[fruitless]

46, and frantic. No man, no relationship, but don't want to lose any chance I might still have ==to have at least half my own child. Assuming I'm ovulating, and I am in good health, is there any possibility that I could get pregnant with donor sperm? One fertility doc I went to, said it's a waste of time and money, and I should do donor eggs. But, it's my money, and it's a lot cheaper to do a few times of donor sperm, than 30 thousand or more, for donor eggs and donor sperm.

Anyway, that's question one. Second question. Is what is the procedure like? Would I need washed or unwashed sperm? Does the insemination hurt? Are the chemicals in the vials harmful to the cervix in anyway? Meaning is there burning or any residual problems afterwards, whether it works or not??? I'm allergic to penicillen, and I think that is in the vials....

Last question...
How safe is this sperm? Human error, is out there, and how do we know this sperm is golden? Could them, make mistakes, with checking for diseases, or giving you the wrong sperm?

Thanks.

[Cheri]

First - ! Glad your here! I have learned so much here!!

My RE said he would not do IVF with my eggs because it would just be taking my money and he won't do it.
I don't think it is all about his success rate. Everyone expects the rates to be low over 42 and would not judge an RE by the low stats...maybe more question their ethics for doing it.

This report from the CDC convinced me: Section 2 Questions: 2005 ART Report | CDC Reproductive Health
Especially these 2 charts:
figure14lg.jpg

figure15lg.jpg

Someone has to be in the 8%, so It's not impossible.

Good luck with your decision, I know it's a tough but once my RE basically told me it was donor eggs or no baby, it was a pretty easy decision, but believe me, I had to deal with the loss by going through some mourning and feeling sorry for myself.....

[colleen]

Originally Posted by fruitless

46, and frantic. No man, no relationship, but don't want to lose any chance I might still have ==to have at least half my own child. Assuming I'm ovulating, and I am in good health, is there any possibility that I could get pregnant with donor sperm? One fertility doc I went to, said it's a waste of time and money, and I should do donor eggs. But, it's my money, and it's a lot cheaper to do a few times of donor sperm, than 30 thousand or more, for donor eggs and donor sperm.

Anyway, that's question one. Second question. Is what is the procedure like? Would I need washed or unwashed sperm? Does the insemination hurt? Are the chemicals in the vials harmful to the cervix in anyway? Meaning is there burning or any residual problems afterwards, whether it works or not??? I'm allergic to penicillen, and I think that is in the vials....

Last question...
How safe is this sperm? Human error, is out there, and how do we know this sperm is golden? Could them, make mistakes, with checking for diseases, or giving you the wrong sperm?

Thanks.

I can't speak to the question of using donor eggs since I haven't had to think about that. But we've been using donor sperm since the beginning so I think I can answer some of your questions about that.

The procedure, assuming you're talking about an IUI, is much like a pap test. No more painful than that. You would need washed sperm, but some clinics prefer you to purchase unwashed and then they spin it themselves on the morning of. I've never had, nor ever heard of, the sperm causing irritation to the cervix. Doing an IUI, the sperm is placed inside the uterus, thus bypassing the cervix altogether. There's nothing added to the sperm, no chemicals or anything like that... certainly no penicillin!

About how safe donor sperm is, well of course there's always the small chance that something could have escaped testing. But there's so much regulation and strict testing and quarantining that I don't think it's anything to worry about. I believe that all samples of donor sperm made are put in quarantine for 6 months before testing and made available. I also know that sperm banks, at least the reputable ones, are very picky about who they accept as a donor. Something like only 10% of guys who apply to become a donor are actually accepted, based on medical history and quality of the sperm.

Having said that, it is possible to get an occasional dud sample. During our last IUI, the sample was only like 1.5 million post-wash and 37% motility. I would check when you're purchasing to see what the sperm bank's policy is on refunds. Sometimes they have low allowances for motility, so that's something to keep in mind.

Our clinic was very strict about having us check the order number of sperm on the day of IUI to make sure that we were using the sperm that we actually purchased.

Good luck!

[J-LYN]

I understand your dilemma(?).. I went to three Re's before I started IVF... two said that if they wouldn't even take my money if my FSH was over 12... the third... (which I chose to use) Is one of the best Dr.s around, and will let women over 40 and hign fsh cycle to try to use our eggs.

Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have wasted 40k on trying my own eggs..... all out of pocket, and the chances were so slim, but like they say... someone has got to be in that 8% right?

I wish I would not have been against DE (I was at first) simply because I wanted to use my own... as anyone usually does.

No one can make your decision for you, but I will suggest this. If you must, try IUI first, and if your not responding, re think your options.

Welcome to the group, and blessings on your journey to motherhood.

J-lyn

[infertilitynovice]

I also can't attest to using donor eggs, but I just wanted to echo what the other post said about the proceedure and the sperm itself. For me, the proceedure was very quick too, but it was extremely painful, but I also had some freak reaction. My uterus was none too happy about having something put into it and just as my OB released the sperm it completely clamped down in a major contraction. Honestly, I was terrified that the "goods" came squirting out too, but since I'm now 27 weeks pregnant now, at least one determined girly sperm made it through I had really awful cramps for almost an hour after the IUI and couldn't get off the table. Rest assured, I've never heard of another lady on this site having the time I had, so I seriously doubt you will have that trouble if you do choose to do the IUI.

As for getting dud sperm or something that slipped through their system, the odds are in your favor that everything will be just fine. I have heard of several ladies getting lower counts than promised, so follow the advice of the other post and check out their guarentee policy. And as far as testing goes, the process is rigorous and the chance that something got through is almost nothing. Hey, look at it this way...we ladies who are pregnant through donor IUI have the highest quality "stuff" out there. If we got pregnant through a one-night stand, someone we were causually dating, or even our husbands, they would not have gone through the "weeding" process that these donors have gone through. The average couple who has a child does not get genetic testing done unless they know for sure they could be the carriers of something. We're getting the cream of the crop...no pun intended

Good luck with your process and I wish you much success!

[fruitless]

I appreciate your answers.