egg donation agency
Friday, October 7th, 2011
 Lauren #12692 is 26 years old and lives in the greater Los Angeles area. She is available immediately and is very excited to help a recipient grow their family. Her personal essay is below.
“I am a middle child and only girl in my family. While most people think that means that it resulted in heavy brotherly and fatherly protection, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Being the only girl I learned to take care of myself, because I was outnumbered and not to mention the middle child. I think I always felt I had something to prove whether it was keeping up with the boys or being just as good as them in sports or hobbies. It most definitely gave me confidence and competitiveness.
Family is something I’m so proud to be a part of. My parents did such a great job showing us how lucky we are to have siblings and that we are all so loved. My childhood is a direct reflection as to what I want when I’m older, and I have my parents to thank for that. I look up to my parents a lot. When I think of all that they sacrificed for us it makes me realize how much you’re willing to do for your kids. They worked hard so that all three of us could have a private school education. They encouraged us to have extracurricular activities in music and sports and took us camping multiple times a year. I never thought growing up that I would want to be like them but now I enjoy doing all the things they instilled in us, like a passion for backpacking and hiking, football (my San Diego Chargers), music, art, fashion and being involved in my church and community.
I started volunteering at my church’s Sunday School, and I’m almost certain that’s where I fell in love with children and knew I was meant to be a mother. I continued to volunteer with children all throughout my schooling. That naturally lead me into babysitting as I got older and then becoming a certified nanny and volunterring at my pediatrician’s office.
I don’t think that every woman is born with a maternal instinct. I do know that I have it. And I do know that I can’t wait to have kids. And I have personal experience with friends who want kids but can’t have them. I can’t think of anything that would make me more heartbroken than coming to the realization that I could not have kids. It’s so amazing how far science has come in making things possible that were once so discouraging or seemed like the end of the road for some couples. I can’t imagine a better gift to someone than helping them have what I want more than anything.”
- Lauren #12692
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donor, Los Angeles egg donor
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Monday, August 29th, 2011
Second in a series of posts for intended parents from HRC’s Dr. David Tourgeman…
Perhaps the most difficult and emotional decision a person or couple is confronted with when trying to have a child is choosing whether or not to use an egg donor. For some, the decision may be relatively straightforward. Perhaps the adoption process has reached a dead end, or the woman has premature ovarian failure or another medical condition in which the ovaries will not produce eggs.
In most cases, the intended parents have already attempted many rounds artificial insemination and/or in vitro fertilization without success by the time they come to consider egg donation, and have been burdened with the bad news of multiple negative pregnancy tests. For most, the decision to move forward with a donor comes at the end of a long road of struggle and disappointment.
 One biggest issue intended parents considering egg donation must confront is deciding whether they feel their genetics must play a part in conceiving a child, or if having a baby (despite the maternal genetic origin) is most important.
Intended parents are faced with two options: working with an anonymous donor, or choosing a donor who is willing to be “known” (non-anonymous).  If the couple decides to move forward with known donor, typically a sibling or relative is chosen (although many egg donor agencies also have a list of donors who are willing to engage in an open cycle) and ideally that person is less than 35 years old and has children of her own. This provides a “bridge” in which (in the instance of choosing a family member) there can still be some genetic link to the intended mother. There are many patients who choose not to have a known donor because they either do not feel comfortable asking, do not have an age-appropriate relative, or simply do not want anyone to know that they’re using an egg donor.
On the other hand, choosing an anonymous egg donor can be a challenge. There are certainly many factors that the intended parents may want to address in their search. Physical attributes and similarities are often paramount, however, intelligence, ethnic origin, and family heath are also significant. From a medical standpoint, there are also many desired qualities to keep in mind that will help optimize the likelihood of success. I typically recommend that the donor be less than 30 years old, and that she have had testing for ovarian reserve that returned normal. She should have had all appropriate genetic screening tests and have been evaluated by a psychologist to make sure she is in a healthy state of mind and that her motives are genuine. Whenever possible I recommend choosing an anonymous donor who is “proven” (meaning she has done at least one successful donor cycle in the past – resulting in at least 15 eggs and a successful pregnancy).
