Thanks For Donating Eggs

Do I have to use a lot of donated eggs to get pregnant? In fact, enough is enough. The quality of the eggs is more important than the number. Sometimes the result of the donor's ovarian function shows normal, but the response may not be expected after ovulation induction. If so, what do we do?
2021-10-08
Author: Dr. Hsing-Hua Lai, MD
Translator: Kathleen

"Doctor: I want to have another kid." She made this request after I hadn't seen her for a year. After reading her medical records, I asked, "You already have a son, didn’t you? When was the child born? How much weight? Why didn’t you bring it back? ...", she replied: "I had a caesarean section on July,31th last year and weighed 4120 grams. Thanks to your help..." I congratulate her on succeeding pregnant with only one egg. It is not easy, she smiled and said that you guys are fantastic.

I met her on the summer vacation of two years ago. She had been menopausal for 4 years. She was lucky to get pregnant when she just got married at 34. Unfortunately, the embryo stopped growing and the menstrual period began to be irregular a year later. She did blood tests at two reproductive centers to determine that it was menopause. At present, medication is necessary to keep menstruation regular, and she hasn’t given up the idea of ​​getting pregnant for 5 years.

A friend introduced her to the Stork Fertility Center. I told her that menopause means that the ovarian reserve is very low, so that the ovulation will be abnormal. Borrowing eggs from a donor is the only chance. She was surprised that Egg Recipeint Program in Taiwan is legal, and completed the registration procedure at the same time. I told her that it would take about half a year to a year. If there are more students donating eggs during winter and summer vacations, the waiting time will be shortened.

In the age when the "Artificial Reproduction Law" had not yet been enacted, most reproductive centers would adopt "Egg sharing" or accept donors brought by the patients themselves, this called "designated donations". The reason is that there are too few sources of donated eggs. Usually it takes a few years or without any news. In the end, most of them falled on the deaf ears. There are few doctors who are willing to actively match up. It is better to find them yourself faster. The starting point is "self-help", and the doctor is out of "goodwill assistance."

Two months later, she brought a donor to the clinic. She wanted to be "as soon as possible" and didn't want to wait too long. The donor was actually in bad condition. At the age of 35, the ovarian function was "on the verge of declining". Reserve indicator: FSH, is as high as 11.5. I asked her to think twice and wait. We will match her up as soon as possible. Usually we will arrange twenty something young students, whose egg condition is good and the pregnancy rate is naturally high, but she still insists on trying first.

After ovulation was induced, five follicles developed, and only one egg was finally retrieved. It is speculated that some of them were "vacuum eggs", so the eggs could not be retrieved. After three days of culture, a "compact embryo" was implanted for her. It’s not easy to cultivate a good embryo like this. It needs to pass many stages. First, if it is a mature and good quality egg, and second, it must be normally fertilized and normally divided. Every stage is a test.

Normally women with normal ovarian function usually can get 10 eggs at a time, the yield is about 80%, that is, eight eggs are good. The fertilization rate is about 70%, so there will be 5-6 fertilized eggs, 95% of the fertilized eggs can spontaneously grow into embryos, the ratio of good embryos is usually not more than half. Therefore, to form a good embryo on the third day, you need to get A+ every day to have a chance. Such a good pregnancy must be God’s arrangement.

In the seventh year of the road to child-seeking, an egg has fulfilled the dream of "being a mother". 

"The happiness in exchange for an egg is particularly touching and exciting. "

Sharing this story to those who are still waiting, as long as you don’t give up, there is hope. Flickering at the end of the tunnel, have you seen it? Pregnancy doesn't happen often. I ask her to wait patiently this time. I don't want to break the law. I wish the 41-year-old her a good pregnancy and promise to help little brother find a companion as soon as possible. 

*This article only reflects the treatment status at the time of writing, and the actual situation should be discussed with the doctor.