The Fertility Advocates 2009 Top Ten List of Fertility Do's and Don'ts

The Fertility Advocate’s 2009 Top Ten List of Fertility Do’s and Don’t’s

An Egg Donor Child's Perspective

I'm thrilled that Heartfelt Egg Donation can include this video in its blog library for parents considering egg donation and for prospective donors who are interested in seeing how their donation can change the lives of many.

Thank you to Parents Via Egg Donation (PVED) for bringing this video to my attention; the perspective of an egg donor child.

A Brand New Beautiful Strong Heartbeat

I received a wonderful e-mail this week. It was from a couple I worked with recently. Attached to the email was an ultrasound photo at 6 weeks 6 days; confirming that one baby with a strong heartbeat is due to join their family in the next 9 months. I am so honored that they thought to share the photo with me. I love being able to share in such incredible happiness.

The expectant mother had kind words for me: "It is always so fun to share the news with you in particular!!! You have been such an integral part of this amazing journey that it feels so wonderful to let you know the good news."

It was a true joy to meet and work with this couple. Throughout the entire egg donation cycle/process they were friendly, strong and confident. I'm sure there were moments, probably many, where they felt very exposed and unsure of what may lie ahead for them. They took a leap of faith and took a risk; they gambled with hopes that a pregnancy would be confirmed and soon a baby would be born to them. I'm thrilled for them and wish them only joy and comfort during the next stage of their journey. Before I know it I'll be receiving a birth announcement and photo of the happy family.

Siblings of a Sort

I love this article from Good Housekeeping regarding embryo donation. I've been approached by parents who have frozen embryos who would like to place them up for adoption although they do not know exactly where to turn. The parents who have approached me have all said the same thing; they want to select the family their embryos will go to and they want to have an "open" relationship with the family selected. They do not want to play a parent role; they just want to know that their embryos and the resulting child/children are loved and parented and if they need to communicate with each other for any reason they can.

This story, although long, shows the emotions and reasoning associated with the prospect of embryo donation .

Read this along with a nice hot beverage.

Siblings of a Sort

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I Used an Egg Donor | Fit Pregnancy

I Used an Egg Donor | Fit Pregnancy

Posted using ShareThis

I Would Die For That - Kellie Coffey

I always like to post videos that I think are easy to relate to (for those experiencing infertility) and emotionally informative (for egg donors).

This particular song and video is heartbreaking and very poignant.

Connect With Heartfelt Egg Donation on Facebook

Heartfelt Egg Donation now has its own Facebook page!

Our page directly feeds from our blog and includes news, videos, events and infertility and Assisted Reproductive Technology industry information. If you are on Facebook, please become a fan of Heartfelt Egg Donation and stay connected.

To quickly become a fan you may click on the Facebook link on the upper right hand side of our blog "Become a Fan" to automatically be connected with our page.

Woman Implanted With Wrong Embryo

Sept. 21: On the day they learned they were expecting, Carolyn and Sean Savage discovered they were carrying someone else’s baby. TODAY’s Meredith Vieira talks to the couple about how they’re handling the situation.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Middle Eastern, East Indian Egg Donors Needed For Immediate Match

Heartfelt Egg Donation is currently working with a couple who is in URGENT need of an egg donor in order to make their dream of becoming parents a reality. They are ready to move forward with an anonymous arrangement IMMEDIATELY.

Donor Qualifications:

• East Indian, Middle Eastern ethnicity (Dark Fine Hair, Dark eyes, Light complexion)
• 21-25 years old
• 5’3” – 5'8” and weight proportionate
• Healthy, Confident, Responsible, Intelligent
• Healthy family background
  
• Children or proven fertility is a plus

Travel for approximately 9 days to New York would be required. All associated costs are covered.

Heartfelt Egg Donation LLC is a nationally recognized egg donation agency. We are a proud member of Resolve, ASRM and AFA (American Fertility Association). We follow the SART/ASRM (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology/American Society for Reproductive Medicine) ethical guidelines for oocyte donation.

For more information or an application, please respond to this posting or call. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you. We can be reached at 775-354-0577 or toll-free at 866-223-0003.

Compensation: $7,500.00 + expenses (proven donors may receive higher compensation). Compensation is provided to reflect the time, inconvenience, and physical and emotional demands associated with the oocyte donation process.