Above all, the most important thing for the intended parents to consider is whether they will be fulfilled as parents if they decide to use a donor egg. As parents, you’ll have the opportunity to nurture and nourish your child in the way you have envisioned. The pregnancy and birth is the beginning of an amazing experience and, hopefully, the beginning of the intended parents understanding that, despite the egg donor’s genetic contribution, this baby is completely their own.
- David E. Tourgeman, MD, FACOG
HRC Fertility
Tags: assisted reproduction, Dr. David Tourgeman, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donation los angeles, egg donor, egg donor agency, egg donor Southern California, HRC, IVF, Reproductive Endocrinologists
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Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
You love your doctor — you’ve been with him for a long time, completely trust him, love the staff, etc. — and have just found a great egg donor who you’re ready to book. The only issue? She lives out of town. Or — even scarier — out of state. What do you do? You’re confident that she’s the donor for you, and she’s said she’s willing to travel for a donation, but how would that even work? Do you book her travel? Does the agency? And how is all of this going to affect your overall budget for the cycle?
 BHED facilitates travel cycles all the time. In fact, 20 to 30 percent of our matches involve some travel on the donor’s part. For clarity: a travel cycle, in the egg donation world, is when your donor is required to travel more than 75 miles (one way) from her home to your doctor’s office. That means a donor coming from San Diego to Los Angeles is considered a travel donor just as much as one traveling from Chicago to San Francisco (although, of course, the coordination and cost differ significantly).
If your donor is traveling a “short” distance (one that requires automobile travel rather than air), BHED’s travel policy requires the recipient to reimburse the donor for mileage at the current government rate. Your doctor will definitely want her to come to town for her initial appointment, retrieval, and likely a couple of monitoring appointments once she’s started medication — although your BHED coordinator will also set the donor up with a local monitoring facility to cut down on the travel and associated costs. As long as your doctor approves (and most are happy to do so), your donor can do some or many of her check-ups in her hometown; that facility will coordinate with your doctor and follow your clinic’s protocol.
It’s a similar story if your donor is coming from farther away (i.e. out of state). Your doctor will want her to be in town for her initial appointment, and then again for five to seven days leading up to the retrieval. The first trip will be very brief and often doesn’t require an overnight stay. Your donor will fly in, take a cab to your clinic for her appointment, and then head back to the airport to travel home. Your BHED coordinator will then set her up with a local facility (which, again, will coordinate with your doctor’s office) for her monitoring appointments and she’ll be able to do much of the remainder of the cycle from her hometown. The second trip will happen between day three and five of the donor’s stim process, and from there she’ll stay in town through her retrieval. For this trip, she’ll need a companion to accompany her to make sure that she gets back to her hotel safely after her retrieval and is well taken care of.
 BHED doesn’t add any additional fees to coordinate travel — it’s all included in your agency fee. Your coordinator will take care of everything, from booking the donor’s flight and hotel to ensuring that she has adequate ground transportation to get to your doctor’s office and facilitating communication between your clinic and the donor’s remote facility. Working with a travel donor will generally add approximately $3,000 to $4,000 to the total cost of the cycle. This includes the donor’s flights, ground transportation, hotel stay for the longer trip, and a per diem of $50 per day, along with the flight and per diem for her companion for the retrieval trip. Your coordinator will book everything directly and will work to find the most cost-effective accommodations possible (while still keeping the donor comfortable).
While travel cycles do require more coordination, we try to make things as easy as possible for both the donor and the recipients. Our staff will work with your doctor to facilitate the cycle, whether your donor is coming from across town or from 3,000 miles away, and will keep you informed with regular updates as things progress. Feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions about working with one of our out-of-town (or local!) donors.
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donation southern california, egg donation travel, egg donor, out-of-state egg donation
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Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
From our companion site, Ask Kate:
Q: I’ve been looking into egg donation and researching it for about three years now, and I’m at a place in my life where I think it would be beneficial all the way around. So now I just need to know how to get started, like – where to go?
