Peggy Orenstein has written a lengthy and very compelling story in The New York Times Magazine that ran Sunday about the growth of in-vitro fertilization using donated eggs. For the most part the growth has come from the gray end of the parental-age spectrum, and in fact the practice has helped extended that range. The story opens with an anecdote from a woman who, was in her mid-40s when she underwent the procedure in 1992. (Her 6th-grade daughter had asked her what year Mom and Dad had met their donor - now there's a lede that will grab you! Apparently the child has known since pre-school about the donor.)
Many stories about IVF/donation focus on the decision, not as much on what happens after baby arrives. This story looks into a lot of the issues of having a child from a donated egg, including whether or not to tell the child how they were conceived.
On the subject of older parents, here is a quote I found fascinating:
"The birthrate among women ages 40-44 has risen 62 percent since 1990, while the rate among those in their late 40s has more than doubled. Among those who used I.V.F. in 2004, about a third of the 43-year-olds used someone else’s eggs; by 47 years old, 91 percent did."
Orenstein is the author of the memoir “Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night and One Woman’s Quest to Become a Mother.” In the article, she says she underwent an unsuccessful donor-egg IVF treatment before conceiving her daughter without the treatment.
Monday, July 16, 2007
A must-read for those considering IVF/egg donation
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On WFDD, our local NPR affiliate, I just heard an interview with Ms. Orenstein on the "Fresh Air" program. Here's a link if you want to listen:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12033059
Orenstein talked about her article, weaving in her own personal experience of trying to have a baby. She became a mother at almost 42, she said. She said she was physically not at a good age to have her baby, but was at a psychologically good age.
The interview is about a half-hour long.
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