# Donor hasn't produced enough eggs to share!



## Blueflower (Apr 12, 2015)

Hi! I wondered if anyone else had been in this position? I had a look but there is a lot of info so started a new thread.

Our donor hasn't produced the required 8 eggs to share so now has to decide whether to keep them all or donate them all! What a terrible decision and we are in an agony of limbo too! There may be financial implications for her but I can't help thinking that she and her partner would scrape the money together somehow if it came to it. 

TTC has been such a long journey for us already and the amount of setbacks has been ludicrous! I just don't know what to think.


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## Baking Queen (Jul 7, 2014)

We had something similar - our donor didn't produce any eggs so we had to make a quick decision to use some frozen eggs the clinic had. Sadly that didn't work so we made the decision to go abroad which was definitely for the best.

Hope it works out for you.

BQ. xx


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## Blueflower (Apr 12, 2015)

I don't know if our clinic has spare frozen eggs, its only a small one and I was carefully matched with the donor. 
What's it like going abroad? We both work and there's the expense. If this doesn't work we will probably do that, but part of me wants to give up and adopt instead. But that is quite rigorous in itself!
Thanks for your reply. What's next for you?


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## Hbkmorris (Apr 7, 2010)

Hiya, 

I've not tried DE in the UK but I too like Baking Queen have been abroad and for me it too was the best decision I made. You can be sure you get some good quality eggs and they are all yours opposed to sharing. For me going abroad was a breeze. I got a guaranteed 10 eggs and I have always got more at egg collection. I'd defiantly look overseas and getting more info. 

Hope you hear soon as I'm sure it's terribly difficult hanging on a thread of unknown. Feel also very sorry for your donor. 
xx


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## Baking Queen (Jul 7, 2014)

Hello

Going abroad actually worked out cheaper for us, even factoring in flights and accommodation. And we've had some lovely holidays out of it! We also felt more comfortable having younger donors as it gave us a much better chance. 

I did 3 DE cycles abroad before getting immunes testing done and I'm now 7 weeks pregnant - just on my way to my second scan! So for us, it's the combination of a good donor and an immunes protocol.

Hope you hear soon. Keep us posted.

BQ. xx


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## LuckyE (Dec 9, 2013)

Hiya


8 eggs seems low to me as you have still to take into account how many of them won't fertilize... I think I would let them go if money was tight. And go abroad or find a better UK clinic where there isn't any egg sharing involved. 

I think egg sharing is a really hard process on the people waiting for the eggs. And I don't think they need the heartache of whether the donor is going to give them up or not. I always thought the deal was if the donor didn't get enough eggs then she HAD to donate them to the other person. Seems fair if you're paying for her cycle - that's how I understood it. Do you get a refund if she takes all the eggs?

Abroad in Europe seems to be a lot cheaper especially in Czech republic.


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## Amberrose (Jun 13, 2015)

This happened to me in November and the egg sharer decided to keep all the eggs ( I understood her position and felt for her). I was shocked as the clinic had reassured me all the way through she was a great responder. I had actually originally said I wanted to wait and let the egg sharer complete her cycle and freeze my portion but they were quite clear that was not the best route. A few weeks later I felt really angry with the clinic as it was a wasted treatment cycle for me -my ninth in total. Putting my body through for no reason the drugs and the stress of it all. 
I do hope you hear from your donor soon and that it is the right news X


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## KDJay (Sep 21, 2015)

Blue flower - as a donor you are told to think about what you would decide if this happened in advance Becuase obviously have GA you are probably not in the best head space to decide , I'm assuming she hasn't got the egg collection yet and they are advising on the basis of her response and follicles? Because once ec happens the decision has to be made instant Becuase the lab need to know. I decided in advance that I would donate all if I came up short and I was comfortable with that choice , i don't agree with the poster that said the donor has to give them all Becuase you are paying , the donor is paying too just in a different way so it must be a decision she can make and you want to be sure she was comfortable in her decision . It also depends on how your clinic will treat her if she donates all, my clinic gives the donor a free keep all cycle so it was an easy decision for me to make xxxx


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## Blueflower (Apr 12, 2015)

Thanks for all the helpful replies. If she kept them all then she would have to pay for everything, if she donated all then she would get a free go another time. What an agonising choice.