A: Well, first start thinking about logistics. Translated: who will you tell, how much genetic information do you know, can you fulfill your obligation and also work or go to school, how do you feel about sticking a needle in your stomach… ? These sorts of questions.
 First of all, you’ll need help. You’ll need at least one friend who knows what’s up so that you have a support system, as small as it may be, and help when it comes time for your retrieval – you will need a chaperone to drive you home after (and it’s best your friend know what she/he is getting into, because they’ll pull up to a place that says “fertility clinic” – tell them ahead of time).
Secondly, you’ll need to know a lot of info about your family’s genetic history. Any and all “ish” in your lineage needs to be disclosed, so you’ll either need to know it, or find out about it.
Next, it’s not just a personal decision you’re making, it will take a decent amount of time and a massive amount of commitment. It will, most definitely, interrupt your daily life. Not in a bad way, but in a real way. If you have a Monday-through-Friday job that’s 9-5, your job will be affected. You will have twice-weekly doctor’s appointments, sometimes more often and possibly even daily as you approach your retrieval date. Once you have the retrieval, you’ll need a solid 4-5 days to recuperate. Depending on your body, you may need to be on your couch, not sitting at your desk. And the calendar you follow will be exact. The dosage is exact, the time of injection is exact – your life will revolve around your schedule of medication. But the timeframe is NOT exact, so you’re beheld to a timeline that might change.
And lastly, you have to consider the fact that you’ll be injecting a needle into your abdomen (or thigh, but abdomen is easier, oddly) once, sometimes twice a day. If you’re squeamish and/or hate needles and/or doctors and/or are afraid of anesthesia, this is not for you.
It’s a to-do for a few weeks. You don’t have to commit to two years of egg donation like I did, but it’s also not a decision that should be entered into lightly. Read up on my blog and see what you think, and if you’re into the ride, take it. It’s the most amazing experience I’ve gone through.
- Kate, 6-time BHED donor
Also, as a staff side note: We always recommend registering with an agency if you decide to pursue egg donation. This process involves a lot of coordination, especially if you’re asked to travel, and a good agency will guide you through the process from start to finish, help make all of your arrangements, and refer you to a great attorney when it comes time to review your donor contract. When you find an agency you feel good about, you can generally start the process by applying on their website. BHED will also schedule a time for you to come in for an in-person interview (or send you a webcam if you live out of the immediate area) so we can meet you face-to-face and you can discuss any questions you have with a member of our donor team. Best of luck!
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donor, how to become an egg donor
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Thursday, July 7th, 2011
All intended parents are confronted with the decision as to whether or not they should tell their child (and others) that they used a third-party to conceive their child. Parents usually come to a decision based on their own comfort level and feelings regarding using an egg donor or surrogate. Most experts agree that honesty is the best policy when it comes to informing your child. A good website that goes into more detail about how to talk to your children in developmentally appropriate ways is www.donor-conception-network.org. The website has a great series of booklets entitled “Telling and Talking” – they offer advice on how to talk to your child at every stage. Before telling your child you want to asses 1) the child’s emotional and intellectual capacity to process the information and 2) the extent to which your family, culture or religion may be able to accept a child born through egg donation or surrogacy.
The decision to tell your child may be an easy one or one fraught with decision. Most family therapists would agree that telling your child is the easier path to take because there’s no room for misconceptions or false information, which inevitably leads to feelings of betrayal or mistrust. It’s also recommended to start giving some information at a relatively early age, from three to five years old. Again, the website above goes into thorough detail in advising how to talk to children of all ages regarding their conception.
- Brenda Fahn-Hardt M.S., MFT
Beverly Hills Egg Donation Staff Psychotherapist
Tags: assisted roproduction, Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donor, egg donors, IVF, Southern California assisted reproduction
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Thursday, February 24th, 2011
 I have had the amazing opportunity to become an egg donor. It’s extraordinary that such a simple time commitment can have such a big impact!
