Why the childless may need an egg donor to get pregnant

I met Mr and Mrs E. O. after they had been married for twenty three years. This couple, after years of delay, had given up on having children of their own. The little boy they decided to adopt early in their marriage had grown into a handsome young man at the time I met them. Mrs E.O. was also a 58- year-old civil servant who had reached menopause three years before. In the several years of being married without a child, the couple had visited practically every fertility specialist in town before resorting to adopt Enabor.

However, they were referred to me by a senior colleague who believed that they could still be helped.

Our first discussion was very interesting as   they didn’t even know that in vitro fertilization services existed in Nigeria talk less of exotic things like postmenopausal conception! After the mandatory baseline investigations, we discovered that Mrs E.O.’s womb was in perfect condition. Well, maybe it was a little bit smaller than expected but it was healthy enough to nurture a baby. What they needed was a young healthy woman to donate viable eggs that would be fertilized with her husband’s sperms. The resulting embryo would thereby be carefully transferred into Mrs E.O’s womb and she would carry the baby to term.

After counseling sessions and other preparatory steps, they consented to the donor egg treatment. After the embryo transfer, they were both calling me every other day to ask for signs to expect if the embryos were implanting.

However, the only certain proof of conception after an embryonic transfer is a positive pregnancy test. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the treatment did not work. Mr and Mrs E.O. were dejected but I encouraged the couple, saying “even though it may have not worked the first time, it does not mean it will not work at another attempt.” Astonishingly, the story changed. We were all pleasantly surprised by a positive pregnancy test twelve days later.

She delivered healthy twin boys nine months after and is yet to recover from the tremendous positive impact IVF has had on her family. Now, Enabor has two baby brothers!

There is a common misconception that donor eggs are only used in menopausal women. This is easily understandable since at menopause, the eggs have become exhausted. However, this is only one of several reasons why couples may need egg donation. Other reasons may include:

Premature ovarian failure

This is a condition in which the body begins the process of menopause too early. In most cases before a woman reaches 40 years of age. Women with the condition will often opt for donor eggs to provide a better chance of conception.

Diminished ovarian reserve

This condition tends to impact women as they age. It involves cases where the eggs a woman produces are of low quality and often not good enough for fertilization. It occurs more frequently in women over age 40.

Genetic disease carriers

If there is a family history of genetically transmitted disorders in both intended parents, the pair may opt for a donor egg to limit the possibility of their child inheriting a disease.

Repeated failure with IVF treatments

Sometimes women try to achieve their own pregnancies through IVF treatments without success. After repeated attempts and failures, their fertility specialist may suggest using a donor egg.

Other health considerations

Every woman’s health and fertility is unique. There may be other medical conditions that impact fertility and necessitate the need for a donor egg.

The simple fact remains that we need sperm and an egg before conception can take place. Unfortunately, no doctor can create either. Thankfully, a lot of work is going on in the medical world to reduce/avoid the use of donor eggs especially in the fields of stem cell research/related specialties and encouraging strides have been made.

…To be continued