# Partner to Partner Egg Sharing.. Info please



## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Hi, 

After many months on the best way forward we are looking at partner to partner egg sharing, before our consultation in November, we were wondering if anyone on here has gone through this and give us some insight into the procedures etc from start to finish. 


Thank you 

Becki and Charlie xx


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=264406.0 this might help you


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## K8L (Apr 26, 2011)

Hi Becki and Charlie

We have just completed a partner-to-partner egg share cycle at Harley Street LWC.  We didn't donate to a third party so I can't help you that much with that part of your treatment but I can definitely run through the partner-to-partner stuff with you.  

My Partner has donated her eggs to me.  Obviously treatment varies from person to person but this is a summary of our treatment.  I hope it's helpful.

From first appointment to official pregnancy test date, it has taken just over 3 and a half months.  There's quite a bit of waiting but I quickly learnt that the key to keeping calm and optimistic was patience.  Something I definitely lack in my day-to-day life. 

The first thing is all the blood tests.  One of the tests that the donor has to have takes four to six weeks to come back.  That's the first wait!

In the meanwhile, on the first day of my period after the initial consultation, I called the clinic to start a mock cycle.  During the mock cycle I took progynova for two weeks to beef up my womb lining and then they performed a mock embryo transfer to check that there were not going to be any problems when it came to the real thing.  I had three scans along the way to measure my womb lining.  It cost about 500 for the mock transfer.  I'm not sure if it's included in your package though if you are donating.  After the cycle I had about five days of cyclogest (progesterone pessaries) to bring on a period.  We had mixed advice about whether the mock transfer was necessary.  I know some people don't do it but there are others on this site who have said that they did identify issues during the mock cycle that needed to be sorted before the real thing.  In hindsight, although we didn't have any issues, I'm still glad we did it.  If only because I knew what to expect!

Once the blood tests were back and the mock cycle was done we had to wait for the start of our next period before we were put on the pill to sync our cycles (the clinic called it "taking control" of our cycles.  My partner was on the pill for about 22 days and I was on it for a slightly shorter period because we both started taking it on the first day of our periods and I started my period after my partner started hers.  The pill is evil!  We both agree that as far as the emotional ups and downs go, it was the worst part of the treatment.    

Twenty days into the pill my partner started the down reg injections (for her the drug of choice was buserilin) and I had a one-off gonapeptyl shot.  About 10-11 days into the buserilin my partner added Gonal F to her drug habit which is the crazy drug that boosts your egg production.  That made her quite bloated but all in all I was really surprised how well she coped on the drugs.  You read so many horror stories about the side effects.  Aside from cutting out alcohol and caffeine, we just carried on as normal.  I suppose looking back now, the week before the egg collection she was a bit more tired than usual but she still exercised 2-3 times a week (albeit a lighter workout than usual).  She had to go to the clinic every 2-3 days for a scan at this point.  She found sneaking out of work for appointments without causing suspicion quite stressful but she did manage it.  

When my partner started taking the Gonal F, I started taking the progynova again.  The best thing for me about having the mock cycle was that I knew exactly what to expect from the drugs.  I found progynova to be absolutely fine.  No side effects at all.  

When the clinic was happy with my partner's eggs, she had her HCG shot and then two days later they performed the egg collection which was done under sedation.  She had to take the day of the egg collection off of work but was back in work fine and dandy the next day.  I just took the morning off to accompany her.  On the day of the egg collection I started the cyclogest pessaries.  They have some particularly charming side effects for me.  Mainly farting, bloating and hunger. 

The clinic told us on the day of the egg collection how many eggs we had.  They also defrosted the sperm and told us that we needed ICSI.  Apparently the LWC recommends ICSI more often than not so we weren't surprised.  ICSI costs about 1000.  The next day they told us how many eggs had been fertlised and how many embryos they had.  They then called us on day three to tell us they recommended letting the embryos go to blastocyst (otherwise they planned to transfer them at day 3).  Going to blastocycst stage costs an extra 1000.  Again, I'm not sure if that and/or the ISCI is included in the donor package.  On day five they transferred one lovely little blastocyst to me and told us how many we had for freezing.  Along the way they let you know the grades of your embryos.  The transfer was painless and extremely exciting.  

We tested a couple of days ago, exactly two months after my partner's first day on the pill and got a BFP which is obviously great (although I'm not sure I'll believe it until the 6-7 week scan).  I now have to keep taking the progynova and the fart inducing pessaries for the first three months.

I was watching X factor last night and have decided that IVF is just like it.  Every time you get to the next stage it's a mini victory but you don't ever feel like you can let your guard down and celebrate too much or for too long because there's always a chance that you will fall at the next hurdle.  In the meanwhile, you just have to keep believing that you could be the next mega star!!

Any other questions let me know.  I'm more than happy to answer them.

All the very best

K x


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## Charlie &#039;N&#039; Bec (Sep 18, 2010)

Hi K&L

Thank you so much for your post, I will read tonight with My Wife and probably post a few questions. 

Thank you again 

Becki xx


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## katena (Nov 14, 2007)

I just wanted to say.... Lol @ the fart inducing pessaries. It's SO true! Plus don't think your having any kind of sex til you stop them at 12 wks as they leave a unsexy gunk behind!

And.... Love the x factor analogy too!

But... Good luck xxx


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## K8L (Apr 26, 2011)

Yes that's something I didn't mention. Our sex life definitely slowed a bit! My partner read somewhere that I shouldn't orgasm in the 2ww. Not sure that's true but when it came to it I wasn't feeling particularly sexy so I wasn't bothered at all!

Thanks for the luck Katena. How has your pregnancy been so far? Are you still on the pessaries? 

Kx

Ps thanks for your email Becki. Glad to help you and looking forward to your questions!!


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## katena (Nov 14, 2007)

Hey,

Pregnancy has been fine.... Time goes sooooooo slow though! Yeh... Still on the pessaries and oestrogen tablets Urgh.... Til 12 weeks!

K

X


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## Starz (Aug 24, 2008)

Hi Becki and Charlie, 

I'm not sure if i'm on the right lines with the egg sharing. Are you thinking that one of you wants to carry the other person's egg?  If so, we looked into this. Mainly because my partner really didn't want to be pregnant but did like the idea of having her genes passed on. However, because i was the younger one, the clinic said there was no reason i couldn't use my own eggs, my partner's were likely to be worse quality than mine.  They wouldn't let us do it.
I have to say i'm acutually really glad because the costs involved would have been huge, not to mention all the hormones etc. We have ending up managing to to concieve two amazing children for less than the cost of one IVF cycle.

If i'm on completely the wrong lines then just ignor my comments!


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