A half decade ago, a baby was produced by state of the art infertility technology from the inventory of The World-Egg Bank of frozen eggs. At the time, the company was the first egg bank located in the United States and are specialists in frozen eggs shipping around the world.

Avery-Lee Kennedy in Kentucky, now 5 years-old, said that she just loves kindergarten and one day would like to be a teacher.

Avery Kennedy came into the world on the eve of New Year in 2005, after the first in-vitro successful procedure using the frozen eggs. Well-known fertility specialists Dr. Jeffrey Boldt and Dr. James Akin performed this successful procedure. The specialists are also the directors who founded The World-Egg Bank located in Arizona.

47 year-old Wendy Kennedy, Avery’s mother, and a cancer nurse at the University-of Kentucky, was the first successful patient to become impregnated using frozen donated eggs from The World-Egg Bank.

Avery, her beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair, is of Irish and German decent, which is a very similar background to mommy and daddy. Avery’s parents say that the little one loves ballet, singing in the choir and soccer.

The Kennedy’s said that Avery is a true blessing, although many would consider her some kind of medical miracle. They boasted that Avery is their little girl and that was just awesome!

Frozen eggs are an option for patients. Advanced technology is used in the freezing process and it is nothing like freezing embryos or sperm. Freezing embryos and sperm has always been common and it is a routine treatment used in fertility. Women who have infertile eggs now have the opportunity to fall pregnant using the embryo that is created from the donor eggs.

Research made replacing a female’s infertile eggs with donor eggs simple, the same as it is simple to replace a male’s infertile sperm with donor sperm. The World-Egg Bank is confident with its products, because the bank will provide a guarantee if less than 60 percent of donor eggs bought do not make it through the melting process. The rate of pregnancy is equivalent to the donor eggs.

Diana Thomas, CEO and President of The World-Egg Bank, said that the transferal process of donor eggs is not complicated. She added that the process is less costly, geographical barriers do not exist, it is more predictable and when it is it is bought from The World-Egg Bank, a guarantee is included.

The Kennedy’s were lucky first time around

Wendy Kennedy said that she knows of people who had the in-vitro performed and kept it a secret. She went on saying that the procedure is nothing to be embarrassed about. Wendy wants couples that are unable to fall pregnant to understand that the technology to make it possible is available, and five years later, technology has advanced.

The cost of a procedure ranges from $15,000 to $20,000. Traditional egg donations can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000 and there are still unpredictable expenses included going the traditional way. The technological advancements and the success of freezing eggs have made using fresh eggs less stressful and much more convenient for females and couples.

Resource: montrealgazette.com

For many people family life is the natural order of things, for others it’s a dream that seems to be insurmountable, almost every person on the planet has a wish to experience that unique experience of being a parent to a beautiful girl or handsome little boy.

Children have a way of completing a family, making it whole and although at times difficult, the experience is rewarding in so many ways.

For a woman the birth of a baby is an achievement beyond description, as each birth as unique to each person, for some women it’s a life changing experience beyond anything they ever expected. When a woman first finds out that she is expecting a baby, her emotions are quite confusing, already she realises that there is a unique little being growing inside her. Many women’s emotions are all over the place, it’s hard for some people to understand the myriad of different emotions that women go through when she discovers she is pregnant.

Fear and happiness are two seemingly conflicting emotions yet they are often part of this wondrous process of realising that life is indeed growing inside of her womb. Yet fear is natural, it need not be disaster but a certain amount of fear is quite normal as one’s body is changing is so many ways. Excitement, awe, adrenalin rush, exhilaration, turmoil are all part of this mix-match of emotions added to that the responsibility of being a parent and helping guide a child to adulthood are part of the whole package of parenthood.

Two people who have a great love for each other feel that a baby will complete their family life; both will experience their own emotions of the whole complex structure of a nucleus of a family structure. The many different facets of family life weave a spell that binds each person by a common DNA thread. The bonds within a family structure are indeed something to work for, to long for, and an achievement to strive for.

For some women this dream is something that they wish to attain but they are struggling to achieve it. They feel that their body clock is indeed running out and although they have strived so hard to conceive, the situation seems untenable and unattainable. Many have undergone extensive tests, infertility treatments that have failed, have tried every method that they have read about including old wives tales of method of falling pregnant, measured body temperature, watched menstrual cycles, tried conceiving at a woman’s most fertile periods, tests and more tests, eggs are not fertile, sperm count is low, all factors that make it difficult for that egg and sperm to finally meet and ‘marry’. Today In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures with donor eggs can achieve that magical marriage of egg and sperm to give many women that chance they truly deserve, a baby that will complete their family life and make their lives whole.

When a match had been established and donor and recipient are in agreement, all legal proceedings dealt with both women begin a multi-step process before the actual egg harvesting.

