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 Baby Steps
Once a couple chooses you as their donor, you will have a psychological assessment performed. If you are an experienced donor and have already had this done you will skip this step. You will have testing done such as lab work and vaginal ultrasound on day 3 to measure ovarian function, blood work to test for STD's, drugs, nicotene, etc.This testing is often times performed by an FDA approved facility close to you, but be aware that sometimes the recipients clinic will ask you to fly out to their facility for this testing. After these initial tests, you will be asked to fly out to the recipients clinic where you will meet the staff and physician. Once you pass all screening tests, you will enter into an Egg Donation Contract with your couple. BABY STEPS will arrange for an attorney to represent you, at no expense to you.
After the procedure, you will be held for approximately one hour for observation and released to go back to your hotel or home, if you are local. You may experience cramps similar to menstrual cramps following your procedure. You will be asked to rest for the remainder of the day and possibly 2-3 days thereafter, but should be able to return to a light schedule the following day. You can expect to be out of town for approximately seven (7) days during the week the actual retrieval takes place. IF YOU HAVE NEVER HAD INTERCOURSE, OR HAD A PELVIC EXAM, you cannot donate until your regular doctor has performed a pelvic exam. This is because there is a risk that your hymen may still be intact. (Please note:) All edical/psychological costs are paid for by the Intended Parents.
The ideal egg donor is between the ages of 21 and 32 (some clinics will accept donors as young as 19 up to age 34), in good health, with a good health history, anon-smoker, non-drug user, height/weight proportionate, and have a schedule flexible enough to accomodate the necessary 8 to 12 local appointments plus travel (one totwo days for initial meeting/testing with recipients clinic and approx. one week during the week the retrieval is set to take place). IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT These appointments are made to coincide with different phases of the cycle, therefore, it is not always possible to work around your schedule. The actual retrieval (aspiration) date depends on how the eggs are developing, and while you will be given an estimated day of retrieval, this day can change depending on your bodies response to the medications during this time.
www.babystepping.com
North Carolina Fertility Clinic
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine defines infertility in women less than 35 years of age as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse.
The incidence of infertility in females increases dramatically after the age of 35 and these women are often counseled to seek care after only 6 months of trying.
Significantly more women are waiting until later in life to have children. Often they want to establish their careers first, or are marrying at older ages. These societal trends have contributed to the overall increase in assisted reproductive technology cycles (IVF) especially donor egg. Unfortunately, the biological clock does not sync with these new societal morays, as women are most fertile in their teens and early twenties.
Female aging ultimately leads to reduced ovarian reserve (lower quality eggs) meaning the eggs are less likely to fertilize and develop normally. This condition is often first diagnosed by high FSH hormone levels on day 3-4 of the menstrual cycle. Oftentimes the Clomid Challenge Test will be administered to predict how a woman will respond to fertility drugs (FSH). Women aged 35 or older who suspect they may be infertile should consult a fertility specialist immediately. Many of these women can only become pregnant using donor eggs. The good news is that women in their forties and fifties can become pregnant using donor eggs as long as their overall health is good.
In order for pregnancy to occur the following processes must occur:
Follicles, each of which contains an egg, must be recruited and develop under the influence of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). As healthy follicles grow, they produce increasing amounts of estrogen.
The endometrium must thicken and become more vascular under the influence of estrogen and progesterone so that an embryo can implant and develop.
The eggs must reach maturity and be “ovulated” after a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH). The eggs must travel unimpeded through the fallopian tubes to the distal end where fertilization occurs. "Scarred" or blocked fallopian tubes are a major cause of infertility.
The male must develop viable sperm that can be ejaculated into the vagina. Sperm development requires three months and sperm quality today is a reflection of conditions three months earlier. The semen analysis is one of the most important fertility tests. We have expert technicians at our Greensboro, NC fertility clinic.
The sperm swim through the cervical mucus into the uterus and ultimately to the end of the fallopian tubes. The mucus must be the correct consistency and be free of
antisperm antibodies.
A sperm must attach to, and penetrate, an egg.
The genetic material of the male and female must combine to result in the proper number of chromosomes with no breaks or other abnormalities. An abnormal number of chromosomes can lead to miscarriage.
The fertilized egg must travel into the uterus and embed in the endometrium.
The leftover follicle, known as the corpus luteum, must produce progesterone to support the embryo.
The embryo must undergo normal cell development resulting in a healthy fetus.
The placenta forms and must produce progesterone to support the pregnancy.
The fetus must be carried to term and delivery.
If any of these processes fail, infertility is often the result.
www.premierfertility.com
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