We’ve been offered a 2nd cycle of ICSI on the NHS at no cost. As many of you know, during our 1st cycle there were communication difficulties in the lab resulting in IVF being conducted instead of ICSI. We are delighted that we have been given another chance. Now the delimma of using my egg or finding a donor? The chances of success with my egg is 10% vs. 50% with a donor. We are having private implications councilling on Sunday.
It kinda feels like we’ve been given a free go and one part of me says to try again with my own eggs but we have a better chance with a donor. What would you ladies do?
Xx
Written by
jengi
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Oh that's a tough call. I had a 3 cycles (my first was a bit of a nightmare) with my own eggs but although we got decent numbers only 3 out of the 2 cycles got to blastocysts...at our review I got told I had a 5% chance of it working with my own eggs due to my age - 39. I had almost accepted by that stage that I'd given it a good shot with my own eggs and could move onto donor. We got great blastocysts with our donor so it was the right decision for us as we were by that point paying. Perhaps things will be clearer after counselling. I think you just have to go with your heart and if you still need a go with your own eggs then go for It!xx
It really is a tough call. I’m hoping councilling will help straighten things out in our heads. Xx
Hi there,
Before moving to donor eggs we had one last round of paid for ICSI.
I needed to give it one last chance. It failed, no eggs retrieved but I was glad I did it as I didn’t want to move to donor eggs thinking what if.
If we were in the position where we knew we couldn’t have afforded another cycle, I think I would have gone with donor eggs rather than my own. There is an element of going with your head rather than your heart at times. Unfortunately money has to come into it when we make these decisions.
Best of luck with your choice. You will know what’s right for you. X
I keep saying this can’t get worse and you have just made me realise that it can, we could get zero eggs next time. I’d not considered that, thank you! Xx
First of all, I’m so so happy for you that you have got another chance. My daughter was advised to try donor egg but she wanted one last try with her own eggs but this was going to be her last attempt whatever way it went. Do your research, ask questions but if they say you have a much better chance with donor, then I would go with that xx
If you do decide to go ahead with your own eggs (or the NHS makes you) there are some supplements you can take to try and improve the quality. Some of the ladies in here have taken them with success. My personal take on it if it were me would be that this is a lifeline. If the clinic hadn’t got it wrong then you wouldn’t have the free round so if the free round fails you won’t be in any worse a position than you previously were. So you’ve nothing to lose by trying it with your own eggs one more time but trying the supplements to see if they improve your outcome. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Hey, I had two rounds IVF rounds with my eggs, both times I responded badly but managed to get two blastocysts each time. Unfortunately neither cycles took and was advised to go for donor eggs next time around as they said the quality of my eggs could be the reason they had failed. We took a year off and looked into adoption etc then decided to go for the egg donor. The result is laying next to me right now smiling! Totally the best decision for us and couldn't be happier!
It's such a personal decision and everyone is different but we had such a positive experience using donor eggs that I would definitely recommend it!
You mind me asking how many rounds of donor egg ivf you had to get your positive. I am on my first donor ivf . I am 3 days from OTD and feel no different.
I’ve croed for days 😪. Congratulations on your bundle of joy xxx
Thank yiu!! It was the first cycle!! Please try not to worry I had zero symptoms the last time around yet with the two failed ones I had every symptom going!!
That’s a lovely positive story. We have a meeting at a clinic tonight to discuss donor eggs. We have been trying to decide between one last round with my eggs and moving on to donor eggs. X
Hope all goes well at the meeting, I went from 7% chance using my eggs to a 70% chance using donor eggs so that really helped our decision. Just go with your instinct!!! XX
I've been told the same, chances with my eggs are 10% and donor 70%.
I went from just struggling to conceive, to very low AMH of 1.1 and my period hasn't show up for two months. I have an open clinic consultation on Monday but wanted to know, was this your case?
Hey, it was indeed, I have endometriosis which damaged my ovaries and so was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve from a very low AMH. From the previous cycles the lining was never an issue, it was all down to the eggs so I went into the donor cycle with such a positive attitude compared to the last times which I think has an impact too!!
I really need to decide what to do... I'm still unsure if we can get anything from the NHS. How long was your wait? Sorry... I have a bunch of questions.