Long Lost Adopted Brothers Meet - Egg Donor Siblings Will Surely Start Meeting Too

I honestly love this story. These are the kinds of stories that put a smile on your face and warm your heart. I couldn't help but think of all the Egg Donor children out there who will also start to run into each other and start to connect the fact that they may be related. I know that in time this will happen more than expected. I'm familiar with the Donor Sibling Registry and mention it regularly to intended parents who have a desire to share their child's conception story with them. I believe that many children will have a desire to know the Donor who helped their parents conceive them. I believe that some children will also have a desire to learn if there are other children related to them out there. The Donor Sibling Registry is a good start to finding Donors (whether Sperm or Egg) or Donor Siblings for those who may or may not have entered into an anonymous agreement.

An Egg Donor Helped Them to Grow Their Family

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

What Do You Do With Frozen Embryos?

You've gone through the IVF process and now you've got frozen embryos...what to do? what to do? Here is an interview from the Today Show with Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC's Chief Medical Editor, and Barbara Collura, Executive Director of RESOLVE, outlining some of the options available and the thought process behind some of them.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A Proud Day in the Life of An Egg Donor and Prospective Parent

I was honored to have the opportunity to escort one of my program Egg Donors to her Egg Retrieval Procedure yesterday. This was her second donation and she was feeling good, healthy and emotionally positive about the experience. Since her original escort needed to cancel last minute due to a death in the family, I stepped in to be her companion and ensure she got returned to her hotel room safely.

I'm the Owner, Founder & Director of Heartfelt Egg Donation; I'm responsible for everything related to the business: the big and the small. I typically conduct most of my business via phone or email since my clients, donors and the clinics I work with are located all over the country. My proudest days are the days where donors are matched, pregnancies announced, babies are born, photos are shared, and I get to meet new babies.

Yesterday was a proud day for me. Being with the Donor at the clinic yesterday brought me back to the time when my husband and I were at our clinic on the day of our Donor's retrieval, eagerly waiting for the results. I reminisced about the emotions we felt, how we peeked at our Donor through the curtain of the recovery room without her knowing (we had previously met her), hoping she was safe and feeling good about what she just did for virtual strangers and wondering if she was feeling what we were feeling; that we would always be connected in someway to each other, if she was proud of what she just did for us and how her life and ours would change because of her gift. As I sat there sharing these feelings, I tried to verbalize how prospective parents feel about their donors and their unselfish act of donating their eggs, how they hope their Donor will someday understand what they have done for them and how they are changing lives forever. The Donor took all this in and expressed that she hopes the couple gets pregnant and that things go well for them. I believe yesterday was a proud day for the Donor.

Yesterday was a proud day for me because I was able to participate in a small way on such a big day for the Donor and the Prospective Parents. I was proud of the Donor for sacrificing herself for the happiness of others and for the new life/lives she was helping to create. I was proud of the Parents for acknowledging the Donor's actions and showing appreciation for her by expressing their thanks in a beautifully written note accompanied by a thoughtful gift. Yesterday was a proud day.

Move to pay egg and sperm donors could be challenged in court - Times Online

Move to pay egg and sperm donors could be challenged in court - Times Online

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Ethicists Debate New York State's Decision To Pay Egg Donors Who Aid Stem Cell Research

Ethicists Debate New York State's Decision To Pay Egg Donors Who Aid Stem Cell Research

Per Medicalnewstoday.com

Share Your Story about Infertility and Inspire Others!

Calling ALL ASPIRING FILMMAKERS:

Fertility LifeLines™ and RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association Present The In The Know Short Film Competition

Anyone who has struggled with infertility knows the emotional and physical burden of trying to conceive. Despite the fact that 1 in 8 couples experience infertility, many people feel isolated and alone in their journey. The In The Know Short Film Competition encourages those 7.3 million Americans affected by infertility to share their stories and provide hope and encouragement to others.

Those who have been touched by infertility can participate in the competition by submitting a creative, inspirational short film about their path to parenthood (or the journey of someone close to them). The film must be under 10 minutes in length. The deadline to submit entries is August 1, 2009. Submitted films will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and competition finalists will have their films screened at a festival in New York City this fall where a winner and runners-up will be chosen and awarded prizes. The winner will receive $1,000 and two runners-up will each be given $500. Click here for complete contest guidelines.

Now is your chance to make a difference by sharing hope and inspiration with your story! Click here to submit your entry and continue to visit www.FertilityLifeLinesfilms.com for important details about the film festival and to view clips from the finalists. If you have questions about the contest or how to submit a video please contact Colleen Minden at colleen.minden@emdserono.com or #781-681-2192.
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EMD Serono Announces Donation of Up to $1.5 Million in Free Medication to Help Support the 7.3 Million Americans Who Experience Infertility.

In honor of the 20th annual National Infertility Awareness Week®, EMD Serono is proud to announce it is donating up to $1.5 million in free medication for woman and couples struggling to conceive. The company will offer a complimentary cycle of Gonal-f® RFF Pens (follitropin alfa injection) to patients at over 400 fertility centers across the country. These centers will each provide one patient a cycle of four 900 IU Gonal-f® RFF Pens at no cost.

