Initial Appointment: IVF and Donor Process
I recently had my first appointment with an IVF specialist to discuss the IVF process. I had a really great experience. It was really informative, and I felt very supported during the appointment. The specialist even mentioned that I might be surprised at how many women have walked this same path. Which made me feel less alone!
We chatted about how IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) is where sperm is inserted into the uterus close to the time of ovulation. It is a simpler and less invasive form of fertility treatment.
Meanwhile, IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is where an egg and sperm are joined together outside the body, in a specialised laboratory. The fertilised egg (embryo) is then allowed to grow in a protected environment. Afterwards, it is transferred back into your uterus. This increases the chance of a pregnancy occurring. After mulling it over, I decided to go with IVF. I figure I’m older, let’s try and give me the best shot possible.
The specialist handed me some referral forms. She explained that I needed to have a few blood tests and ultrasound scans done to check for any fertility issues. One of the tests will measure my Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) levels. This gives a good idea of how many eggs I might still have. When I left the appointment, I went next door to the pathology office. I thought I’m here, let’s just get the blood tests done now. I will need to make a booking for the ultrasound scans, but at least having the blood tests gets me started.
On-site, there is also the IVF nursing team. So, after the blood tests, I went straight there to discuss the steps in regard to finding a donor. When I arrived, I was told I had to pay a fee of $300 to get on the donor waitlist. There are two donor options: local or international. After thinking about it, I went with an international option.
Why the international donor? I’m looking for someone with similar traits to myself, like fair skin, brown hair, and green eyes. I just think that if I do have a child, it might be nice for us to look similar since they will only know one parent. It was explained to me that, at present, there aren’t many local donors who match those physical attributes. Also, the wait for local donors is around six months or more. The great thing is that international donors don’t have a waitlist. So I can get started right away.
Be advised that there is a big price difference between local and international donors. With local donors, you pay per cycle. However, with international ones, you pay for multiple cycles upfront. Once I got on the donor waitlist, I had to set up a counselling session as part of the IVF process. Since I’m going with an international donor, I need to attend two counselling sessions before I can view any of the donors. Local donors only need one. My first session is coming up in just a couple of weeks, and I’m excited about it!
Next on the ‘to-do’ list was figuring out how I was going to fund the IVF treatment and IVF donor costs. Check out my post on Accessing Superannuation for IVF.
I’ve added some links below with more info on IUI and IVF, along with details about typical fertility tests.
Links:
What is IUI – https://www.ivf.com.au/treatments/fertility-treatments/artificial-insemination-iui
What is IVF – https://www.ivf.com.au/treatments/fertility-treatments/ivf-treatment
Fertility tests – https://www.ivf.com.au/treatments/fertility-treatments/analysis-and-tests
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