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The Road Less Traveled: Egg Donors and Surrogacy

Why women use egg donors and surrogacy

Not everyone can have a biological baby baked with all of their own “ingredients.” Some women need to rely on egg donors and surrogacy. Here are two women, each with healthy children today. They reflect on what brought them to resolve infertility on their own terms.

Egg donors and surrogacy – Laurie chose a gestational carrier

Laurie had no trouble conceiving. In fact she was pregnant five times. However, after her daughter was born, the unexplained miscarriages came one after the other in her second trimester. Even though this Charlotte, NC native was pregnant for the fifth time, she didn’t tell anyone. She made a “just in case” appointment with a surrogacy attorney. She miscarried one week before her meeting date.

“My mom was sending me articles about adoption, but I knew I really wanted my own biological baby. I didn’t want to risk my health with another pregnancy attempt.” She and her husband had money saved for a rainy day. Laurie remembers thinking: “It’s raining. Let’s get it done.”

In January 2002, Laurie and her husband met with a gestational carrier. That meant Laurie’s egg and her husband’s sperm would form the embryo that doctors transferred into the carrier’s uterus in an IVF cycle. Exactly one year later, the couple welcomed a healthy baby boy into their lives.

Michelle ‘adopted’ an egg and delivered a baby

After 2 1/2 years, three IUIs and no luck, 36-year-old Michelle moved on to IVF. Two cycles failed, and she was told that egg quality was likely the reason. “We had one cycle left under our insurance plan,” she said. “It was, quite literally, our last shot.”

The doctor broached the subject of donor eggs with Michelle, explaining that it would greatly increase the success rate. “Absolutely not,” she remembers saying. “I didn’t get into this to have someone else’s baby.” Michelle’s husband, however, supported any option that would increase their chances.

Michelle came to the conclusion that she was willing to adopt an egg instead of a child. “It was the means to the end. All of the nurturing that the child needed, both while in the womb and once he or she was born, would be mine to give.”

From the moment the doctor’s office told Michelle she was pregnant, she remembers thinking: “This baby is mine and I’m so grateful this option was available to us.”

Helping parents with donor eggs and surrogacy

At some point, you individually or as a couple will need to ask, “What appeals to us more…being pregnant or being a parent?” If starting or growing a family is your priority, you have options. Texas Fertility Center provides a comprehensive array of proven treatments.

Some parents-to-be will achieve their dream of starting a family through egg donors and surrogacy. Texas Fertility Center counsels patients to begin treatment with some idea of how far they are willing to go to achieve a pregnancy. Contact us to learn more.

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