I think that when a person first considers donation, it’s easy to get caught up in fear of the unknown (and maybe even a little bit of what people will think). When I first thought I might want to donate, I was scared and wasn’t sure if it was worth the risk. But it’s funny – experience truly is the best teacher. After my first cycle, I realized just how simple it really is. You think to yourself, how is it possible to give someone something so special by going through such a simple (relatively) process. The funny thing about becoming a donor is that at first you think that you’re the one giving something of yourself, but after the retrieval you get such a strong feeling of being able to do something even bigger. It’s amazing, and I think it’s something that people don’t tell you going into it.
I’ve done a lot already in my short time on Earth. I’ve been a professional athlete, an NYPD police officer, and have received many accolades. Of all the things I am proud of, being able to help someone in this capacity is the most rewarding thing I have ever been a part of. I can honestly say that becoming an egg donor – giving someone the chance to have a child – is probably one of the most important things I will ever have the opportunity to do.
- Kimberly, BHED donor #9564
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donor, egg donor agency, Southern California egg donor
Posted in From Donor's Perspective | No Comments »
Friday, November 19th, 2010
When my husband and I were first given the news that we were unable to naturally conceive a child of our own, we were devastated. Having a family was something we dreamed of. The thought of never having children in our lives was just heartbreaking.
 After speaking with many doctors and specialists here in Australia, we were told egg donation was our only option since I had been diagnosed with premature ovarian failure. Egg donation in Australia has many laws and conditions attached which made it extremely hard, almost impossible for us to pursue. With such little hope left we researched egg donation in the United States and came across BHED. We read through all the information on the website and thought ‘there must be a catch, it can’t be that easy’. My husband and I decided to contact BHED to see if it really was too good to be true. We sent an email wanting to know more, and within a few hours we had a response…and had arranged to speak over the phone to clear up any questions we had. That night I was so nervous, couldn’t wait until the scheduled time for my phone contact…and it’s a day I don’t think I will ever forget. Greeted on the other end of the line, across the other side of the globe was Lisa Greer who explained the process and answered all our questions. All the laws and conditions we were confronted with in Australia were non-existent in the United States. We couldn’t believe it, she made everything sound so easy…and it was!
 Lisa and her staff at BHED outlined the process and guided us through every step. After carefully choosing our donor, the BHED team arranged everything for us. All we had to do was book our flights and arrive in Los Angeles ready for our ivf procedure. Within 2 months of that first phone call, my husband and I nervously boarded a plane and hoped we were fortunate enough for this to all work. And we were…we are now pregnant with twins and expecting their arrival in 8 weeks time. We feel so very lucky to have discovered BHED and will be forever grateful for their kindness, understanding and professionalism. BHED has made such a difference in our lives, what we dreamed of has now become a reality. We thank the team from the bottom of our hearts.
- V., BHED Recipient
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donation Australia, international egg donation, IVF, US egg donor
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Friday, May 28th, 2010
 Become an egg donor. Â Such a small phrase for such a large responsibility. Â For most people, the prospect of egg donation offers one thing: money!
“Oh, the things I can buy!” she thinks, “and definitely getting those hair extensions I’ve been eyeing for the summer.”
Now, please don’t assume I’m one of those cynical types that are against hair extensions or, for that matter, anything girly or high maintenance, I’ve just already got them. Â *Wink*
No, to me, becoming an egg donor would fulfill one of the largest goals of my life, and something that I’ve already begun to bring to fruition. Â It is my life aspiration to create a piece of software that provides cost effective pricing and constant algorithmic calculations to maximize profitability in restaurants, then roll out the production of the software with my very own restaurant. Â When I close my eyes and imagine this day, I am a hero! Â I’ve essentially altered the course of food service forever! Â People love me! Â And I, of course, am free to do as I please, probably selling the rights to my software to some large conglomerate and sitting back and running my restaurant (not without my constant residuals, though!).
Yet, take a look at present day me. Â Sure I’ve got a great job. Â Sure I could make a profitable career for myself offering consulting services with a focus specifically on real estate portfolios…
I bet you have no idea what I’m talking about. Â Exactly.
