Thoughts about donating eggs in order to pay for IVF???

HopingForMyFirstBaby · January 2011

I saw this idea on someone's post a couple of weeks ago and thought it was a great idea. I checked into it and my RE's office has an egg donor program, my nurse at the office is actually the one in charge of screening potential donors. She said that everything in my charts looked good and to go ahead and fill out the application form (which is crazy in-depth!) and send it in. They are paying $4000 per egg (or cycle, I think maybe cycle) donation and she said I'd be able to donate up to a few times a year.

My thought is this: I would hate to donate a bunch of my eggs in order to pay for the IVF that we need and by the time we can afford the procedure, some how I now have problems too. I know the procedure is simple to retrieve the eggs (relatively) but I'm worried about it as well as all the drugs that I would need to take along with it.

So I guess what I'm saying is- does anyone know if your chances of being able to "give healthy eggs" diminishes if you do it several times? Is this a good idea or not? I feel like if it was a really good idea everyone would be doing it who was dealing with male factor IF. Am I missing something here?

epphd · January 2011

Do you mind if an SAIFer replies? If so, I'll delete. Otherwise I'll respond

Edwina.McDunnough · January 2011

As a donor you have a maximum of 6 cycles you can participate. It may take months (or never) for you to be chosen for a fresh cycle, this is assuming you pass the screening. Frozen egg donation is another option as is splitting a cycle with another patient.

From what I understand, DE is not a quick moneymaking tactic, and my clinic really discourages this perspective.

HopingForMyFirstBaby · January 2011

SAIF welcome!

I understand that egg donation isn't a quick process, otherwise they wouldn't be paying out so much. Even if I can only do one cycle that is $4000 closer to my goal than I was beforehand. Assumming that I DO pass the application (I understand that I might not) and I am asked to participate, are there any health risks that I need to think about?

Why did your RE discourage it?

epphd · January 2011

Hoping - one thing to consider is that while your diagnosis is MF, it is still possible that there are additional problems with your eggs. On paper, I made an ideal egg producing machine. I stimmed easily on low levels of meds, produced as many as 30 eggs per retrieval, and had great AFCs and regular cycles. Yet, we still needed an egg donor to conceive. Ironically, when I was a post doc I considered being an egg donor for the money. And honestly, I probably could have. And unknowingly, I could have both learned of our own infertility but also ruined the hopes of another infertile couple.

So, IMO, it's too risky as part of an infertile couple to donate. If your clinic is game -that's one thing. But as someone who used donor eggs, I'd probably not choose a donor with your history, unless you had demonstrated fertility (previous pregnancies) with another partner. I'm sorry

The only potential downside I can think of for you is that it's exposure to more meds, and a delay until you can start cycling. That alone is something to consider, although the money is tempting.

Anyway, I'm sorry to be so negative and I do wish you the best.

love2b_mrst · January 2011

I would think if you want to do IVF for yourself as well you would be better off looking into a split donor cycle. You are matched up with another couple and they get half of your eggs for their IVF, and you get half for your own. At my clinic, this cut the cost in half.

HopingForMyFirstBaby · January 2011

EPPHD-

Thank you for being frank with me, I appreciate your post

Did you ever figure out what was wrong with your eggs or was your infertility ever understood? And did you have MFI as well?

I am at the very beginning of our journey and since we just found out about my DH's problems we haven't had the chance to get me looked into throughly yet. I've heard that a third of the time IF is actually caused by both partners so I can see your concern. I plan on getting the full workup as soon as I can afford it (for our own good) and I would assume that before they accepted me as a donor they would require that sort of testing don't you think?

As fas as previous pregnancies, we haven't had one because my DH has been my only sexual partner. That being said, I still understand why someone would choose to use a donor's eggs that has concieved before.

As far as having to wait until we can start IVF that's not really a problem because I have time, I just don't have the money The exposure to all the meds definitely frightens me.

Thanks for your support

HopingForMyFirstBaby · January 2011

LOVETOBE-

I've never heard of this before, very interesting. That sounds like ti would work really well, I'll definitely ask my RE about this split cycle donor cycle! Thanks!

njohnson1972 · January 2011

HopingForMyFirstBaby:
LOVETOBE-
I've never heard of this before, very interesting. That sounds like ti would work really well, I'll definitely ask my RE about this split cycle donor cycle! Thanks!

There is an RE that does a split donor cycle - you give up half your eggs and do a complete IVF cycle at the same time. I think it runs under $4,000 plus meds. I don't know anything about that RE - good or bad.

What about the emotional part - if you did a shared cycle and the other couple got a BFP with your eggs, but you got a BFN, how would handle that?

epphd · January 2011

Hoping - no, never did diagnose our IF. DH seemed fine, but our problem was that when sperm met egg, all embryos died. We never had a good looking embryo, even at day 3. Even though we'd have 10-15 embryos at a time, we even had a transfer canceled due to all embryos dying. After 4 IVFs with my eggs at two great clinics, we switched to donor eggs and conceived our son.

This pregnancy, however, was a total and utter shock - but I firmly believe the only reason I got pregnant was because I was pregnant before. We could have done IVF with my eggs until I ran out and it still would not have worked.

The split cycle idea sounds possibly ideal for you, but njohnson brings up a really good point. Best of luck to you.

Want a personalized experience?

Thoughts about donating eggs in order to pay for IVF???

Re: Thoughts about donating eggs in order to pay for IVF???

Choose Another Board

Search Boards