# Advice to help success of egg donation?



## tokkel (Jul 5, 2007)

Hello everyone

I'm new to the site and wish I'd found it a year and a half ago, when hubbie (34) and I (now 43) started out on the long and traumatic rollercoaster of Clomid-IUI-IVF/ICSI, surrounded by his wonderful but bemused early-thirty-something friends who have lots of babies and toddlers between them.  I have felt terribly alone at times, and old, and it is so wonderful to realise that I am not alone at all!!!

Our only chance for conception is through egg donation - and I am CMV negative which meant that it has taken us a long time to find a match.  But we finally have one. I've started my sniffs as I come to the end of the current cycle and then we go!  My donor is doing egg share and has no children as yet, but has PCOS, so we don't know what our chances are.

So, a silly question - but does anyone have any good tips about good things to do/eat/drink etc in those weeks up to and beyond the ET?  I want to know that I am doing everything I can to help this!!

Fingers crossed!!
Tokkel xxxxx


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## Jo (Mar 22, 2002)

Hi Tokkel
Just wanted to welcome you to FF 

I am sure you will find it very useful, and just shows you there are many people out there that are in the same boat , which is somehow very helpful  

As for food/drink, many people do lots of things.
Just make sure you are taking your folic acid and multi vits, so something like pronatal or pregnacare.

Here is a link that might give you some help 
http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=20.0

Good Luck with your treatment, and let me know if I can be of any help 

Love Jo
x x x


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## tokkel (Jul 5, 2007)

Thanks Jo, I will.

Just reading the notes at the end of your post - that's an incredible journey you've had the courage to go through!  I know how I felt after the first egg retrieval (9 eggs, only three mature, two crumbled on ICSI and one fragemented grade 4 embryo transfered but no joy) it was the hardest period of my life and I am deeply impressed that you have the inner strength to keep taking it on.

Tokkelxx


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## Jo (Mar 22, 2002)

Thank you Tokkel, mind you I feel I am out of energy to do anymore, but it doesn't take the feelings away to be a mummy   

Not sure what we are doing now, having a break and concentrating on getting our lives back on track, and taking it from there.

Once again Good Luck hun, I hope your dreams come true very soon  
x x x


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## wendie (Sep 9, 2007)

Hello Tokkal
                                  I have just read your message from July,i am 43 and about to have our last try IvF with donor eggs,im not sure if you have had your treatment done and i hope this isn't a bad time to be asking you questions but its great to know I'm not the only oldie and would be great to share some ups and downs with


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## tokkel (Jul 5, 2007)

Hello again everyone (and particularly to Wendie, I hope this helps!)

Thanks to my wonderful egg-sharer I am now 7 weeks and 5 days pregnant!!! It doesn't seem real and my husband and I are trying not to talk about it because it still feels so immensely fragile, as if a puff of smoke could make it disappear.  

I had a scan at 6.5 weeks and heard the little one's heart beat, imagine that, a little heart at 6 weeks, pounding away! I had to go back for a scan yesterday as I had some bleeding over the weekend - a terrifying moment.

I'm feeling very tired and pretty rubbish, but not being sick which is good, and to be honest I welcome it all with open arms.  We keep being told to just relax and enjoy it, but are still very anxious.

Thank you all for your support and kindness, keep your fingers crossed for the little one!

Lots of love, Tokkelxxx


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## Cotswold Girl (Nov 16, 2006)

Tokkel,

That's fantastic news. Congratulations   

Wishing you a very happy and healthy 8 months! If you've got any tips on diet/what to do immediately after ET let us know. I really hope you can start to enjoy being pregnant as each month passes. Seeing your babies heartbeat must be such a special thing. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

Love, CG xxxx


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## ♥Tamsin♥ (Jun 29, 2004)

Fabulous news Tokkel - huge 
Wishing you a happy and healthy remaining 32 weeks!

Totally relate to the 'immensely fragile' state - just take it a day at a time


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## tokkel (Jul 5, 2007)

After the embryo transfer, the clinic told me nothing I did or didn't do would make any difference (within reason!).  I stopped running anyway and focused on eating well, planning some nice things with my husband, going for long solitary walks in the wood (introducing my embryo to the trees, although obviously not explaining that to Hubby when I got home!), gentle swims, keeping quite cocooned physically and emotionally.....but, most of all, I had a hynotherapy CD that I would listen to whenever it all got too much.

The lady narrating had the most annoying nasal voice and the first time we heard it we just fell about laughing but after that it was my saviour from work, tiredness and worry. I found it on Amazon.com.  I don't know if it helped my chances, but it made those two weeks so much easier.

Just been to my GP for the first appointment and they made their feelings about (1) older mums and (2) private treatment, very very clear.  I went home in tears.  Not sure what to do about that.

Good luck!!!!
Lots of love
Tokkelxxxxxxx


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## Cotswold Girl (Nov 16, 2006)

Tokkel,

Perhaps you should switch drs hun as you need all the support you can get during pregnancy. If they aren't more supportive next time you see them see if someone else at your practice would be.   

Love the thought of you introducing your embryo to the trees - I'll have to try that if we get that far 

Take care,

Love, CG xxxxx


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## ♥Tamsin♥ (Jun 29, 2004)

Hi Tokkel,

I agree with CG, time to change Dr's!  Sorry they upset you and were not more supportive 

Tamsin
xx


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## wendie (Sep 9, 2007)

Hi Tokkel
                    I am so pleased for you,we have just come back from a late holiday to try and relax us before starting IvF with DE,we have first appt on Monday. And reading your email has really cheered me up. When is your delivery date? and how many embryos did they put back?
                        Take it really easy and enjoy being preggers!
                      
                                        Wendie xx


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## honneybee (Feb 21, 2007)

Hi Girls
Hope I am not intruding on your thread. I was an egg sharer. I just wanted to tell you some of the things I did. I know most of us generally do anyway.

My donor is pg as well as me so maybe it helped.

I made sure from EC  I drank at least a Ltr of milk everyday if I could manage more I did. I also drank 2 Ltrs of water which was advised.I ate brazil nuts about 5-6 a day didn't do pinapple as it has the same thing as brazil nuts. I upped my protein of fish and chicken all through the 2ww. and took pregnacare and co 10  enzyme until my BFP. I was also told that red vegetable and fruits were good too I can't remember why though although I ate a lot of red berries. All this was from EC right through my 2ww.

hope you all gets your dreams.

mitch
xx


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