RBA is VASTLY superior to Shady Grove for DE

[Anonymous]

I started with Shady Grove because it was right here and simply because I finished the approval process there before RBA's. Got pregnant the first time, so happy, then m/c at 9 weeks. Nothing but misery after that from Shady Grove. Next donor--one lousy blast on Day 6, BFN. They almost transferred the wrong embryo into me (embryos from wrong donor).

I'm finally at RBA ,which was my first choice anyway--should have STUCK TO MY GUT. Their donor pool is better, not as big but more college-educated girls, and from what I've seen so far, more proven donors. You can call and they give you the FULL history of her donations the same day, with SG, you wait till your doctor checks into it. And it's cleThe team at the egg bank is also MUCH nice than the Donor Team at Shady Grove, who didn't answer calls or emails when I wanted to switch donors, even said "the doctor is going to call you"--as in, stop HARASSING us. For doing their jobs? Switching donors is totally allowed when your match is not complete.

I finally got signed up with RBA last week. Asked to have a conversation with the donor coordinator at the egg bank. She was very sweet. They have also allowed me to reserve two donors, pending the outcome for my first choice. All this cheerfully.

And they just lowered the price to $28,500 for their 5 cycle guarantee. It's not a full refund, which kept me at Shady Grove one cycle and half a year (more) too long. Frozen egg cycles are much quicker, choose your donor and you start at the end of that cycle or next cycle, and you have control over your transfer date.

Anyway, I see this dilemma here often with donor eggs, I wanted to offer my experience.

If you're debating, I wanted to offer my experience.

[Anonymous]

You choose what is right for you and other readers will choose what is right for them.

Good luck at RBA.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, well my anecdotal experience cancels out your experience. I'm 24 weeks from my first DE IVF with SG. I thankfully have 4 high quality embryos frozen and this was with a 1:3 cycle.

I think that you should hold off on your accolades until you actually go through a cycle but glad yours happy.

[Anonymous]

Good luck OP. I remember you rother post and am praying for you. Did you negotiate that rate or is it the standard shared risk cost?

[Anonymous]

Op, did they mention whether you can switch donors on a subsequent cycle if need be? So in other words, you choose one donor, get the eggs, do the transfers and then if for some reason there was an issue with the donor, could you switch later for subsequent cycles? thanks I'm also leaning toward using them

[Anonymous]

Op I had a great experience with Rba too. I really do think they are miles ahead with what they offer and other clinics are playing catch up. I have one gorgeous 2 year old and a second in the way, knock wood. they were miles more professional thanthe two local clinics I went to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, did they mention whether you can switch donors on a subsequent cycle if need be? So in other words, you choose one donor, get the eggs, do the transfers and then if for some reason there was an issue with the donor, could you switch later for subsequent cycles? thanks I'm also leaning toward using them

I am following the blog of a woman with whom I'm now in personal touch. She had a m/c with her donor, and was worried about being stuck with her, but the doctor said that if her donor had ANY other miscarriages, they'd move on to another. It turned out her donor had ongoing pregnancies, she used the remaining embryos, and is now pregnant.

Contrast with SG, who fought me tooth and nail to keep using those miscarriage-makers. Can't tell you how glad I am to have moved on from a place that has bad memories not only of BFNs and m/cs, but horrible, horrible experiences dealing with the staff, the administrators, and even my own doctor. Wish I'd done it sooner but we can't have hindsight when we're making such big decisions that are fraught with emotion and trauma.