Take Action! Georgia Bill Threatens Infertility Treatment

The AFA and Resolve are working together to defeat Georgia Senate Bill 169.

Please read and take action now.
http://www.resolve.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ta_stleg_home

Thank you!

Ken Mosesian

Executive Director
The American Fertility Association

Heartfelt Egg Donation Donors Interviewed by KRNV Channel 4 News

Recently two of Heartfelt Egg Donation's Egg Donors agreed to speak with KRNV Channel 4 News about their experiences as Egg Donors. What they have done is remarkable. They have helped others build their family through the process of Egg Donation. The journey has been rewarding for them and those they have helped. I'm proud of Sarah and Gayle and all the other truly extraordinary Egg Donors in the Heartfelt Egg Donation program.

Also interviewed and mentioned by Channel 4 News was Dr. Whitten with the Nevada Center for Reproductive Medicine. All of our Reno based donors have their monitoring and local testing completed with Nevada Center for Reproductive Medicine if they are matched with prospective parents out of the Reno area.

Heartfelt Egg Donation was interviewed and provided facts for this story although we were not mentioned by name. We were referred to as a local clinic. Heartfelt Egg Donation is an agency and works with clinics to coordinate the Egg Donation matching and treatment cycle for Egg Donors and Prospective Parents. We currently have 100 Egg Donors available for matching.

Click on this link to view:

www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9933690

What is HPV and Why Is It Important to Consider Getting the Vaccine?

Just recently, HPV (Human Papillomavirus) has been in the news more than ever. I first heard of it 3 years ago when I was interviewing a prospective egg donor. I accepted the donor into the Heartfelt Egg Donation Program after researching and learning that Human Papillomavirus does not affect the eggs of a woman and having the virus does not automatically disqualify a woman from donating eggs.

Now that I have daughters and I pre-screen potential egg donors daily, I'm always interested in updates and making sure I have all the facts regarding the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. I found this webcast that was recently posted by SRM (Sexuality, Reproduction & Menopause), a clinical publication for the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. It provides comprehensive information about HPV and the vaccine. I would suggest that those who have daughters, are young women considering egg donation or prospective parents reviewing donor candidates, take a moment to learn more about HPV through this informative webcast.

As presented by:
J. Thomas Cox, MD
University of California
Santa Barbara
Student Health Services

Copy and paste this link in your web browser:
http://www.srm-ejournal.com/cox_intro/cox_intro.html

Egg Donation: Most Egg Donors Satisfied

As taken from WebMD: www.women.webmd.com/news/20081226/egg-donation-most-donors-satisfied

Two-Thirds of Egg Donors Studied Were Positive About Their Donation Experience
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDDec. 26, 2008 --

Most women who donate their eggs at fertility clinics look back at their egg donation experience with satisfaction -- but others express physical and psychological concerns.

Researchers report that news in Fertility and Sterility.

Nancy Kenney, PhD, of the University of Washington and Michelle McGowan, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University studied 80 egg donors from around the U.S.

The women completed questionnaires about their expectations and experiences the first time they donated eggs. At least two years had passed since that donation. The reason for the delay was to give the women time for long-term perspective.

All of the women had been paid for donating their eggs. They reported payments ranging from about $1,100 to $7,300. For some women, money was their sole motivation, but others said they did it purely (or at least partly) out of altruism.

Emotional, Physical Feedback
Two-thirds of the women reported only positive feelings about having donated their eggs. Another 14% had negative feelings, 12% had mixed feelings, and the remaining women had neutral feelings or didn't answer that question.

The positive feelings included happiness and pride at having helped someone else. The negative feelings included frustration that the donation process was anonymous (so they could never know what happened to their eggs) and feeling underpaid for their donation.

Sixteen percent of the women reported physical problems -- including ovarian cysts, fertility problems, and weight gain -- that they linked to donating eggs. There's no proof that egg donation caused any of those problems, Kenney and McGowan note.

Pain and bloating at the time of the donation were the most common physical problems that the women reported; most cases were mild. But 20% of the women said they didn't remember being told about any physical risks, such as ovarian hyperstimulation, before donating their eggs.

From a psychological standpoint, seven women said they were still curious to know about any children that may have resulted from their donation. And two donors "had developed ongoing concerns that a child that they bear and raise might, by chance, meet and develop a relationship with her donor offspring," write Kenney and McGowan.

It's not clear if the women who chose to complete the survey were representative of other egg donors. The researchers recommend longer follow-up with egg donors to see how they fare physically and psychologically.