Moving towards donor eggs

[Conceivingblee]

Hi everyone

I'm currently nearing the end of my 4th cycle 2 ww. With the worst embryos we have transferred. Having already had 7 implantation failures with much better quality blastos I'm feeling pretty low about our success this time 3 days left before test date no symptoms. I've in my younger years I'm now 43 had 3 miscarriages at 5/6 weeks. So never though getting preggers would be the issue just keeping it. I had all the immu testing done and test positive for lupus anticoagulation activity so on inhixia for that. This round my hubby had also been on proxceed for 3 months for high oxidised stressy sperms.

So for me feels like we are fighting a battle with my old eggs now as think we have pretty much exhausted what else we could do. Each round for me has been worse recovering on my body so deffo feel like egg collection for me again is a waste of my time and health.

Anyway after that lengthy intro. My concerns are as follow.. what if I just can't carry... Is there anything else I can test so I don't waste the donor eggs. I think that if I make peace with myself that this route is right then not to have it work I will be more devastated.

Should I have hubby's sperm tested for DNA fragmentation. I feel so much has been centred on me that only now they are looking at him.

Donor egg mum's out there was there ever a moment after u had the baby truthfully it felt strange. I'm not sure anyone would answer that bit but if your brave enough thankyou.

Much love to you all

[Hidden]

Hey, I haven't got to getting pregnant with donor eggs but like you I have just moved to that option after 6 fresh rounds where my embryos got worse and worse.. the last 2 rounds they were only morula by day 5 and I was advised it was likely egg quality. I have had 3 miscarriages and 3 chemicals - not all IVF some natural. I also tested positive to lupus anticoagulant so am on blood thinners but didnt make any difference. I am 44.

I had a second opinion after my trusted clinic said move to donor and the second clinic said the same. They didn't seem very worried about repeat MC and the general feeling was that its chromosomal issues that are causing the lack of success rather than anything more sinister. However with their donor cycle they don't start doing tests on the woman until the eggs are collected and fertilised by partners sperm to test there are actually embryos. We are hoping our donor will donate in August in which case I expect my tests to start in September. Happy to keep in touch and let you know what they test for and what the results are etc.

Heaps of luck xx

[Conceivingblee in reply to Hidden]

Hi DaisyThanks for your reply. That interesting they aren't worried. It's deffo a conversation I'm going to have with my consultant about how sure are they. Etc.

It just becomes too much doesn't it putting your body through it then embryos getting worse. My body's obviously giving up.

That would be great if you could let me know. I have my fingers crossed for your journey xxxx

[andylins]

Just wanted to make you sure you aren't alone. I am ripe age have had number of IVF cycles. 1st resulted in an ectopic pregnancy, all the rest - BFNs. My last cycle last year resulted in a HCG of 2 which then went to 0 the week after so the hospital said this was a chemical pregnancy. The other things I have wrong is I don't ovulate regular; very irregular periods; and I have mild endo. I also seem to have a thick womb lining when I go for my day 2 scan - not sure if this is anything..just resuming it's no good. I also think I have a short luteal phase. Also on both cycles the egg quality didn't seem great. The first cycle 7 eggs were taken all fertilized. and only 5 developed all with fragments. And 1 was put back in grade 2 on day 3. All the rest didn’t last and no blastocysts. The last cycle 5 eggs were taken and all fertilized and 3 developed and 1 was put back in on day 2. This one was a grade 4 so classed as top quality. No blastocycsts and nothing for freezing, unfortunately. Our new doc at BTC told us the main issue was in own eggs. She adviced us looking onto donor's mitochondria which we actually opted for. Keeping everything crossed.

[SerrineV in reply to andylins]

The current figures show that over the last couple of years the number of IVF cycles where fresh own eggs/ donated eggs are used is up by more than 50%. Among women over 45, more now use donated eggs than their own when using medical assistance to get pregnant. What’s happening at the moment is that more and more women are delaying motherhood until later in their lives. But the fact is that as you get older the quality of your eggs diminishes. Using donated eggs from a younger woman pushes the success rate right up for older women.

When we chose BTC med center, we could receive 100% guarantee that the result of the chosen program will be positive! We didn’t happen to see such guarantee in any European or American clinic of reproductive medicine. When you decide in favor of it you can be sure you are on the doorstep of great changes. As all their patients leave the clinic only with a newborn in arms or being pregnant. They return the full whack in the case of failure. Putting hand in the pocket you pay one fixed sum for the program and not a penny more. All procedures, services and medical supplies have been already included in the programs’ price. Depending on the diagnosis and test results their docs will help to choose the most appropriate medical program.

Also have you ever considered using donor’s mitochondria? This method is alreday not new. It aims at ‘rejuvenating’ own eggs. The method can be effective unless own eggs aren’t damaged genetically.

[andylins in reply to SerrineV]

Hi there, thanks for your reply. Thus, mitochondrial donation was not the route for us.Hardly have I ever thought we will face this one day. But no one seems to be ready emotionally for the treatments. Furthermore when you're told your eggs won't do. So you need another woman for the ivf procedure.

So dropped in to share our story. Me – 40+ yo, a teacher working with kids every single day of my life. Watching others growing and developing but not ours.. Started TTC with no luck. After 1.6yrs of trying started doing investigation and got to know about my endo and PCOS. That very year tried 1 round clomid - BFN. 1 fresh ivf with 5-day 2 blasts the following year ended in early miscarriage.

Then devastated we all had to take a long break for emotional recovering. Though continued trying naturally. Another fresh ivf with OE - failure. DH's results came in healthy. The following year started with the waiting for the miracle with Ukrainian BTC clinic where we applied for ivf with donor egg. Previously had our free consultation with the patient coordinators in London. Lovely ladies shared their own family story, they went through the treatment themselves. And we were so thankful we could share things and absolutely understand each other. Our protocol ended up with BFP then resulting in an adorable LO.