PP i couldn't agree more. That's why I didn't stick with pved for too long. And I here I am 14 weeks pregnant and I didn't go to ORM either! I don't find her to be an authority - I find her to be an advertiser of services. And if you don't go to one of the places she endorses, then you won't be successful. She encourages people to throw all caution to the wind and trek clear across the country just b/c that's where she went.


I am determined though to find out why she hates SG though.

Anonymous wrote:Marna HATES SG. And I've never gotten a legitimate answer out of her as to why. I found her to be extremely unhelpful, unrealistic and kind of a bully.

Yeah, I'm seeing her that way now too. Which sucks because you're VERY vulnerable when you talk to her, and she is sort of an "authority" as the founder of PVED.

She swore to me that SG in the 3:1 program would never give me frozen embryos, they want repeat business (though in shared risk they make more off of me if I just get pregnant first try or off the first donor). Guess what--WRONG, I have 5. Clearly she LOVES ORM--but an acquaintance was telling me that while she was thrilled with her twins from there, she wishes ORM had been a little more "generous" in their freezing criteria because they have no blasts! And they had their donor to THEMSELVES!

Well, I inadvertently made the right choice, but no thanks to Marna who was trying to steer me toward an agency (so I could find my ethnicity, she didn't think one "should compromise"--really? Spending the kids college fund isn't just another kind of compromise? Trading looks/unpredictable genes for money that could provide us security?). And ANY clinic but Shady Grove. And I even started looking into it--and just realized that as long as I had basic criteria, I needed to stay on the lower cost end of things.

You don't get ANY choice in genes when you adopt. And still, people are thrilled with the result.

And then I hit the jackpot and got a decent donor of my ethnicity who happens to have rock star ovaries.

I don't think she's trying to take advantage of anyone, but I agree, she's a bully, and unrealistic--thus unhelpful to those with limits on resources. And minds of our own.

Marna HATES SG. And I've never gotten a legitimate answer out of her as to why. I found her to be extremely unhelpful, unrealistic and kind of a bully.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! Test is Wed.

Btw, nonsequitor but I'm very irritated with Marna from PVED. Maybe I'll start a new thread.

Please do. There have been some comments lately about her dislike of SG. Good luck, OP!

Thanks! Test is Wed.

Btw, nonsequitor but I'm very irritated with Marna from PVED. Maybe I'll start a new thread.

Just wanted to pass along my best wishes to you, OP!

Anonymous wrote:Having been a donor at another clinic, I hope your donor is okay after producing that many eggs. It seems unreasonable for one woman to have to produce enough for 3 couples.

They usually produce 25-30, which is quite normal for a young donor producing eggs for just one couple.

Mine was unusual. As stated above, getting 13 eggs for your share is very high--I was hoping for 8 on the outside. What's even more unusual is how many made it to blast. Only 50% in the 1:3 share program get to freeze blasts. If you have a donor to yourself, you are very likely to have frozen blasts--more than any one family can use--this is making me feel better about the 1:3 share--she really is helping three couples instead of one, and there are less embryos that are going to get trashed.

I have no idea of her protocol. They told me she's doing well. I'm not sure overstimulation would even work to create a larger crop of eggs than a donor can make--ovaries have limits.

I do wish they paid them more--I'm not dying to pay more but the clinic keeps way too much of what we pay, since she's the star of the show.

I wouldn't say it is the norm but it definitely isn't unheard of.

really?? 40 eggs is normal? I am a little shocked by that statement...

PP - that is ridiculous. SG does not overstimulate their donors. There are many donors out there who produce that many for ONE couple alone.

Having been a donor at another clinic, I hope your donor is okay after producing that many eggs. It seems unreasonable for one woman to have to produce enough for 3 couples.

best wishes, OP!

Fingers crossed for you, OP. Keep us updated!

congrats OP! Wishing you a BFP

OP, updating for anyone who was following--I think I posted that I got 13 eggs.

9 fertilized. We transferred one and I have 5 on ice.

I could not have imagined the cycle going this well.