A kind-hearted Edinburgh mum has shared her journey to become an egg donor in the hope that it encourages others to undertake the process.
The woman, whose identity has to be protected as part of the NHS donation programme, says that she wants to share what she has undertaken so that others may be motivated to follow suit and give potential parents, who have longed for a child, the opportunity to start their own family.
The mum-of-two says that she was first alerted to becoming an egg donor when scouring through social media and being met with adverts for becoming a surrogate.
READ MORE - Edinburgh set for two inches of snow an hour as '1,000km Beast from the East 2' hits
She says that it felt too much to put her body through that process again but that the egg donation element did not phase her as much in theory.
Admittedly suffering from feeling down on occasions, she says that what helps her feel as though she has “earned her space in this world” is doing something kind for someone else.
This led to her making the immensely brave and selfless decision to undergo IVF treatment so that she could donate her eggs.
On what motivated her to become a donor, she said: “Personally I am done with having kids myself and in my mind I would like to give someone an amazing gift rather than waste my fertility.
“It doesn’t bother me at all as I don’t regard it as my child. I’ll donate an egg and then in two weeks it will be over for me.
“Another woman will carry through pregnancy, give birth and raise their child. I surprisingly have not found it too daunting. The donation process is scarier when you think and talk about it rather than when you are actually doing it.
“A motivation for me is that sometimes I have struggles with my mental health and I feel one way I snap out of it is to try to do something nice for someone else, which sort of earns my place in the world. It feels nice to think I’ve done something worthwhile with my day.
“I once heard someone say that it is amazing the ability of human beings to act with goodness and compassion and shine a light into the life of others. I feel as though that is a nice approach to live by and making people happy is a nice legacy despite feeling powerless in so many senses.
“I have had a miscarriage in the past and know the heartache that this can cause. When I spoke to a councillor who deals primarily in donations they said that the couples who end up using donated eggs have often had a series of losses and several cycles of unsuccessful IVF using their own eggs.”
When telling her family that she was going to donate her eggs they were all extremely supportive. Her eldest daughter said that she thought it was amazing that her mummy wanted to help others. She even commented - without truly understanding the process - that she would like to help if she could as well.
When looking into becoming a donor, she had to fill out a questionnaire on the NHS website and send it off to the UK fertility regulator (HFEA) who then got back to her within a couple of weeks.
It is believed that the processing of the applications has sped up since the pandemic as Covid-19 had delayed desperate families from accessing this vital service. The demand for eggs is greater than the current supply.
On how the process works, she said: “I sent off my application in November and it was really quick by the time they got back to me. A woman who coordinates donations at the Royal Infirmary arranged an appointment for me where I underwent a lot of screening.
“This is to check for any medical conditions in the family - your general genetic issues. They take blood and urine samples just to make sure nothing is untoward.
“Everything came back ok and they asked if I would be willing to do IVF in February. In the beginning you do one injection for four days into your tummy and then introduce a second afterwards.
“You then attend the hospital to see how the eggs are doing. They are really relaxed as they do not want to put any pressure or stress on you.
“All in all it takes around 10 days to two weeks. I’m sort of just taking it as it comes and I feel pretty calm during the process.
“On the IVF I feel a bit tired and nauseous but that is it. My concern was that injecting hormones would send me crazy for a couple of weeks but three days before they harvest the eggs they give me a trigger shot that makes them mature.
“At that point I might feel a bit rough, like I would feel the day before my period, but it is not the mad hormonal roller coaster I thought it would be.
“I feel very fortunate as at the end of the two weeks when I go under general anaesthetic and the eggs are retrieved I will have no emotional stakes. Throughout the process I think about the women longing for a baby and I just hope it works out for them.
“After a year I will find out whether it has been successful. The only information you receive is whether a child was born using your eggs, what gender they are and the year of birth.
“For consanguinity purposes the HFEA records my name and the donor conceived baby names so that if they want to know more about their genetics they can do so by finding out non-identifying information at 16.
“At the age of 18 they can find out who I am in case they want to reach out and ask any questions about their genetics.
“If they ever wanted to get in touch I’d be curious to see them and happy to meet and answer any questions. But it is my understanding that you do not have to accept their approach to meet.”
She adds that when she will give her donation it gives her peace knowing that the baby that will result from it will have been longed for by the family.
On anyone else looking to donate, she advised: “I would encourage anyone who is remotely interested to look into it. You are not bound to follow through with it.
“You can change your mind right up until the embryo is implanted. If it is something that you are interested in then reach out to the NHS.
“I feel as though my interests are being looked after throughout the process.”
Fertility Scotland, who run the campaign for egg donors for the NHS, say that donors must be aged between 18-35 and be generally healthy with no significant illnesses or inherited diseases.
They must be able to provide a biological family history and be a non-smoker. Egg donors must also be able to commit to the programme for about three months.
On their site, they say: “In some cases people undergoing fertility treatment cannot use their own sperm or their own eggs but need help to start a family using eggs or sperm donated by others.
“Donating eggs or sperm is something that requires careful consideration, but if it’s right for you then you have the potential to give the joy of starting a family to those people in Scotland who need help becoming parents.
“Scottish Government and NHS Scotland are now running a national donor recruitment campaign.
“Egg donation is carried out at one of four centres across Scotland – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.”
Dr Maya Chetty, Consultant Gynaecologist with NHS Lothian and Clinical Lead for the Edinburgh Fertility Centre, said: “Donation is a really powerful gift, with more than 200 people in Scotland currently looking for an egg or sperm donor to help start or expand their families.
“Donation requires careful consideration but we’re here to support donors through that process and help them make the right decision for them.
“Egg donors must be aged 18 to 35 with no significant illnesses or inherited diseases, a non-smoker and able to provide a biological family history and commit to the programme for about three months.
“If you think donation might be right for you, you can find more information at www.fertility.scot”
If you would like to proceed please contact your closest centre with your name, phone number and preferred method of contact
Dundee: tay.acudonor@nhs.scot
Glasgow: ACSDonor@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Aberdeen: gram.afcdonation@nhs.scot
Edinburgh: Edin.Donor@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
You can also find out more about how you can help to give others the chance to become a parent by clicking here.
READ NEXT:
Marks & Spencer Valentine's Day deals as popular Dine In for £20 returns
Woman snubbed by bridal party as best friend and bride-to-be turns sour
Worried mum films rat stealing young daughter's food in vermin-infested home
Swanky Edinburgh apartment with key to 'secret walled garden' hits market
Sky true crime series to examine notorious murder of Edinburgh woman by her neighbour
