Skip to main content

Posts

Tips for donors in preparation for retrieval

  Once a donor has been matched with a family and the initial excitement takes a back foot, most donors have plenty of questions about the next steps in the process — some even have fears leading up to the egg retrieval.   This is all normal, but we have found that the more informed donors are, the better prepared and confident they are with the experience ahead.  We spend a lot of time educating and advising our donors, hand holding and ensuring that the process is an easy one for them. Here are some tips that can help donors through the last steps leading up to their egg retrieval: Notify your employer when you receive your medication schedule and clear your time for the lead up appointments and possible travel for your donation:  Many of our donors will travel for their donation. Some will be fortunate to have a local donation, but this is rare.   The estimated retrieval date will be on your medication schedule which is given to you from the Ferti
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

Becoming An Egg Donor: Why Your BMI And Health Matters To Us

The women who choose to become egg donors come to us from all walks of life to help others realise their dream of starting a family. We’re honoured to support them on their journey to becoming egg donors. As part of your egg donation journey, you need to be a non-smoker, aged between 21-and 32, and be able to provide your full family medical history and BMI. We're often asked about BMI and its role in egg donation. In this blog, we've highlighted the importance of having a healthy BMI, why is it set to a specific range to become an egg donor, and how our team at Manchester Donors is here to support you.   What is BMI? The body mass index (BMI) is a way of measuring if you’re a healthy weight based on your height and mass. It divides your weight in kilograms, by your height in metres squared, to give a height-to-weight ratio. ( BMI calculator ) A BMI score isn’t a complete reflection of your overall health. However, it is a good guide that can help you make sure your B
Post a Comment
Read more

Using donor eggs

We have worked with thousands of patients for infertility and in need of egg donors. Third-party reproduction, or using a third party such as an egg donor in order to have a baby, has always been a special passion of ours.   Over the years, we have heard many questions and concerns about the process. Apart from same-sex couples who know third party reproduction is a necessary part of their journey, most individuals and couples never envisaged the need to have assistance in having a child. Here are some tips and some advice from us to you in the hope that should you need assistance in becoming, you can decide what choice is best for you.   The mourning process. Accepting your diagnosis and learning that the plan of a biological child may not be possible is a deeply personal one. The response will vary from couple to couple and partner to partner, but it takes time before any decisions are made. Some patients take a break, even if just for a month, to take some time to think ab
Post a Comment
Read more

Myths about third party reproduction

  Using third-party reproduction - egg donation - can be an emotional process.   While IVF has become increasingly well-recognized and discussed in popular media, third-party reproduction hasn’t received quite as much attention. This means there are some minor misconceptions regarding egg donation. Here are some myths about using third-party reproduction to start or grow your family: Myth #1: There’s something wrong with me Many times when intended parents learn they are unable to conceive traditionally, they feel lacking in some way. But the truth is, everyone’s journey to parenthood is different, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Thankfully with the major breakthrough in reproductive science, it has made the path to parenthood more accessible than ever before. Everyone deserves the opportunity to create their own family, and everyone’s journey is valid. Myth #2: Will it really be  my  baby Many many adoptive families all over the world know that love is about way more than just
Post a Comment
Read more

What is IVF?

What is IVF? IVF is an acronym for  in vitro  fertilization (‘ in vitro ‘ meaning ‘in glass’). Simply put IVF is adding a man’s sperm to his female partners eggs in the laboratory to produce embryos. In vitro fertilization is an option for many couples who cannot conceive through conventional therapies. These embryos are put back into the female partner’s uterus (womb) after 3 to 5 days of being in the incubator, hopefully they will then grow into a baby. The reasons IVF is done include – poor sperm quality and/or quantity, obstructions between the egg and sperm, ovulation problems, and sperm-egg interaction problems. These problems can prevent couples having a baby naturally, and IVF helps to solve this. Specific conditions that might require IVF include: ·       Tubal blockage or failed tubal reversal ·       Endometriosis ·       Cervical factor ·       Pelvic adhesions ·       Male factor ·       Unexplained infertility/ failed conventional therapy The f
1 comment
Read more

Can acupuncture boost my fertility?

For couples who are in the process of IVF, but the verdict is still out on whether it can improve fertility in general. Some studies have shown promising results, but more research is needed before this can be confirmed that this form of therapy can help to make you fall pregnant. Acupuncture is based on the theory that vital energy (or “qi,” pronounced “chi”) flows through the body along certain pathways. Acupuncturists try to balance this energy and restore health by stimulating specific points along the pathways with thin needles. Although it has been a staple of Chinese medicine for some 5,000 years, acupuncture has gained acceptance in the American medical community only in the past few decades. In some research there have been suggestions that acupuncture is effective in reducing stress. Since stress has been shown to interfere with getting pregnant, it makes sense that reducing your stress through acupuncture could theoretically improve your odds of conceiving. Some wom
1 comment
Read more

Fertility tourism becoming trendy and more affordable

Take a quick vacation and come home pregnant! In the world of assisted fertility, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is nothing new. Especially for females that are 40 and over, donor egg IVF, where eggs from a younger, more fertile donor are fertilized with the partner’s sperm, cultivated and then transferred to the prospective mom’s uterus – is often the only hope for achieving pregnancy. But for couples whose health insurance doesn’t cover infertility, the costs of these treatments can be prohibitively expensive; IVF with an egg donor costs an average of R50,000. That’s per try, pregnant or not pregnant at the outcome. So increasingly, fertility tourism is becoming more and more popular for couples and they are seeking international options in their quest for a baby.  They are looking into countries where the medical technology is on par with theirs and the costs are significantly less. Foreign couples can mix purpose with pleasure by making the required clinic visits, ta
1 comment
Read more