Well, I got a messages on Thursday saying it was going ahead, do my progesterone injection and DH to go in Friday! The donor hadn't been scanned again and they didn't tell me anything else! Very confusing!

Then yesterday a complete turn-around, she had her EC, had enough eggs to share after all and we got 5!! Can't believe it! 

Today just waiting to hear about fertilization!


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## cutelittlepumpkin (Nov 1, 2007)

Sorry, lurker here, just wanted to say so pleased for you Blueflower!!! 

CLP


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## Puggle (Mar 3, 2016)

Blueflower - really glad to hear it turned out well for you and your donor. Speaking as an egg share donor, I must say the worry there wont be enough eggs is just as scary for us as it is for the recipient. Half the time at scans I had remind the nurses I was egg sharing so the number of follicles really mattered!! Good luck with your cycle  
LuckyE Must say Im a tad hurt by your comment. Egg sharers are not just egg machines, we are real women who have just as real fertility problems and just as strong a desire to parent, but through financial circumstances we are not able to pay. That means fewer chances and lower probability of conceiving (as you give away half your eggs). I'm sure you didn't mean but your comment made it feel a bit like those with the cash have some kind of right to our eggs. Don't forget the cost of an DE egg share cycle reflects the drug/nursing/surgical cost of safely retrieving eggs from the donors body (the process), not a payment for a commodity (the eggs). And for what its worth, many egg donors pay for part of the cycle. Mine cost a couple of grand once you add in the DS, endo scratch Embryoglue, and consultations.


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## Blueflower (Apr 12, 2015)

Thanks ladies! Wow CuteLittlePumpkin you have 2 sets of twins! Are they identical or did you have 2 embryos transferred each time?

Quick update: all 5 eggs fertilized but one went wonky as 2 sperms got in! Day 3 still 4 progressing, 1 slower, Day 5 transfer today, all 4 still going but only 2 good enough for transfer and none for freezing. Can't believe we never get any to freeze, even with donor eggs! One was 3BB, the other 3BC, if they had both been 3BB we probably would have been able to freeze one. But we decided on getting both transferred rather than wasting the spare. So now I have 2 embies on board!


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## cutelittlepumpkin (Nov 1, 2007)

Blue flower- both sets were from day 3 double transfers! Good luck for your 2WW   

CLP


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## Blueflower (Apr 12, 2015)

Hi! Just wanted to say that I got my first ever BFP on 29th April and an early scan next week! Absolutely amazed!


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## Hope2005 (Sep 24, 2005)

Congratulations Blueflower. I got my first BFP exactly 30/04/2012.. It was a special day for me too   , wishing you a happy pregnancy.


Hope xo


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## Surfergirl (Apr 30, 2010)

Blue flower - congratulations. What lovely news! 😊

Puggle - ladies like myself are eternally grateful to you wonderful donors for our amazing gifts. I had numerous de cycles in Spain followed by an NHS cycle that failed as the donor didn't produce enough eggs. The clinic allocated us two frozen eggs free of charge and I am lucky enough to have my now 3 year old miracle girl 😊 

Good luck to everyone going through treatment xxx


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## kez26 (Jul 10, 2015)

Hi Ladies, just an update on this topic...  
I had my baseline scan yesterday and saw the OD nurse and HFEA have changed their guidelines when a donor produces less than 8 so thought I would add it here as I had to sign a new form yesterday. Basically if a donor produces less than the required 8 she can no longer give them all to her recipient and can either give 4 and keep the rest for herself or keep them all for herself (which usually involves additional costs). I'm hoping I produce more than 8 obviously as I really don't want to have to make that decision. I'm not sure why HFEA have made this change but I believe clinics aren't happy with it and are trying to get it changed back.  

Congrats to everyone who are BFP and good luck to everyone on their journey   xx


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## KDJay (Sep 21, 2015)

Yeh kez that's terrible I only went ahead with egg sharing coz I had the security that I got 'give all away' an get the next cycle as a keep all x


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## kez26 (Jul 10, 2015)

KDJay, I thought it was quite bad as well. I would prefer to give my recipient all of them and then go through it all again. silly people at HFEA x


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## lama321 (Oct 11, 2014)

Hi Kez - ust saw what you wrote about what happens if you don't produce 8 eggs. Yikes I was told that I could give them all away and then have another try. Just been searching the HFEA website and can't find this info.

