# Couple pay £9,000 to have first British web baby



## Charlies-Mum (May 25, 2005)

Just wondered what people thought of this?



> A British woman will be impregnated with a "designer baby" in the next few months, it has been revealed.
> 
> She will be the first British woman to undergo treatment at a U.S. embryo bank that allows would-be parents to select their child's characteristics over the Internet.


Read more at http://www.infertileworld.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=468


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## lotsky (Sep 29, 2006)

not really on in my opinion. 
The only way I agree with this is for medical reasons. 
If its just because blond hair and blue eyes looks better then they are a bit sick to be honest. 
Lotsky


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## drownedgirl (Nov 12, 2006)

I don't see that it's that groundshaking. If donor eggs or donor sperm are being used, there is an attemot to match characteristics to the recipients in terms of looks. I don't see that this is different, in principle.


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## Nancy2015 (Dec 2, 2004)

It takes away the surprise of not knowing what your little ones going to look like!!! Nothing better than wondering what they are going to look like...


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## CarrieW (Apr 3, 2006)

To be quite honest, I agree with drownedgirl.  I saw Dr Jenna-Leigh (surname escapes me) from the Abraham clinic somewhere in Texas being interviewed on GMTV last week and quite frankly, if people desperately want to try and have a baby by any means they can, I don't see a problem. Apologies in advance of this offends anyone but when exactly do you give up on this roller-coaster.  

The Dr simply explained that for those patients who have fertility problems on both sides, then what better way than to have a donor egg and donor sperm from people who match their own characteristics.

At least they would hope that the possible future child would bear some resemblance to them.  I know how upsetting it can be to constantly be questioned if my child is my own.  I had my 2yr old dd by ICSI - she is the spitting image of my dh and looks absolutely nothing like me - even though my eggs his SA were used, I sometimes wondered if there had been a mix-up but love her dearly with all my heart.  At the end of the day, even if there had been, I carried her for 9 months, gave her life and she is everything I hoped for.

This is in my opinion, unfortunately another piece of journalism to sensationalise a story in the ivf world.  I wish these journalists would realise how damaging it may be to those seeking any type of treatment as a last resort to realise their dream. 

Sorry for my slight rant but all you seem to hear and read about these days are damaging and incriminating stories.  Infertility is hard enough to cope with anyway without the possibility of doors being closed or tighter restraints being imposed. No wonder people and going abroad.


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

I went to an egg donor agency in the USA, who helped us select the "right" donor.  I hasten to add, the "right" donor for me, is probably *not* the right donor for anyone else.  

I had an enormous amount of information on my donor.  I selected a donor, I thought I would like to be friends with.  Someone who seemed to be like me, in many ways.  She was/is a teacher.  I selected her, because, when she described herself, she wrote some marvellous words.  She came across, as really caring.  She really wanted us to succeed.

Dawnie5000, with donor eggs, you have no way, of really knowing how a donor conceived child will turn out.  I had no expectations.  I just wanted my twins to be healthy, and if they had problems...  Well that's life.

One twin(boy) did turn out like the donor, and I am so lucky to have such a wonderful, caring child.  The other twin, turned out to be just like one of my husband's relatives, and that one is special too.  Neither child looks like hubby or myself.

So does anyone really think that, I "designed" my babies?

Lorna


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## bendybird (Apr 12, 2005)

Think its ok really nothing terrible .xx


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## pobby (Jun 2, 2005)

I really agree with Lornas comments. if you have to go through DE (which is looking more and more likely for me) I would like to think I could find a kind lady to donote who was similar to me. If I'm honest, I didnt enjoy red hair and freckles when I was growing up but as an adult i dont think I would "pick" someone who looked like a super model..Is it designer to want "perfection" or is it designer to want someones genes who is more similar to you? If it is the latter, it would seem perfectly sensible to me. If people are selecting genes for brains and beauty then it is pretty shallow! At the end of the day you never know how a baby will turn out and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us on here dont contemplate too much how a potential child will look. i'd be happy to give birth to an orang-utan I'm that desperate!!  
pobby xx


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