Just wondering

**marcelsmum** · 19-07-2006 19:28

Hi Everyone-

I am an avid watcher of anything about PG and babies and was watching a series on Discovery health the other day about IVF. On the show they had a couple who was undergoing a free session of IVF to TTC their own baby, however it was only free on the proviso that of more than 7 eggs were collected, they would be donated to annother couple who needed the eggs. This clinic was in the UK.
Do any ofthe clinics here offer a similar program? I am not sure if doing this would be considered payment or not?

I would love to donate my eggs in the future but I am currently TTC my second this could be a way to do both. (although technically I do not think I need IVF as I have fallen PG naturally twice)

**xkwzit** · 19-07-2006 20:14

I'm thinking it might be considered payment for eggs here, but I'm certainly no expert. I'm sure someone more knowledgable will drop in soon (Cindy??)

.

Cheers

**sarahstarfish** · 20-07-2006 08:19

Hey Ladies

Yes, egg-sharing isn't done here, but started recently in the UK to try and address the shortage of egg donors. It's been going on in the US and parts of Europe for a long time.

In the UK it's done under very strict guidelines - age, BMI, health and diagnosis are all taken into consideration eg. endo ladies can not share their cycle due to poorer quality of eggs. The idea is that if you get over 7/8 eggs they are shared with another person in return for reduced IVF fees.

There are a few issues involved - emotionally how do you deal with the fact that someone gets pregnant from your eggs and you don't, how do you deal with the fact that as it's an anonymous program, any lives created will never have the chance to meet you and your children or your children won't have the chance to meet their genetic half-siblings.

I don't like the idea at all - if it's not 'payment', I don't know what is. Here in Australia if an IVF lady wanted to altruistically donate her clinic wouldn't allow her to do so until her own family was created and completed - and I think it is very reassuring to know the two are not linked fof financial gain.

Yeah Jacinta, I think it's a hoot that a program calls itself 'Donor Eggs Australial' and the only thing they do is promote an egg-sharing/ED program in Greece! I looked at their website recently and was vey annoyed to see it drummed up business by telling people that donor eggs in Australia were so very scarce - what a load of hullabullo - we just need to look at our wee ED community here to see the matches we have made, the lovely ladies who are genuinely interested in donating and finding out more. Anyway, enough of that from me - will post an interesting article on overseas egg donation and see what people think of how egg donors are treated and how eggs are 'procured'.

Love

Cindy

**marcelsmum** · 20-07-2006 20:56

Hi again,

I didn't mean to offend anyone, I Just thought It seemed like a win win situation,
I know my sister in law had some trouble falling pregnant and paid for 2 cycles of IVF before my gorgeous litlle nephew came along. I also know that If she hadn't fallen when she did that it was going to be very difficult for her and her DH to pay for a third round. I just thought that In that sort of situation it might have been a good idea.

As I mentioned in my earlier post I am looking at donating my eggs in the future. ( I can't now I need them.) as I think there is no better gift than the gift of life. I wouldn't change my DS for anything and I think that anyone who wants to love a child should be able to.

**leisurly** · 20-07-2006 22:57

Hi Marcels mum

I was over in the UK in may and it was there that i came across that over 40 was acceptable for egg donation, I contacted a few clinics there as it wouldn't be difficult for me to return there for treatment but the waiting list for recipients is still one to two yrs. The cost issue is important as very few cycles are done on the NHS and there is no medicare. Therefore your couples are unlikely to be able to afford IVF treatment which is about $6,500 with nothing back. The shared cycle costs the sharer �500 ($1250 approx) and the recipient pays their own cycle and the amount that has been taken off the donor cycle. There has to be at least 8 eggs before they will share. If there are less than 8 the donor can give them all away or keep them herself - if she does keep them she is not allowed to do another reduced price cycle.

It sounds a good idea but I do wonder what the long term effects will be. These shared donors are giving up there eggs in the hope of having an ivf cycle they could not afford unless they gave up their eggs, do they really want to donate them are they going to regret it, especially if the recipient gets pregnant and they don't.

Just some extra thoughts to ponder

Lx

**sarahstarfish** · 21-07-2006 07:59

Hey Marcel

No offence at all Sweet - is a very interesting discussion with lots of different issues. At first pass it DOES seem like an ideal solution to the ED shortage, but so many things to consider. At least in the UK the cycle is shared with only one other person, whereas in the US and othe places, the donor's cycle might be shared between many couples who each take two fresh embryos, all anonymous. Absolutely no way of providing your child any on-going information on half of their genetic story, or any of their genetic half-siblings out there in the world.

It seems odd though - it's also illegal to pay for eggs in the UK, but egg-sharing is seen as OK and deemed not coercive to offer money in the guise of reduced IVF fees? It hasn't been going on very long there - maybe a year - so will be interesting to see how it pans out in the future.

Interesting chat girls, thanks!

Love

Cindy

**happymel** · 27-07-2006 10:03

Hi everyone! I was just wondering if it is hard to find an egg donor in Australia?Are most of you'll in Australia? In the US you go to a clinic and they have many profiles of different donors and you choose who you want, but it's expensive. It costs 3500 from the RE office and 3500-5000 dollars at an agency just for the donor. I wonder what the differences are between countries? Anyway, kinda interesting to know.

**happymel** · 27-07-2006 10:14

Oh yeah, in the US they only encourage anonymous egg donation. The egg share program here consists of two couples choosing a donor that they both like that the RE considers a superovulater and makes numerous eggs per cycle like maybe 30. The couples are not allowed to meet one another nor are they allowed to meet the donor. They split the eggs down the middle, unless it is a bad cycle the primary couple retains the right to keep all eggs if the count is low. The benefit is that the couples split the cost of everything.

**mauve** · 27-07-2006 10:22

Hi Mel
I haven't started advertising for my ED yet. But, my clinic has around 200 waiting on anon ED which equates to around a six year wait. According to their newsletter.
Much better to make your own match here I think

**happymel** · 27-07-2006 11:22

Mauve, That sounds impossible. I hope you are able to get a match here. My first cycle I found an ED right away and I got pg but had a m/c at 9 wks. Re said it was poor egg quality. The embies were c and d. This time around it was harder to find an ED. We went through having seven. They either came up pg or cancelled a week before meds started. One even started but developed cysts so we cancelled that cycle. The donor we used everything went smoothly with but we didn't have any to freeze. We transferred 3- 2 were A+ and one A-/B+ my RE said but it was a day 3 transfer. I know how frustrating it can be to find a donor. Waiting 6 years is out of the question.