I have checked my paper work and it says that I still have the option of donating all and then having a free cycle withing 3-4 months.


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## kez26 (Jul 10, 2015)

Lama - HFEA have changed what you are able to do, you are no longer allowed to give all your eggs to the recipient and get a free cycle if you get less than 8. You either have to give her 4 and you get the remaining or you keep them all for yourself at a cost. So as long as thats on your paperwork and is still within the time frame I'm sure they will have to honour it xx


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## beckha (Feb 22, 2011)

Found this;

http://www.hfea.gov.uk/10217.html#story6

It doesn't say anywhere in the HFEA guidelines about 8 eggs though? Confusing.

I'm actually quite annoyed as a donor that it's like this as I would've definitely given all if I knew I had a free cycle. There's no way we could pay for treatment ourselves it's why we egg share? Now I would donate the 4 and keep what ever is left even if chances are less. Lowers both donor and recipient chances like that doesn't it?

/links


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## KDJay (Sep 21, 2015)

Beckha that link says that the donor would keep them at the agreed discount (ie free) so you wouldn't need to pay if you did a keep all , I suppose it's to protect the donor


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## Larniegh (Jun 7, 2016)

KD - Is that only EC day? Because the literature from CRGW said that if there weren't enough folicles at the scans then the donor has to either pay for the cycle or abandon it? The whole thing is a blinking minefield of information sometimes!


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## beckha (Feb 22, 2011)

See I didn't read it like that. Only if donor has OHSS can she donate all then have free cycle later date. 

If not enough eggs she must choose either to donate 4 or pay for the whole thing?


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## Larniegh (Jun 7, 2016)

I get the feeling they like it vague! 

So you can defo only dontate all for safety reasons: 
"The only situations that justify donating all the eggs collected in a cycle to a donor recipient are cases where treating the egg provider during that cycle could be harmful to her. This includes where she has developed OHSS or where she does not feel in a fit psychological state to undergo treatment (for example, if she has suffered a sudden bereavement). 

I would read this bit to mean you get it for free, but that doesnt match what I have in the paperwork from CRGW. Their old egg share leaflet which you can get online does say you get to continue your cycle for free, but the new one just says if there arent enough folicles on the scans through stimming then you either stop or have to pay.... It's so confusing sometimes. 

"It does not include cases where too few eggs have been collected for the egg share arrangement.In these cases, the egg provider should be given the option of using or storing all the eggs for her own treatment, at the agreed discount."

I guess it's a question to ask the co-ordinator!


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## Larniegh (Jun 7, 2016)

The thing that comes to my mind is: have we somewhere in all the blinkin forms agreed an amount we will pay if the EC doesnt yeild enough? I dont remember reading anything that said that, but that doesnt mean that it didn't!


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## lama321 (Oct 11, 2014)

Thanks for the info ladies, sorry I have been away on hols.

Very useful link to the required info, yes slightly unclear. I wonder if is it to protect the donor... it is a pretty hard decision for some people to make I would imagine keep all and pay or donate all especially if they don't have the funds. I hope that is what it is about. 

Something to notice in all this however is that the section that this falls under is "Guidance" NOT "Mandatory" so it may vary from centre to centre. I have the less than 8 eggs donate all or keep all agreement in writing at least for this round and nurse confirmed that is still what they do. phew!

However, I do notice something more concerning and that is in the mandatory section:

"Gamete donors may receive licensed services, such as treatment, storage, or access to licensed services, in return for supplying gametes or mitochondria for donation (including mitochondrial donation). Egg or mitochondrial donors who receive a benefit should be provided with that benefit in the course of the donation cycle unless there is a medical reason why they cannot be."

Wonder what that restriction is all about however.... doesn't make any sense to me. There is already a shortage of egg donors, grrr.

Beckha - just read your signature wow how amazing you have been matched with the same person again! Hope it works for you both x


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## beckha (Feb 22, 2011)

I really hope it works for us both again. Feels a bit like fate!


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