Research It: You Want to be a Surrogate or Egg Donor

Maybe you saw a TV program, read a magazine article, or saw a newspaper story regarding surrogacy or egg donation. Maybe you know a couple that shared with you the fact that they can't have children, commenting on how lucky YOU are. Perhaps you know someone else who was a surrogate or egg donor. No matter what prompted you to consider becoming a surrogate or egg donor the fact is there is a lot of research that needs to be done before you can be certain that ART is for you.

Knowing what is expected of you and your partner is of vital importance. You can research ART on the computer, at the library, call an agency, contact an ART attorney's office, or a clinic. I suggest the computer first. There is so much that you need to know and gathering information online will help you to ask the "right" questions when you actually talk to a professional. Getting pregnant via IVF is NOT THAT EASY! The first thing that some women think is ' my pregnancies were so easy', or 'all my husband has to do is look at me and I get pregnant' or ' how hard can it be? Transferring pre-made embryos is practically a guarantee with me!' Oh contraire, my dear!

SO much more is involved becomming pregnant using IVF. Infertility Answers, LLC - What are a Surrogates Medical Responbilities? There is so much to know before you subject yourself to an egg donation. Infertility Answers, LLC - Before you give Consent to Donate Eggs Bringing a life into this world for another family carries so many responsibilities and sacrifices. Researching all aspects of ART before committing will help you face the challenges that will be waiting for you if you decide to move forward.

Sharon
www.InfertilityAnswers.net

One More Giraffe by Kim Noble: A LaMothe Book Review

One More Giraffe by Kim Noble is such a sweet little book...and I do mean little...perfect for small hands and short for the easily distracted toddler. Nine pages, illustrated by Stephanie Gibson, bring home the struggles of two Giraffes who want to have their own family but no matter how hard they tried they just couldn't do it alone. Then a "lady giraffe" comes along and offers them a very special gift and from there, with the help of a kind doctor and a long wait, they have their family.

This book introduces the simple concept of egg donation to the very young and opens the door to the telling their own story.

I highly recommend any new parent via egg donation to have One More Giraffe by Kim Noble on their little ones book shelf.

If at First You Don't Conceive: A Complete Guide to Infertility from One of the Nation's Leading Clinics by Dr. William Schoolcraft, MD, HCLD: A LaMothe Book Review

If at First You Don't Conceive: A Complete Guide to Infertility from One of the Nation's Leading Clinics by Dr. William Schoolcraft, MD, HCLD, will not be available for release until March 16, 2010 but I have had the pleasure of receiving an advanced copy and highly suggest that you pre-order yours now!

There are two hundred and sixty five pages in If at First You Don't Conceive: A Complete Guide to Infertility from One of the Nation's Leading Clinics and each and everyone of them are worth reading. If you have just found out that you have a problem with fertility, this must be the first book you read. Not only does Dr. Schoolcraft talk about being your own best advocate he writes about the most common fertility challenges, the most common solutions for those challenges and covers the emotional challenges as well. I love the fact that he includes stories from his patient's which makes you feel connected to what this book is all about, validation, education, support and solutions.

If you are not familiar with Dr. WILLIAM SCHOOLCRAFT, MD, HCLD, he is a fertility specialist and researcher and is the director of the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine.


Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/
*Please note: Sharon LaMothe is not a MD, is not an attorney nor does she hold a mental health degree. All advice given is solely the experienced opinion of Ms. LaMothe. If you have any medical, legal or psychological questions or concerns, please contact your own Doctor, Attorney or Mental Health Professional.

