# How long did you wait for donor at LWC?



## Battenberry (Mar 18, 2009)

Hi Guys,

I have been lurking in the background for a while and thought it was time I introduced myself! My DW and I went to LWC in Darlington last May to get the ball rolling and start IUI. The initial tests all happened v. quickly (blood tests and HSG) and then we were told we were just waiting to be matched for donor sperm. We weren't too bothered about the wait initially but at the end of July/August we began to chase them, and everytime we rang were told we were on the list. Eventually in October I insisted on speaking to the embryologist and when I pointed out we had been waiting since May she rang me back the next day with a donor! I'm sure we were lost in the system somewhere! The first IUI in November was a BFN so we contacted the clinic in Jan to try again. They then said we hadn't reserved the donor to use again (we weren't even asked if we wanted to do this, we assumed we would be able to as no one mentioned it!) So we are now back to being "matched". This time we are ringing up and speaking to the embryologist who is lovely, but tells us to ring back in a week, and when we do we still have no donor sperm! She said we are waiting for LWC in London to match us. We haven't been at all fussy on our characteristics form either! The last donor didn't really match but we accepted because we thought otherwise we would be waiting another 6 months, and sperm is sperm!
My question is... are people waiting this long at other LWC clinics? I would really like to know as if it is quicker in London then I can point that out to her and maybe hurry things along! It's hard complaining when you don't know what the norm is, but the website claims they have the largest sperm bank and I don't get that impression!
Sorry for such a long first post, hope you can all help.
Lots of good luck to you all


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## lesbo_mum (Dec 22, 2008)

Hiya

i havent used the LWC yet but i contacted the one in london as was told there was no wait at all... i know a couple of the girls on here have used them in london and had no wait at all and at least 3-4 donors to pick from  

Em x


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## Frinn (Nov 3, 2008)

Hi there!

We used the LWC in Cardiff for our IUI cycle and they were great. I can't remember the exact timescale now, but basically they allowed us to fill out the donor matching forms early (before we had got all of the test results back) so that probably sped it up by about two weeks, but after only about two or three weeks after filling out the forms (sorry, I can't remember exactly - just been back through my diary, but haven't written it down unfortunately) we got a phone call from the clinic with one donor match. We had been expecting two or three donors to choose from, but weren't disappointed because the one option suited us perfectly. So we accepted this donor and they ordered the sperm from London. By the time our test results were all back and we were ready to start they had the sperm there waiting for us. We had our first consultation at the beginning of November, so I guess it must have been around the middle of November that we filled out the donor forms, and the sperm was there waiting for us for a cycle in the middle of December, only Christmas got in the way so we ended up waiting until middle of January.

It does sound a lot like they had forgotten you, doesn't it? The fact that they called you back with a donor the very next day after you had chased them! The reason we chose the LWC was the very fact that they don't have a waiting list for sperm and so it's appalling that you've been waiting so long. And, as you say, you weren't asking for an unusual donor or anything. 

I think that Aimee on here used the the LWC in London so it might be worth asking her what her experience was like.

I guess the only other thing you could do is ask the embryologist at Darlington if you can speak to the Donor Bank Manager at the LWC in London to find out what the hold-up is?

I really hope they get back to you with some choices really soon- you must feel so frustrated?  

Frinn xx


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## Battenberry (Mar 18, 2009)

Hi,
Thanks so much lesbo_mum and Frinn for your replies. I think I will contact the Donor Bank Manager at London to have a chat, we don't mind waiting if we know what the wait is for. It's swayed our thinking re: IUI vs IVF, as we want to make the most of the resources and if it is going to take this long each time I will be too old to conceive!
Many thanks and nice to meet you!


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## lesbo_mum (Dec 22, 2008)

Yeah Frinn Aimee def used LWC for her IUI's and im sure she didnt wait im sure she'll pop along in a min.