This is such a personal decision that it’s hard to advise.personally I would look into donor eggs but that’s my choice and you’ve got to do what’s right for you and your partner. Best of luck xxx
This has been on my mind to for myself as there were some issues in my last test results (nothing confirmed and are waiting for it before we start treatment). I thought to myself that if it is a donor egg we use and I carry that child for 9 months and breast feed it how can I ever be more attached to that child. I wouldn’t be. For me it’s more important that I brought that little human into the world and my body nourished it and kept it alive!
Everyone is different, I know my partner can’t deal with the idea of donor sperm.
It’s a hard decision to process but I wish you luck and what ever you decision you make will be the right one for you. Xxx
Oh such a difficult decision 😟 I was told last year at 34 that we had a 5% chance of success with my eggs, we had had 4 rounds, and although fell pregnant on our 2nd round, miscarried at 8wks. Round 4 all of our 8 fertilised eggs arrested on day 5, so although it was a shock to be told this, I felt we really had tried with my own, so the transition to donor wasn’t as painful as it might have been. I suppose from my experience I would say if you feel emotionally you can go through another fresh round with your eggs then I’d do it, just to exhaust every option, but if you feel like you’re ready to move on then go for it! Counselling will definitely help you weigh up your options. Good luck lovely xxx
I have a stepdaughter, and I genuinely love her like she's my own. People say we look alike (we dont really, just hair colour) and she has my mannerisms in a way I never would have expected in a non genetically related child. If I didn't have to share her with her mum I don't think I'd feel a need for another child. I have an intensity of emotion that was unexpected. And that's with only meeting her at 4 years old, let alone carrying a child and bringing it up from a baby. However I am also doing ivf to get my own kid and am super excited to see my face in my child's if it all goes to plan. My point is that if you decide to go with your own eggs that is totally understandable and it will be awesome and special if it works. If you go with donor eggs it will also be awesome and you won't regret and will be just as happy (in my opinion) as if it was with your own eggs. I not trying to give you direction either way but hopefully some reassurance that whatever way you choose will be fine xx
Personally with your levels I would say donor. It's personal choice I did 2 rounds before moving into donor for our 3rd round. Good luck in what you decide xxx
Hi Jengi. From the statistics you say, I strongly suggest donor my sweet. We had donor right from word go. 5% chance with mine versus 60% donor. No contest. The lovely lady produced 22 eggs, 12 of which were ready to fertilise. We shared with another couple to make it cheaper and got 6 each. 4 fertilised, 1 X ‘A’ quality 2 X A/B and 1 X ‘C’ quality. All survived the thaw etc. So that was amazing.
At the end of the day honey, once that little chuckie egg leaves her body and enters yours it IS YOURS! If you were making a cake, and you ran out of eggs, you can go next door and borrow one. Go back in your house and mix all the ingredients together. Then, put it in your oven and watch it cook. Take it out and enjoy it with your husband. Is it YOUR cake or nextdoors?........😀💕💕
Tough call indeed! We used the free go on my eggs knowing fully well it might not work. Not sure id have done it again; but I had a less than 2% chance. I think it might help you to know what you’ll do after this round; will you move to DE? If so... are you stalling? Or the flip side is... if you know you’ll do that and are prepared to pay... then you could try that all important one last time x
Very true indeed. These were all options when we first started out. Seems like such a long time ago now. And here we are... no looking back now with this one! x
If we hadn’t got another ‘free’ cycle on NHS, we’d be going straight for donor eggs. Somehow though I feel a bit cheated, if they’d done ICSI perhaps we’d have been successful, we’ll never know. If I act as the previous cycle never happened and treat this future cycle as my 1st round then it’ll definitely be my eggs we use whereas if I think of it as our 2nd round then it’s donor. Does that make sense or am I just stalling? Councilling will help tomorrow? Xx
It's a very tough call. I don't think that I would have been able to make the decision to use donor eggs after 1 failed ivf. However my now self wants to shake that one and tell her to consider it asap.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Egg donor clinics - seeking advice
Donor egg appointment 
Black Egg Donor Needed 
IUI or IVF with donor sperm? Advice needed please 
