As the new year begins, Cathy talks about her work as Egg Donor Support with Altrui.

I’m one of those lucky people who looks forward to getting back to work!

There are many things I love about my job. First of all, I really enjoy speaking to all the amazing women who get in touch for information on egg donation and hearing their personal stories of what’s inspired them to help. I love the beginning of a treatment cycle with a donor I’ve been supporting for months, when we’re both excited that everything’s come together and it’s ‘finally happening’. I get so excited to hear how the collection’s gone and to make sure all the ladies get home safely and are resting up and feeling amazing about what they’ve done.

It’s completely brilliant making the call to a donor to let them know their couple is pregnant – I’ve needed a tissue on a number of occasions. But my biggest sense of satisfaction comes from thinking back to the support I would really have liked as an egg donor myself, and what would have made that time less stressful, more positive and ultimately, a more valued experience. Then I take those ideas and try to make that happen for all the donors I support.

If you want to donate eggs then your age, lifestyle and general health are all important. Outside of that, there are other factors that really help. Having support and understanding from people who are significant to you makes a huge difference. Whether it’s your spouse, best friend, or family, it’s important to have someone close to you, who knows you well, to talk through your decision to do this and also be there to support you through the process. If you’re employed, an understanding boss makes a big difference too!

It’s important to make a really informed choice about what’s right for you personally. Egg donation is a significant decision, and it’s only through giving it careful consideration, and knowing what you are committing to, that you can decide if it’s something you want to do.

If you decide to go ahead, next you need to work out whether now is the best time in your life to make the commitment: can you fit in the cycle around your work and home life? Oh, and if the idea of injecting yourself with needles is the only thing that puts you off, lets have a chat about that. I’ve been needle-phobic since I was a child, but self-injecting for a treatment cycle is nothing like the fear we harbour from having childhood injections - you feel like a blooming hero the first time you give yourself an injection and realise it isn’t all that bad!

I want each and every donor’s experience to be special: after all, it’s an amazing thing you’re doing and I want your experience and memories to be amazing too.

To find out more, see our information about egg donation with Altrui. Alternatively, if you want to talk about any of the issues in this blog, or egg donation in general, you can contact us for a chat on 01969 667875 or email Alison and Cathy at [email protected].