Having given birth to our first daughter, Lilian in 2021 with the help of London Women's Clinic, we were keen to try IVF again for our second child. By the time we began this journey I was 41 and despite 3 attempts we soon realised that my body was no longer responding as it had during my late 30s. At first we felt like we'd run out of options. Adoption wasn't something we felt we could consider with an already lively 2 year old and I was keen to carry again if we were to have a second child.
Overcoming Hesitations and Discovering New Possibilities
It was at this point that someone suggested the idea of using a donor egg. At first we were really hesitant and unsure of how we felt about a child's genetics not being our own. We spent time to talk to friends who had some knowledge of the donor process or experience themselves and began to understand the concept of three way genetics. With our interest peaked we got in touch with London Egg Bank and were blown away by the resources available to help us understand the possibilities ahead of us.
Choosing the Right Donor Egg: Navigating the Decision-Making Process with Expert Support
One of our greatest challenges was then deciding which eggs to pick! With so many amazing women donating their eggs we wanted to be really thoughtful about who we chose. When we'd narrowed our choice to a few we were really grateful to the matching team for their support in helping us decide on our donor.
"From science based webinars to emotional counselling we felt well informed and able to make the decision to give egg donation a go."
Preparing for Transfer and Celebrating a Positive Pregnancy Test
Moving onto the process, my body continued to not play its part and we spent a difficult couple of months trying to get me ready for transplant. Our consultant Dr Jain was incredibly supportive throughout this process, with the right balance of listening to my previous experience while also taking a stand based on her expertise when needed. I felt listened to and cared for and given the flexibility I needed to finally be ready for transfer. Squeezing it in just before a holiday in Scotland, we then had the opportunity to spend a restful 2 week wait as a family, appreciating the opportunity we'd been given. I took a pregnancy test the day before I went back to work and was over the moon to discover it had worked. While the result brought joy there was also fear due to our previous experience of pregnancy loss, but Dr Jain and the team continued to be incredibly helpful and responsive throughout those early weeks, giving me the reassurance I needed to relax and appreciate my pregnancy.
Moving forward our pregnancy was relatively straightforward and we were delighted to welcome baby Evelyn to our family in 2025. We're so thrilled that she's here and to be the family of 4 we so wanted. Lilian couldn't be happier to be a big sister and is excited for when Evelyn can run around and play! :) A huge thank you to all the team at both London Egg Bank and London Women's Clinic, you really have made our dreams come true.