I became pregnant with a donor egg

I was afraid my mother-in-law would find out! Choosing to conceive using a donor egg was nobody's business but ours. That's why I asked you not to tell any of our relatives, but as you assured us, IVF treatment at EmBIO is protected by medical confidentiality.

Now that I see my little girl looks like me − she really does look like me, it's not just my idea, everyone says so − I no longer worry about it. She's our child and I gave birth to her and I'm raising her.

Thank you for everything, and especially for your support throughout the whole process.

Fay I.

Now that I remember how uneasy I was about egg donation, I can't help laughing. I have my baby at home right now and every time I look at him I see that he looks more and more like me every day. He's as healthy as can be – and definitely the most beautiful baby in the world!

Thank you, Dr Paraschos, from the bottom of my heart.

Elsa

The only time I remember getting into a panic was when we were waiting for the results of the NT scan. My sister-in-law wanted to see it but I couldn't show it to her because it showed the age of the donor.

In the end, when you're determined to become a mother, nothing gets in your way. I'm not planning to tell my son that I used another woman's egg to get pregnant. I'm sure that it's best for him never to have to worry about that. He wouldn't gain anything from it. We're very thankful though that we went to ΕmBIO for our IVF treatment and that I succeeded in getting pregnant through the donor egg programme.

Eftychia

When I realised that the only way I'd be able to have my own child was through a donor egg, I was shocked at first. The other option – adoption − was not for me. I wanted a child that I'd given birth to. To raise him from the moment that he was born, to be with him constantly from his first breath. Of course, I wanted him to be tall, good-looking and clever, and I requested a donor with those characteristics. But once we'd decided on a donor and the embryo transfer had taken place, the only thing I cared about was that it would be successful… that I’d be able to have my baby!

Now I never even think about the fact that my child’s life began in EmBIO’s egg bank. All I know is that I feel my heart beating along with his and I know one hundred percent that I’m his mother. So I’m glad I made the decision.

Sotiria R.

My husband is crazy about his daughter, like every doting dad. Ten years ago, however, when I told him that I'd looked into it and that I basically had no other choice if I wanted to have a child (I was already 45 then) he did not like the idea. He was afraid in some vague sort of way. What can I say?

Everything changed when he saw our little daughter in the maternity hospital. Do you remember, Dr Paraschos, how he grabbed your hand and thanked you? From that day on everything has been fine and we take the most amazing joy in our child. It was a difficult decision but it had a wonderful outcome!

Panagiota A.

We were concerned that the egg donor should be healthy, tested, screened for inherited diseases. That’s why after three unsuccessful attempts at another clinic, we went to EmBIO, because we wanted to be certain that egg donor IVF would be a completely controlled and legal process. When you get over that initial fear, you move forward to create a new life.

We don't have to explain ourselves to anyone as far as our child is concerned. Dr Paraschos, these few words are to thank you for everything that you did so that we could have our own family. But also so that other couples can get over their initial fears that they quite understandably have. We decided that we were good together and wanted to bring our own child into the world. And that's what you helped us do.

Fotini and Stelios