Improve Your BMI with the Wii Fit Plus: A LaMothe Product Review

I know that with the new year comes new resolutions and the same one is made every year by millions..."This is THE year I will Get in SHAPE and Lose WEIGHT! " For those suffering infertility, many have been told by their RE's that they need to be in a healthy BMI zone. Women who want to be Surrogates and Egg Donors also need to have a healthy Body Mass Index and it helps to be fit! Well, I received the Wii Fit Plus for my birthday (New Years Eve) and for someone who is at a desk all day it is great to get off my butt and play a game or two with my daughter and husband and at the same time get a little exercise in! It has become a family game night...every night ...of sorts. When can you get a 14 year old to spend any time out of their room playing with the parental units? So here is the secret...the Wii Fit and the Wii Fit Plus will make an hour seem like 15 minutes especially if you are wanting to beat the high score before bed. So far, I am the hula hoop champ! Read below for the particulars from the Wii Site! If you already own a Wii Fit or a Wii Fit Plus please let me know what you think of it!


Wii Fit™ attracted millions of new players to the world of video games. Now Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new features and enhancements to help players reinvigorate their workouts, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep them fun. Players will find a new dimension to the Wii Fit experience as they easily set their own customized workout routines or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time they have available. Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that focus on an individual’s personal fitness goals or certain target areas. And with the addition of activities like Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu, players will be using the Wii Balance Board™ accessory in a variety of new and fun ways.

Workouts combine the original Wii Fit activities and selections from 15 new balance games and six new strength training and yoga activities.

Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will suggest a number of diverse activities for them.

For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines.

Users might be asked to run an obstacle course across a series of platforms, zoom across a beach on a Segway® x2 Personal Transporter or flap their arms to help their hilarious chicken-suited characters aim for targets.

The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They’ll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all.

Players also can see estimates of calories burned and can even activate a feature that lets them weigh their dogs or cats.

Wii Fit Plus comes packaged with the Wii Balance Board accessory. For people who already own Wii Fit, the Wii Fit Plus disc will be available for purchase separately.

Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
http://infertilityanswers.org/
LaMothe Services, LLC
http://lamotheservices.com/

Question:What are the impacts of going to the US and purchasing an egg and are there any legal ramifications we would need to consider?

Hi Sharon,

My wife and I are looking at options for finding an egg donor as my wife is 43 and our doctor has told us that she thinks our chances of getting pregnant are less than 1%. We are form Canada where the laws are restrictive for receiving a donor egg.

What are the impacts of going to the US and purchasing an egg and are there any legal ramifications we would need to consider. In Canada the birth mother is considered the legal parent.

What would be the process to start the procedure and find a donor egg?

