Southern California egg donors


Societal Hurdles and How One Player Aims to Win

Friday, May 28th, 2010

CamberBecome an egg donor.  Such a small phrase for such a large responsibility.  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.  *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.  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.  When I close my eyes and imagine this day, I am a hero!  I’ve essentially altered the course of food service forever!  People love me!  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.  Sure I’ve got a great job.  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.  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.  ”But hey, we’re not making it worse right?” society thinks.  Wrong.

Enough of my critique.  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.  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.  At its most stripped down core, an egg donor is providing others with opportunities that previously did not exist to them.  The intrinsic motivation is therefore preset and a major factor in my decision to become an egg donor.  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

Choosing an Egg Donor

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Part two in our series of discussions on psychological issues for Intended Parents.

Choosing a Donor

iStock_000009735939SmallOnce intended parents have made the decision to use an egg donor, anxiety can arise surrounding the donor choice.  Every intended parent usually approaches the issue with ‘preconceived’ criteria for choosing their ‘perfect’ candidate – beyond the standard medical screening that is done, scholastics, personality, and appearance are usually at the top of their list.  I empathize with individuals and couples as to how difficult it is to make such a big decision.  It is important to remember that there is no rush in choosing a donor.  It takes time to find the right match.  Whatever the intended parents are looking for, I encourage them to get as much information as possible from their egg donation agency regarding their donor, while also trying not to ‘over-control’ the situation.  Once one feels they have made the best decision, according to the information they have, then the challenge can be trying letting go.  There are no guarantees in life, all of us who are parents usually begrudgingly learn that a lot more of life is out of our control than we would like.  Parenting is about being able to handle all the imperfections that come with a child, whether you have your child through an egg donor or not.  When couples do have difficulty containing their anxiety during this process therapy can help.

As the ‘screening’ psychotherapist, my process is analytical and involves assessing the donor for her maturity and ability to follow through with the process, as well as the presence of any major psycho-pathology (i.e. personality or mood disorders).  An interview and psychological test are used to check for either of the two preceding elements.

- Brenda Fahn-Hardt M.S., MFT

Beverly Hills Egg Donation Staff Psychotherapist

Update from Valerie and Adam

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Last year, we posted this happy news from recent recipients, Valerie and Adam:

I went to FPNC today at 9:00AM for the first ultrasound, and Dr. Abusief showed me on the TV screen that there are two babies growing, each with a nice heartbeat and a “diamond ring” which means something like the cells are growing very well.  When she started, she immediately said that she could see “two sacks,” but I had no idea what that meant.  Then, she spent five minutes showing me the heartbeat in one of the sacks but wasn’t able to find the heartbeat in the other.  This was a touch five minutes, with her saying things like, “this is normal…sometimes it just takes some time for the other one to start growing…”  Then, Dr. Abusief finally was able to see the other heartbeat, and we all saw it really clearly.  It had been over at one side.  Dr. Abusief was very happy with everything she saw and said that the risk now of a “problem” is down to 15%.  We’ll go back in two weeks for another ultrasound, and will know at that point if Baby A and Baby B are boys, girls, or one of each.

I’ve got a print-out of photos of both Baby A and Baby B.

I am so happy!!!  I cried until my makeup ran down my face and I had to get back to work.

Thanks everyone for your help and support, especially to Lisa and Ellie from Beverly Hills Egg Donation for being such great advocates for us.

This has been a long and miserable journey for Adam and me, and hopefully we’ll now have the joy of parenthood.

-Valerie

Well, we are SO pleased to announce that the twins have arrived!  Happy, healthy and oh-so-cute, Hermione and Dashiell were born in September….

Congratulations!!!!

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