Customer Reviews

Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After seeing all the 5 star ratings for this book, I did my best to find some redeeming value in this diatribe. I felt that I was constantly slapped in the face with the authors views that wanting to have a baby over the age of 40 was selfish and unfair to the child. I'd like to inform the narrow minded authors that at age 40 I'm a much better parent than I would ever have been in my 20's and 30's. I have just as much energy and a lot more patience! Not to mention that my parents at 65 are no where near the geriatric burdens that the authors predict for my children in the future. Parenting is challenging at any age, and to assume that someone under the age of 40 is any more prepared for the task is absurd. I want my money back!

I was really looking forward to reading this book. However, I was really disappointed and disturbed by the bias that the authors have against older mothers. At times you hear a running theme about how older parents "will be feel out of the loop at school activities and functions" and how a radiologist friend snarked how these older moms are getting mammograms with young children in tow. Just who do they think egg donor recipients are? Are only younger women in their 30's the only ones who deserve to get egg donation. I thought they would be more objective.

I checked out this book from the library since it seemed to be so well-reviewed and there wasn't, at that time, a lot of books like it. Thank goodness I did not waste my money on it! I will admit I did not read the entire book once I ran into the authors' negativity toward older (i.e. over 40) parents. If you are over 40, please just do not read this book. I will refrain from being completely unleashed in my opinion here, as that wouldn't really help anyone and probably just increase my own anger and negativity. And I'm sure you, like me, already have enough weighing you down what with probably trying to conceive on your own or with help and your own eggs for some time but failing - before investigating the use of donor eggs. This book will only make you feel worse. It is unfortunate that the author even feels the need to opine on the age issue, as it is obviously a completely subjective topic. Within reason, of course - I mean I think most people would agree that perhaps over 70 would be "on the old side" to be having a pregnancy :-) Many, if not the majority, of women seeking to use DE are probably over 40 - that is a leading reason for looking into this option in the first place, it is assumed that over-40 eggs are not optimally viable. I hope that the author reads some of this criticism and realizes the immense disservice to the women struggling to have a child and may find themselves to be over 40. And I truly hope that neither the author nor anyone close to her faces the pain of being in that position; she just may find that her views are not so solid on this topic after all.

This book contains some useful information but is so full of typographical and grammatical errors that I could not finish it. In some portions, there is at least one typographical, spelling, or grammatical error on every page; sometimes there are multiple errors on a single page. I find it difficult to believe that the publisher allowed it to go to print in this form. That said, the book did stimulate my thinking on various issues related to the decision whether to undergo IVF with egg donation. If you can get past the bad editing, then it is worth perusing.

I was excited to find a book that addressed my issues of infertility exactly, but this book made me feel that even those in the "infertility family" did not approve of my decision. There is a tremendous amount of information and the book covered every possibility of reaching the egg donation decision. However, the authors were not supportive of mothers considering egg donation if they were over 45 years old and repeated that lack of support throughout the book.

The beginning of the book has a section discussing seemingly all ways of arriving at the decision of egg donation and they were positive about all of them except women who need both a donated egg and donated sperm, which happens to be my situation. The authors dismissed this option as "unfair to the child" and barely discussed it in the rest of the book.

I would recommend this book for a good overview of the emotional ups and downs, but take it with a grain of salt if you are older or are not lucky enough to have family to donate for you.

I highly recommend Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation to anyone who is going through the pain of infertility. The book is incredibly helpful and informative. I am planning on passing it on to my friends who are suffering from infertility with the hopes that this compassionate book will offer them guidance and inspire them to continue their journey to have a child.-- WENDY S.

I liked this book and I didn't like this book if that's possible. After seeing all the 5 star ratings for this book I was excited to read it. Finally a book on egg donation. And while I found it to be informative and helpful I couldn't help but feel as if the authors views were not supportive to those of us who were embarking upon the journey of egg donation and that wanting to have a baby over the age of 40 was selfish and unfair to the child. I will tell you I am a much better and present parent than I would have been in my 20's and even early 30's. I have much more patience now than I did many years ago. I think it's fair to say that parenting at any age is challenging, and I think women over 40 should be encouraged and supported if they wish to have a child through egg donation.

Clinical social worker specializing in adoption, parenting, and fertility-related issues Ellen Glazer and certified health education specialist Evelina Sterling present Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation, a thoroughly practical and informative guide that provides, in lay terms, everything prospective parents need to know about using modern technology to create children through donated eggs. Chapters address the circumstances in which egg donation is an option; the laws, rules, and ethics for recruited-donor programs; common emotional issues and problems associated specifically with a pregnancy from egg donation; issues to deal with during parenthood of a child conceived through egg donation; and much more. A list of organizations and on-line resources rounds out this valuable, absolute "must-read" for anyone considering participation in an egg donor program or becoming parents through such a practice.

The authors are a wealth of knowledge, answering many questions while raising others. For anyone considering egg donation, this book is sensitive, hopeful and empowering. It will be a continuous reference and guide through every step of the process.

Finally ~ A book for people deciding about egg donor. When I went through egg donor 5 years ago, there was VERY LITTLE info available, so this is wonderful to finally have a resource. Also, a woman commented on who in their 30's need egg donors. Actually, I was in my 20's and needed an egg donor. Many women have POF (Premature Ovarian Failure) and cannot have their own children, so this is the next best option.