Thanks,

S & E

~~~~~~~~~~

Hello S & E,

Thank you for contacting me and you have a couple of very good questions. I first need to tell you that I am not an attorney nor do I claim to know any of the laws in Canada vs the USA.

Having said that I have a few suggestions for you. First of all you might consider finding a RE and clinic in the states. A majority of clinics offer their own egg donation program where you can easily find a local (to the clinic) donor, have the egg retrieval at the clinic and then 3 to 5 days later have the embryo transfer. Leftover embryos can be frozen and possibly moved to a clinic in Canada. For that matter you could actually have the egg donation happen in the states, fertilize them and freeze the embryos and then move them to Canada. I would consult with your RE/Clinic and see if they will work with this scenario. I would also contact a locate reproductive attorney to see what other options you might have.

Lets not forget that you are not "purchasing an egg" as eggs are "donated". You are reimbursing the donor for her time, pain and suffering for the donation. That cost alone can be anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 for a first time donor....and not usually over $10,000 according to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine guidelines. (ASRM) You can expect to get anywhere from 12-20 eggs on average depending on how well the egg donor stimulates. Over stimulation should be avoided at all costs. Not all eggs will fertilize but if they are healthy, most might.

If you want a certain type of egg donor (certain qualities or race) you might do better looking at egg donor agencies. These agencies do cost extra, however, they can find you a match that might meet your standards and give you more background information then you would normally receive from a clinic's egg donation data base. You may even have the option to meet the donor if you so choose.

I hope that this has answered your questions and I wish you all the best. You can read more about egg donation at http://infertilityanswers.org/.

Sharon

Sharon LaMothe

Infertility Answers, Inc.

http://infertilityanswers.org/

Infertility Answers, Inc~Research is Key

If you are considering Egg or Sperm Donation, Surrogacy or Embryo Donation, research is KEY! There are so many facets to the Third Party Family Building journey that it's imperative that those seeking to be donors or surrogates do their research as well as Intended Parents looking for the services offered from women advertising themselves as "good candidates". You can find information regarding these issues and more, including medical and legal concerns world wide, on Infertility Answers, Inc. http://infertilityanswers.org/ This easy to navigate site is perfect for those just starting to understand the complexities of Third Party Family Building.

Wishing you all the best!
Sharon LaMothe

Egg Donation: What You Need To Know

I feel that research and education regarding surrogacy and egg donation is so important. No matter what the media keeps saying about young women "selling their eggs" it's important too understand that a very small percentage actually qualifys to be an egg donor. The artical below is from Main Street. Comments?
Sharon
www.InfertilityAnswers.net for more infomation on Egg Donation.

By Eleni Himaras

Mountains of student loans against the backdrop of a bleak job market have many young women looking for quick money, and some are even considering selling their bodies. No, not that! We're talking eggs.

While the prospect of getting $5,000 for donating eggs may be appealing, it’s important that anyone considering this understand the commitment and time involved in donation.

Application

Most clinics require donors be between the ages of 21 and 33, have a body mass index of less than 27, be non-smokers, have a high school diploma or college degree, and be able to pass a physical and psychological screening. If an applicant meets those requirements, she can usually apply online with a local fertility clinic. Some clinics may disqualify applicants who have a family history of diseases or those who were adopted and cannot provide a family medical history.

If the online application is accepted, donors will be put through a series of medical and psychological screenings to ensure that they are healthy and capable of making an informed decision to donate.
“We get 2,500 online applicants a year. Only 5% make it to the point where they have passed the prescreening,” says Michele Purcell, supervisor for the donor egg and gestational carrier program at Shady Grove Fertility Center in Maryland.

Donation

Once a couple and donor have been matched, the donor will be asked to begin taking birth control pills to regulate her cycle to match the recipient mother's. Once the cycles have been synced and a donation date has been set, the donor will begin giving herself a series of injections with fertility medication.

During this time, the donor will need to make frequent visits to the clinic for monitoring. Typically, an ovary produces one developed egg per month. The medication will allow multiple eggs to develop each month.

“Usually most donors have very few side effects, maybe localized side effects,” Purcell says. “They take daily injections for about a week, then twice daily injections until retrieval.”

Throughout this period, clinics may ask donors to abstain from sex completely or use specific methods of birth control to make sure the donor does not become pregnant

