If your fertility journey has lead you to egg donor IVF, then you have most likely already undergone several tests and treatments that have been unsuccessful and in vitro fertilization with your own eggs is no longer a viable option.
In this blog we address three of the most common questions and doubts that intended parents have when facing egg donation treatments to fulfil their dreams of having a baby.
What is infertility grief?
The grief experienced with infertility is the same as other forms of grief and follows the 5 stages of grieving; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally, acceptance. When moving to donor conception, you have to accept the idea that you will not be passing on your genes to your offspring, and this usually goes along with the final, acceptance stage of grief, allowing you to move forward and explore other ways of becoming a parent that perhaps you didn´t consider before, for example, using donor eggs.
How will using donor eggs affect my feelings as a mother?
Coming to terms with the loss of passing on your genes is very important step and there are lots of support groups and communities available on the Internet. Most assisted reproduction clinics offer a counselling service, or have contacts for psychological help.
But, becoming a mother is so much more than the passing of your DNA to your baby and mums to be via donor egg IVF usually find that as the pregnancy develops and they have their baby, that it doesn’t make any difference to them that the genetic connection isn’t there.
As your donor conceived child grows you will be just as much as a mom to them as if they were from your own eggs. The pride of seeing your child’s first steps, the love you feel when you kiss them goodnight, and the hours spent standing by the football pitch or watching dance shows, these things will be there for you to experience together, whether the egg was from your ovary or from a generous donor. In our experience at Ovobank, from the moment that you receive that positive beta-hCG onwards, you will feel like a mother!
What does epigenetics mean and what has it got to do with egg donation?
Your DNA is your blueprint for your body and how it works. The study of how this DNA is used (expressed) is called epigenetics, and the study of this has shown that way you live and the environment you inhabit can affect the way your genes are used.
Epigenetics is the name given to the study of how genes are expressed, and research has shown that your environment and behaviour do influence the way the genes are used.
When it comes to using an donated egg from another woman to have your child your unborn baby will not share your DNA. However, it is your body and your behaviour that will send the signals to say which genes need to be turned on and off. In this way, as your child grows within you, your pregnant body will influence the expression of your baby’s genes. If the DNA is the script, then your body is the actor giving some shape and form as to how the script is interpreted.
At Ovobank we want to help patients struggling with infertility achieve their dreams of becoming parents. Our egg bank has a wide range of donor eggs available, from women of a variety of backgrounds and ethnic groups. get in touch with us today and one of our coordinators will be on hand throughout the process. We look forward to hearing from you.