In the current economic climate, my entrepreneurial goals are stifled by a “not now” society that fears new ideas and lives trapped in its laissez faire attitude. Â ”But hey, we’re not making it worse right?” society thinks. Â Wrong.
Enough of my critique. Â My point is that I was drawn to register with an egg donor agency when I realized how immediate the potential was to actually pursue my goals. Â This is not something I need, nor is it something I’m relying on, but it is something that can greatly speed up the process for me, and something I would be genuinely appreciative of should I be chosen to be a part of it.
Now, there is the altruistic perspective of egg donation. Â At its most stripped down core, an egg donor is providing others with opportunities that previously did not exist to them. Â The intrinsic motivation is therefore preset and a major factor in my decision to become an egg donor. Â I have complete faith in BHED to find those who I am properly suited to donate for and now, my question to you, prospective parents, is what are you waiting for?!
- Camber, BHED donor #7132
Tags: become an egg donor, Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donation southern california, egg donor, egg donor agency, egg donors, Southern California egg donors
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Thursday, May 20th, 2010
In the latest installment of our five-part series for Intended Parents, Brenda shares her advice for how/when to share with a child that they were conceived with the help of an egg donor.
Do We Tell Our Child They Were Conceived Through Egg Donation?
 All intended parents are confronted with the decision as to whether they should tell their child (and others) that they used a third-party to conceive their child.  Parents usually come to a decision based on their own comfort level and feelings regarding using an egg donor or surrogate.  Most experts agree that honesty is the best policy when it comes to informing your child.  A good website that goes into more detail about how to talk to your children developmentally appropriate ways is www.donor-conception-network.org.  The website has booklets entitled, “Telling and Talking”.  These booklets offer informative advice on how to talk to your child at every stage.  Before telling your child you want to assess 1) The child’s emotional and intellectual capacity to process the information  and 2) The extent to which your family, culture or religion may be able to accept a child born through egg donation.
The decision to tell your child may be an easy one or one fraught with decision. Â Most experts agree that telling your child is the easier path to take. Â It is easier because there is no room for misconceptions or false information, which inevitably leads to feelings of betrayal or mistrust. Â It is also recommended to start giving some information at a relatively early age, from three to five years old. Â Again, the website mentioned above goes into thorough detail advising how to talk to children of all ages regarding their conception.
- Brenda Fahn-Hardt M.S., MFT
Beverly Hills Egg Donation Staff Psychotherapist
Tags: assisted reproduction, Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donor, egg donors, how to tell a child they were conceived with an egg donor, IVF, Southern California assisted reproduction
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Monday, May 17th, 2010
Part 3 in Brenda Fahn-Hardt’s informal discussion for Intended Parents.
Meeting the Donor? Â There is No Right Choice.
At some point during the egg donor process most parents consider whether or not they should meet their egg donor.  There is no right or wrong answer to this question.  Each case is different and depends on the intentions and expectations of the intended parents.  If their expectations seem reasonable and realistic, then meeting the egg donor can turn into a very positive experience.  Most of the time intended parents want to be able to meet their donor so that they have the option of telling their child at a later date.  Statistically, only about 20% of intended parents choose to meet their donor.  If you intend to tell your child that they were conceived with an egg donor and you want to tell your child something about the donor, then meeting would likely be a positive experience.  Many times parents to not have an interest in, or feel comfortable, meeting their donor, which of course should always be respected.  Each situation is different.
- Brenda Fahn-Hardt M.S., MFT
Beverly Hills Egg Donation Staff Psychotherapist
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agencies, egg donation agency, egg donation california, egg donation los angeles, egg donation process, egg donor, egg donor agency, egg donor blog, egg donor cycle, egg donor los angeles, egg donors, how to choose an egg donor, intended parent, IVF, ivf cycle, resources for intended parents, should I meet my egg donor
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Lauren #12692 is 26 years old and lives in the greater Los Angeles area. She is available immediately and is very excited to help a recipient grow their family. Her personal essay is below.