The process takes approximately two months from donor selection to egg transplant. Once the eggs are deemed ready for retrieval, the donor will undergo a two- to three-hour procedure in which the doctor will vaginally remove the eggs while the donor is sedated.

The process can cause cramping and discomfort that will last for a few days.

Finding a Clinic
Although there are no specific statutes governing the practice of egg donation, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology has a set of practical and ethical guidelines that its members agree to abide by, including a general $5,000 compensation cap and a high standard of informed consent.

“Anybody who’s interested in donating needs to get in touch with a reputable clinic who’s looking for donors,” says SART spokesperson Sean Tipton. “They need to make sure they are fully informed and fully comfortable with the decision.”
The best way, he says, to find a reputable clinic is to make sure that they are members of SART and adhere to their standards. Also, he says the $5,000 cap can be flexible in special circumstances. However, those circumstances should never involve compensation based on donor characteristics like height or education.

“Our guidelines are very explicit that the compensation is for the time and commitment,” he says. “One of the reasons that we put a cap on the compensation is that you don’t want to give people too much of an incentive to be less than honest about the medical histories.”

Tipton says the notion that egg donations have increased with the recession is untrue. While the interest may have increased, donors must still decide it is something they want to do, meet the guidelines and be chosen by a couple in need in order to donate.

'You Asked, We Answered': Questions About Egg Donation

I loved reading this article last year and know that people wanting to donate have a lot of questions that should be answered by a Dr. Read below to see the answers to some common questions.

Sharon

"World News With Charles Gibson" aired a report on egg donation and invited viewers to ask questions. Our expert contributor, Dr. Rick Paulson, has answered some of your questions below.


Question: How do I find out where I can donate my eggs in my area? Is there a Web site where safe or approved sites or facilities that perform the extraction are listed by ZIP code?

Tara in Emmaus, Pa.

Paulson: I would recommend two Web sites: The first is the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM,), where you can find specialists, a listing of the programs in your area, etc. The other Web site you may want to check out is the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SOCREI). I would suggest that you choose a physician who is board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and these are listed on that Web site.

Question: Where do we go for information on donating our eggs? Whom do we contact? Who pays for the medication that we take before we donate our eggs? Who is actually paying us for our eggs? Where is the list of agencies in our own city/state that want to buy our eggs? How much can we get paid for our eggs?

Seleta in Charlotte, N.C.

Paulson: It's very nice that you want to donate; an infertile couple will be very grateful! We don't consider it "buying" or "selling" eggs, but rather that you donate, and are reimbursed for your time and trouble! There is no cost to you, and a typical payment ranges from $2,500 to $,5000. The recipient couple pays for the medications and the medical treatment. You should start with the Web sites of the professional organizations that deal with infertility and egg donation, like those mentioned above (or click here for ASRMWeb site, or here for SOCREI,) to find a doctor and practice near you. That practice can then either match you to a recipient couple directly, or it can direct you to an agency it likes to work with.

Question: What are the cancer or other health risks, short and long term, associated with the many drugs used to stimulate the ovaries?
Linda in Dix Hills, N.Y.

Paulson: Every medical procedure is associated with some degree of risk. Some risks are known, and others may not be known. As of now, egg donation is about 20 years old. We know that some 1 percent of donors experience ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (where the ovaries get very swollen and the donor becomes bloated and uncomfortable) to the point where it interferes with her life to an appreciable degree for about two weeks. The egg retrieval is associated with a very rare but possible risk of bleeding and infection (much less than 1 percent).

There were several studies that seemed to link ovarian stimulation to ovarian cancer, but they have been disproved, at least for now. So at the present time, there is no proven reason for limiting the number of donations. However, because we know we don't know everything, most programs recommend limiting the number of donations to five or six. But this is an arbitrary rule, and is not based on a risk of cancer. And yes, having babies decreases the risk of ovarian cancer by quite a bit (30 percent for the first pregnancy, more with additional pregnancies).

Question: Does undergoing fertility treatments and all the medication one takes over years of trying to conceive increase the risk of ovarain cancer? Are any of the drugs more likely to cause ovarain cancer? How and where would one get more info, and what should one ask a doctor for? Thanks for giving your time to a looming question long after treatment.
Maria in Ill.

Paulson: See links to Web site above for additional information on these issues.

