One year ago, my friend gave birth to their Rainbow Baby (baby born after loss/miscarriage) after five rounds of IVF. And that was it for me.
I had a friend in high school who suffered Endometriosis at age 14. She was deemed infertile. My daughters’ first cousin has been through seven rounds of IVF with no success.
But it was the rainbow baby.... that did it.
So soon after he was born I inquired about becoming an egg donor. I’ve had mandatory counseling, blood tests, more counseling, thick wads of consent and medical history documents to fill in, referrals from my GP (PCP), and many many phone calls with clinic liaison people. Tomorrow I go for the final consultation, where I get the timetable of how it will all go down, the pill to ensure my cycle is where it should be for optimum egg production, and a prescription for thousands of dollars worth of fertility drugs. And in six weeks, they will collect as many eggs as they can.
I am allowed to disclose as much as I want to, to the recipient and any child conceived, knowing that they will be informed completely as late as their 18th birthday. I have offered complete disclosure and access.. they can meet me and my children even prior to conception, or at any time after. I would like to be a part of a child’s life if they wanted me to be. I have even told the girls what I am doing, and they are supportive, too.
I am allowed to name recipients for my eggs. Specific friends who can have my eggs. So I contacted my friend from when we were 14. I said… I know the waiting queue is long.. years long… and if she was happy to receive my eggs, I can name her and she would skip the wait and be pregnant as early as christmas this year. She informed me she was 16 weeks pregnant.
I cried.
Anyway. That starts tomorrow. I haven’t told many people. Ian knows of course, as do my children, and a few friends like Sarai who may have to drive me to Hobart for the collection procedure.
Hopefully I can do many donations.
-SP
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