The first step is to synchronize the menstrual cycles of both women. There are a few steps in this process and the women are taught how to administer their own medication – tablets and injections. The first day of the donor’s menses the physical will assess the donor’s ovarian function; this is carried out through blood tests, and an ultrasound of the vaginal area. The donor will also be put on a course of birth control pills.

The following step suppresses the donor’s natural ovulation. A daily injection of gonadotropin (GnRH) agonists, this will shut down the hormones that are secreted by the pituitary gland. This is a four week process during that time the donor will take her birth control pills, the daily injection; plus, she will also have regular blood tests and ultrasounds to monitor the process. The next step is the cessation of the birth control pills – the donor has a menstrual period that should synchronize with the recipient’s cycle.

The next part of the process is the ovarian stimulation process, when the donor will inject herself with hormones to help stimulate releasing of multiple eggs that are mature. In a normal cycle a woman only releases one egg a month. The recipient will also use medication that will suppress her ovulation as well as thickening the uterus in preparation for the embryo implantation.

The donor will have frequent ultrasounds and blood tests during the ovarian stimulation process, the egg follicle development will be monitored, and when the follicles are found to be fully developed then the donor will inject herself with human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), this will help the eggs to separate from the follicle walls ready for retrieval. At the same time the donor will begin a course of progesterone injections which will prepare for the embryo transfer.

Once the hCG injection has been administered, the eggs will be collected between thirty four to thirty six hours after the injection, using an ultrasound-guided needle. The timing of this part is crucial. And the procedure is done under anesthesia.

The next stage is to combine the harvested eggs with the sperm, then a few days later the incubated eggs, usually 2 to 4 embryos are then put in place inside the recipient’s uterus this process is done using a thin tube which will be inserted going through her cervix. This part is called the in vitro fertilization (IVF).
All the eggs harvested in a cycle will be inseminated, and any surplus eggs legally belong to a recipient and she can choose to save them through the cryopreservation process to be used for any future pregnancy attempts.

There are a few reasons why a woman cannot produce healthy eggs, poor egg quality, they are menopausal; they have genetic disorders or chromosomal problems, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, ovarian surgery or are over the age of 39, or have not been successful with fertility drug.

The decision to choose egg donation is usually done in conjunction with a referral of their doctor to a fertility doctor or clinic. Many of the fertility clinics work with individuals or couples, and some have a need for sperm donation as well as egg donation. Each situation is unique and the right decisions need to be made.

The beginning of this whole process is blood test, a pap smear, uterine evaluation and cultures are taken. A recipient who receives an egg donation must have a uterus that is in good working order, if not, then they will have to use a surrogate mother. Older women over 40 years of age are required to undergo a mammogram and women over 45 have extra tests that need to be carried out, this will usually include a chest X-ray, a EKG, a basic blood test, and a fasting metabolic panel. As well as this battery of tests recipients are asked to participate in a psychological evaluation and undergo financial and legal counselling.

When deciding to undergo Egg Donation Treatment a legal contract needs to be entered into, which will establish financial responsibility for expenses that will be incurred, the financial costs among most clinics in South Africa range from R25,000 to around R50,000 depending on the clinic and area. The donor also receives an amount for their participation that’s usually around R5,000 to R6,000. Other expenses that might be necessary are travelling, hotel and other accommodation related expenses. Medical Aids in South Africa usually don’t cover this aspect so check with Medical Aid provider first before starting the process.

Once the decision has been made he potential recipient will work with Clinic or organisation that works with donor eggs. Candidate selection is usually anonymous. There are databases of donor eggs that can be sorted out by religion, race, hair and colour of eyes, ethnic origin, level of education are factors that are considered. The potential recipient will also be required to fill in a personal profile letter that will be shared with the donor. The personal profile should not identify the recipient or detail the couples struggle to conceive. The potential recipient could select several possible donors, the clinic will contact the donor to share profiles and find out availability of the donors, to eventually find a match that is suitable and agreeable to both parties.

Thus, a potential donor recipient will begin the journey to the next stage which will be discussed in the next bog post.

For some women the whole getting pregnant is fraught with frustration and disappointment, and many have tried so many different ways to fall pregnant. It can be so disheartening each month when that pregnancy test reveals a negative instead of a positive. And they reach a point in looking at Egg Donation as an option, but they are not too sure how it works and what is involved.

We all understand that to get pregnant you need to produce an egg which will meet the sperm and a match is made, but that’s the problem some women have difficulty in producing eggs or the quality of their eggs are not healthy enough to succeed. If a pregnancy should succeed it’s usually difficult for the woman to carry a baby to term.

The situation is bad enough not getting pregnant at all, it’s a lot worse
when you find you are pregnant and then a few weeks or even a couple of months into the pregnancy it miscarries. All hopes and dreams scattered, until you try again and again. All this frustration can be ended with Egg Donation.