Question: I was an egg donor at the age of 20, and now that I am 27 and trying to have a baby, I can't. I have had four miscarriages. Have there been any kind of studies on women who donated their eggs and having subsequent problems of getting pregnant themselves?

Barbara in Melbourne, Fla.

Paulson: What bad luck! It would be very interesting to know if the recipient of your eggs actually had a baby when you donated. As far as we know, there is no effect of egg donation on subsequent fertility, or on the risk of a subsequent miscarriage. Remember that there are many reasons for miscarriages, and they may include factors such as your male partner. Also, your uterus was not a factor in being an egg donor but may be a factor in miscarriages. I would suggest that you see a reproductive endocrinology specialist to evaluate your situation. With a complete work-up, chances should be on your side that you will eventually be successful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paulson is chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Southern California and co-author of "Rewinding Your Biological Clock: Motherhood Late in Life: Options, Issues, and Emotions."

What do you mean I can't get a new tattoo?!

I thought I would write a FYI here because there are some potential Egg Donors and Surrogates out there that are not aware that you can not donate your eggs or become a surrogate if you have had a tattoo or body piercing within the past 6 months to a year. (In most cases it's 6 months for the piercing's and a year for the tattoo unless you have written proof that the needles used were disposable and in that case, you would be free and clear to donate or volunteer to carry.) This requirement is a safeguard against the risk of infectious diseases. Obviously any tattoos you have that are over a year old are fine!

This was the easiest Q & A ever!
Sharon
www.InfertilityAnswers.net

The Donor Network Alliance ~Intended parents in control of the egg donor search process

Are you tired of looking from agency website to egg donor data base searching for that perfect donor? Then I suggest that you visit the brand new Donor Network Alliance (DNA)! Read the press release below and check it out! I would love to hear your comments and feed back!

Sharon
www.InfertilityAnswers.net

A new Web site has launched that facilitates the search for egg donors by prospective parents undergoing alternative reproductive processes. The Donor Network Alliance (DNA) http://www.donornetworkalliance.com/ is the first and only consolidated source of egg donors recruited by multiple agencies across the United States.


Membership-based DNA was started by three competing Chicago egg donor agencies that saw the need to pool resources: The Center for Egg Options (CEO), Northbrook, IL; ConceiveAbilities, and Alternative Reproductive Resources (ARR), both of Chicago.


"DNA is needed as the fertility field grows in size and complexity," said Robin von Halle, president of ARR. "This has resulted in a proliferation of agencies that recruit egg donors, which makes weighing agency and donor choices more costly, confusing and time consuming for intended parents."


The DNA Web site is the portal to a robust, searchable database of hundreds of anonymous egg donor candidates represented by donor recruitment firms of all sizes across the country. It is expected to house at least 10,000 profiles from participating agencies by the end of its first year in business.


For a nominal fee, subscribers have unlimited access to the database for the two-week usage term. They can search according to various parameters, from ethnic descent to eye and hair color. Searches can be saved. Favorites can be flagged. Each donor profile is posted alongside her agency, which can be e-mailed directly from the site for further information.


"It's all about putting the intended parents in control of the egg donor search process," said Nazca Fontes, president of ConceiveAbilities. "This helps them avoid excessive research of multiple agencies, tracking multiple usernames and passwords, and paying multiple usage fees. It's a needed improvement of the customer experience."



Nancy Block, president of CEO, noted that egg donor agencies also benefit in an environment where it's costly and difficult to achieve differentiation. "DNA helps to level the playing field, giving participating agencies exposure to far more prospective parents through a shared site than they'd see individually," she said.


Find the Donor Network Alliance at www.donornetworkalliance.com. For further information, e-mail info@donornetworkalliance.com or call 877-DNA-EGGS (362-3447).

Infertility Answers Online; A Support Messgae Board for IP's, ED's and Surrogates

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday! And now it's time to start all over again in 2009....or continue what was started in 2008! Over the weekend I decided to add a simple message board on Infertility Answers called Infertility Answers Online (IAO). It has two simplistic categories; Surrogacy and Egg Donation. If you are an Intended Parent, Surrogate, or Egg Donor, please check this out! If you need support, have a question or concern then I am hoping that this forum will be an asset as you use Third Party Family Formation to build a family. http://infertilityanswers.net/infertility_answers_online Your feedback is always welcome!

Happy New Year!

Sharon LaMothe

Infertility Answers, Inc.~Information about Reproductive Technology
http://infertilityanswers.org/

LaMothe Services, LLC~Services for your ART Business
http://lamotheservices.com/

Surrogacy 101~Learn more about Third Party Family Building
http://infertilityanswers.typepad.com/surrogacy_101/ http://surrogacy101.blogspot.com/