles post egg retrieval and they have been longer than usual (35-39 days, was always 28 pre donating) and I started charting last month and I don't think I am ovulating. I was wondering if anyone on this board had experience with an egg retrieval and then having anovulatory cycles. Again I am very sorry if this is the wrong place, but as you can imagine I don't exactly have a glut of donor egg friends who are trying to conceive immediately after donating. Or really anyone I know who has experienced an egg retrieval. I also would prefer not to contact and ask questions at the center where I donated as it is really the recipient's doctor and I would like to keep as much privacy and distance as possible. Thanks in advance for any input!   

EMNTOM

Your question is perfectly welcome here
I think it is amazing that you have donated your eggs!

Yes, it is normal to have 'wonky' cycles after an ER cycle. Your were on many hormones and sometimes it just takes a little bit to get back to normal.

GL on baby#2

Mrs.McIrish

 Hello,

I am about to start my first DE cycle so I just wanted to say thanks for being a donor. You have no idea what how special you are for your recipient! The donors are our angels:-)

On to your question: my cycles are always longer for a few months following an ER. It think it is just the residual meds in our sytems.  I always O a lot later than normal, making the entire cycle longer.  It think you are doing the right thing to chart your cycle. You can always get a progesterone test to see if it is in the Post-O range or if you are actually annovulatory. GL:-!

Edwina.McDunnough

Ditto emntom. We are cycling with DE and I can't begin to express the gratitude I have for donors especially considering the time and emotional commitment donating eggs involves.

Those meds very often effect subsequent cycles, particularly producing delayed ovulation. So it's not uncommon to have longer cycles following IVF. That being said, anyone can have anovulatory cycles, and charting is the best (inexpensive) way to get a peek under the hood. If you have more pressing concerns you may try to find out if the clinic you donated to will run some tests for you. I know that we pay for insurance for the donor for the duration of the cycle and if there are complications, so this may be under that umbrella. In any case, even your GYN can run a progesterone test to confirm that you ovulated. Good luck!

 

needanustart

Thank you ladies for your kind words! I never got any kind of message or vibe through the grapevine of doctors from my recipients (except 'we want a sibling' obviously!) so if you ever have the chance to pass along a thank you to your donors I know it would be really appreciated. Not that I was expecting anything, it's just always nice to know you're appreciated, especially when you are extremely hormonal and have ovaries the size of maracas

I will keep charting and if things still look funny after next month call my obgyn and maybe check in with the clinic if they could just as easily run a progesterone test on me. I am probably just being impatient because I thought karma would be like, "Oh you made someone else a baby? Bing! Here's yours now!" because that's how science works, right? 

Best of luck to everyone on their baby journeys!