Yearly there are about 100,000 women who have their eggs harvested, about 90% of these women do so for their own fertility treatment, and the other 10% the eggs are harvested as donor eggs to help other women with their fertility problems.

In a process called assisted reproductive technology (ART), the eggs are surgically removed from the ovaries, they are then combined with the sperm in a laboratory setting, once the eggs have successfully taken then they will be either returned to the original donor or donated to another woman. There are three methods of doing this the most commonly known is IVF or In Vitro Fertilization, GIFT Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer and ZIFT Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer. This whole process began in the 1980’s when in the first baby was conceived from a donor egg and was born during 1984.

1. Sleep depravation can often trigger pregnancy fatigue – it stands to reason that if you are tired then your body will not cope well and this might affect your baby. So getting good nights sleep 8-10 hours will help you and your baby.
2. Pregnancy fatigue is the body’s way of telling you that it is adjusting to natural hormone changes that are taking place. Added to this is the additional weight that you will be carrying as the baby grows, this can help increase aches and pains and also make sleeping more difficult.
3. If your sleep is insufficient then try to schedule some nap time during the day to help you get more rest. You can choose to lie down or just sit in a chair for twenty to thirty minutes to give you a break during the day.
4. If you are finding that your nighttimes sleep pattern is erratic, drink some decaffeinated herbal tea that is quite safe for you and baby.
5. Breathing exercises are also another way to de-stress and relax you for sleep at night.
6. A healthy eating habit during pregnancy is another good method of eliminating stress and stress overload. Besides eating well helps in ensuring that your baby receive all its nutritional needs and its growth is optimised. Your average increase of calories during your pregnancy period should be around 300 calories a day. Avoid junk foods and foods with empty nutrition that can contribute to your pregnancy fatigue.
7. Iron deficiency is another leading cause of fatigue, get your iron levels checked and be sure you are getting enough.
8. Light exercise like a walk around the block, or light yoga exercises can also help energise you and alleviate your pregnancy fatigue.

This is the time that you want to have your body in peak condition to ensure that your precious cargo is well cared for and will avoid any unnecessary complications.

The couple who donated the embryo to 42 year old woman had already completed their family through IVF treatment, offered the remaining embryos that were frozen to other couples who could use them and this baby boy is proof that it can be successful even after 20 years being frozen.
Medical advances today are incredible, giving so much hope to infertile couples. Embryo freezing can offer a chance after many years in a frozen state, plus egg freezing and a new emergent technique that is now being done, ovarian tissues being frozen.

In two research studies on frozen embryos and what to do with them after the couple have successfully completed their family showed that a large proportion of infertile couples were in favour of their ‘spare’ embryos being used either for advancement for research or to be sold to couples who were in need of them. However in some parts of the USA and the UK it is considered to be ‘ethically unacceptable’ for them to be sold, which means that these ‘spare’ eggs will be destroyed.
Another study conducted at Johns Hopkins and Duke University has revealed that a 60% of 1020 couples interviewed stated that they would prefer that their spare embryos be used for stem cell research in preference to them being discarded or donated to other couples.
Regardless of the ethics that might be involved, they is always hope for infertile couples. The birth of a baby is a blessing and a joy. One should not dismiss this important aspect in the debate

Physiologist Robert Edwards and his partner Patrick Steptoe made medical history in 1969 when they successful fertilized eggs outside a human body. Indeed hope for many women who were unable to conceive were born on that historic occasion, the result was the first ‘Test Tube Baby” Louise Brown on 25 July 1978, since then milions of women have successfully been able to have babies and fulfil hopes and dreams of completing a Family.
Patrick Steptoe who made a significant contribution died in 1988, and although according to the statutes of the Nobel foundation cannot be jointly awarded this prestigious prize, he is still remembered as a colleague who worked with Robert Edwards, and his contribution is worthy of mention.
Robert Edwards has been rewarded for his pioneering work with such a deserving accolade as The Nobel prize for physiology or medicine for 2010. As emeritus professor at the University of
Cambridge, Professor Edwards has now further added to this well known University’s prestige.
Robert Edwards, his wife Ruth and family are thrilled that he was chosen for this award. Certainly the annuals of history for many years to come will ring with joy as more women benefit from this wonderful pioneering work.

Statistics say that one in ten women are unable to conceive a baby, IVF is an answer to many women’s chances of successfully being able to carry baby to term and complete a family. So many couples have been given this wonderful gift of life, and without the determination of Professor Edwards and his colleagues, would never have had their dreams realised.
Louise Brown was thrilled when she heard that Robert Edwards had received the award. Louise is now 32 years old lives in Bristol UK, is married and has a son who was conceived in the normal way and the birth was a normal birth.
Three decades have passed, and millions of babies have been born through the help of IVF, the technique is well established. From the initial work of Robert Edwards, many advances have been made since then, there is less trauma of egg extraction due to improvements, and today a single sperm cell can be injected into an egg.