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## nismat (Mar 7, 2005)

That really doesn't sound good Battenbury, and I'm sure that it's not normal to have to wait so long with LWC, even if you're in one of the "satellite" clinics. We used LWC in London back in 2005/6, although it was before the donor shortage got quite as bad as it is today. However, we were never offered much in the way of choice of donors (some cycles it was a choice of one - take it or leave it!), even though we weren't at all fussy about characteristics. Our only requirements were that the donor should be over 5'10", and not have ginger hair (my DP's idiosyncracy  ). We still got offered shorter donors, and one with "strawberry blonde" hair. 
The sperm bank aren't especially good at returning calls/e-mails etc. so be prepared to be persistent. Venessa (forgotten her surname) is in charge of the donor bank, and she's actually pretty good/helpful once you've managed to get her attention.
Good luck! Hope that you get some joy dealing with them directly, and that you get some sperm soon


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hay ladies

well we used LWC in london and we didnt have to wait at all .... although they were a bit rubbish at getting back to us sometimes

IUI no 1 was due for feb ... and i sent several emails thro jan and got three initial donors .... we rejected two of them ... and got offered another one.  so chose from one of the first three and the new donor.

then i didnt appear to ovulate feb so we still had that donor for march when i went over.

IUI no 2 was booked for may... had emailed everyone at the clinic that we were coming to england for the IUI ... got there for the IUI and they said, oh but you havent reserved a donor ... well like you battenberry i said well i thought we would have the same as last time, but apparantly we didnt fill in the form and pay the extra money to reserve the donor.  so we were offered two or three donors to choose from there and then for them to defrost on the spot.

imagine if they had told us no donor at that point!!!!!!  when we had flown to london we would have be FURIOUS!

IUI no 3 - booked for end of august .... i started pestering them a month in advance, was happy not to reserve and pay to reserve.  and got offered three but one of the three was COMPLETELY not what we asked for, blue eyes blond hair.  we were matching to DP who is olive skin, dark hair, brown eyes.  so really there were two from that go.

So i think it was OUTRAGEOUS you waited from may to august ... and then november for your first iui.

so whats happened from november to now??  your STILL waiting to be matched again?

thats terrible.

i used to email everyone on my list of emails at the clinic to get a response.
i think you need to ring every day.  its not on!

love aimeex


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## MandMtb (Mar 6, 2009)

Hi Battenberry,

I dont have any advise sorry, as not at your stage in the TTC journey yet, but wanted to say welcome to FF   and good luck!

S x x x


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## Battenberry (Mar 18, 2009)

Hi all,

Thanks for that Aimee, it's really useful knowing what happened with you, just so I know what's happening for people in London where the sperm is coming from. A big congratulations to you on expecting you little one.
I don't think we have been quite forceful enough in ringing to badger them along as we weren't sure if there are truly no donors, or if the clinic are being slow. It seems that London weren't that good at communicating with you either over whether your donor was "reserved", it must have been so stressful for you flying over here to be told that and then having to choose on the spot!! I suppose it shows they can do it quickly if needed!  They haven't told us we have to pay to reserve the donor  - yet!!! How much was it out of interest? I'm not sure who to e mail at the clinic, but I will ring the embryologist who has been dealing with us next week and if we are still not matched I contact London and  badger them. Interestingly we were waiting to be matched at the same time as you for your 3rd IUI in August, and we were told donors with blonde hair and blue eyes were in short supply , so were offered the opposite  in November (if that makes sense!) How strange.. Thanks for your help x

Hi Nismat, thanks for your help too. It seems that they weren't all that good at communicating with you either, and interesting that you didn't have to wait that long. I think you're right and dealing with them in London directly is the answer. x

Hi MandMtb, thanks for the welcome! I am excited that I have met some like minded people on FF, everyone seems so nice and supportive. Hope your TTC journey is as smooth as posssible too. x


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

yes it is funny isnt it ... i think things can change quite quickly with availability in that as soon as one couple picks a donor i think it goes off the market until that sperm doesnt get them pregnant.

funny that we are choosing - have chosen from the same sperm bank.  a while back i did wonder if i would ever meet anyone of FF who had concieved their child with same donor, effectively making half sibs.

definately be quite persistant.

if you want i can PM you the emails addresses of the people in london in the embryology department?

ax


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## Battenberry (Mar 18, 2009)

Hi Aimee,

That would be great thanks, sometimes easier sending an e mail rather than having to think "on the spot" when all the questions you want to ask go out your head. I have also wondered if I would find someone using the same donor too (when we get one!), it's quite possible! Thanks so much xxx


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