I would like to make my daughter to become an older sister…I decided to receive eggs from Taiwan and continue without giving up because my family always supported me.
After I gave birth to my first baby, my menstruation stopped! Treatment and age concerns can be overcome, and it is a story about Junko receiving eggs from Taiwan and about her supportive family.
Honestly informing on age concern, and get married
Ms. Junko, whose 44 years old, opened the front door. Her baby was held in her hand, and the baby was asleep comfortably. The other baby was also taking a nap in his baby bed while her husband (36 years old) was watching. The eldest daughter (4 years old) was cheered up well by their side. In February the twin boys were born, the lively and happy family life of five family members was started. It was 7 years ago; Junko and her husband were introduced by their friends. Junko was 37 years old. “I was impatient about my age, I wanted to get married soon,” she said. Telling her husband straight-hearted feelings, therefore they married after a year since they met.
Junko was hoping to have a child very soon, but she had miscarriage twice. However, eventually, she gave birth to her eldest daughter via natural pregnancy. At this time, Junko says that she had not imagined that she would face infertility.
Words that her daughter told her to start treatment
When she was 40 years old, the first baby was born. She was having a wonderful time with her family; however, one day her daughter asked her “Why I don’t have younger siblings? I want to be an older sister…”The daughter’s good friends has a younger brother and sister, why am I only one child. As I was asked several times, I began to think strongly “I want to fulfill the wish of my daughter” However, Ms. Junko had anxiety factor. Actually, since she gave birth, amenorrhea continued all the time. As I go back to the past, there was also a menstruation stopped for half a year after I made an unreasonable diet that I lost 10 kg in her teens. And it was reason why for many years menstrual came irregularity. In consultation with the doctor of obstetrics and gynecology that gave birth her daughter, it is the first infertility therapy for Ms. Junko to start whether we can hope for the second baby.
Firstly, she starts medication therapy for resume menstruation and tries timing therapy, but since she did not get positive results, therefore she challenged artificial insemination as the next step. She did two times and none of them were positive, she got deeply stressed during treatment for a year. The doctor encouraged her to do a bit more hard work, but because it was not a facility specializing in infertility, so they could do only artificial insemination. Her husband repeatedly said, “We have one daughter, and we do not need second baby anymore,” However, Junko’s feelings will not change. “All what she was doing was for her daughter only.”
They did research on hospitals specializing in infertility treatment in an attempt to solve this situation. They decided to visit “St. Mother’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital” because it has a good reputation; also the clinic is near their hometown.
It is a famous hospital and let’s changes to some fresh feelings
On my first visit, the impression was “a hospital where there were tremendously amount of patients”, it seems that she was surprised that so many people suffering from infertility. Because of the second baby infertility, Junko persuaded her husband to think about how she really wanted to be treated at the first visit; however Junko, who has reached this point, hoped for treatment. She underwent the necessary examination and immediately tried in vitro fertilization.
“I have already experienced artificial insemination, I have no time, I would like to ask the doctor to accept high probability in vitro fertilization” In the first in vitro fertilization, chemical abortion occurs in the fourth week after implantation. Three months after resting the uterus, I tried the second time but I did not get pregnant. Somehow, I felt that my ovum might be impossible to be fertilized, and the third time I did not have ovum. Suddenly, I did artificial insemination, but I still cannot get positive results. Junko was convinced that “my eggs were not functioning anymore”
give up own ovum and decided to receive eggs in Taiwan
I began infertility treatment after the age of 40. Junko was searching for information regarding infertility on magazines the Internet and saw the words of offering eggs. “When my eggs were not functioning, I was thinking that there was no way to do it, I felt that the way to have a young lady offering eggs might be right for me.” Dr. Tanaka explained to me that it is not possible to receive eggs based on Japanese domestic guidelines because the law on offering eggs is not being developed in Japan at this stage if the reason of infertility is due to age. In addition, he introduced Taiwan and America as possible resolution for my situation. In the United States, it costs at least 5 million yen, but in Taiwan the treatment cost around 2 million yen. Therefore, she decided to receive egg donation in Taiwan as recommended by Dr. Tanaka.
In contrast, her husband had a complex feeling. “He understood that the desire to make their daughter an older sister, but I thought that using another person’s eggs is the other story.” Instead of doing the third time IVF, all of a sudden, her husband was just surprised when Junko said “I want you to go to Taiwan with me.” For Junko, there was also a conflict. She was also anxious about receiving egg treatment in a foreign country that she did not know at all. “However, I did not change the feeling that I wanted a child, I think that I asked my husband many times, and he eventually accepted it. I was doing my best”
My husband and I spent a lot of time discussing the meaning of using the other’s ovum to make our family members, and were anxious about receiving treatment in a foreign place. The decision was made and Junko’s last challenge began.
The joy that I arrived safely in a short while, I was waiting for painful pregnancy hypertension. A strong and warm bond of my family gave me power I will work hard until the end. (The first part is here)
Egg receive was chosen in Taiwan under the responsibility of the country
There are an increasing number of couples traveling overseas, hoping for finding egg recipient. The reason is that the condition is very severe in Japan at this stage, such as only for women who cannot get pregnant due to medical reasons such as illness. Junko (44 years old) who was receiving infertility treatment at “St. Mother hospital infertility clinic” is one of them. She suffers from infertility caused by age; she gives up using my egg and decides to receive eggs in Taiwan. In March 2014, with her husband (36 years old) and her eldest daughter (4 years old), three family members went to Taiwan. The deciding factor is that Taiwan has the law “artificial reproductive law”, because it manages and manages reproductive supplementary medicine under the responsibility of the country, it is said that safety is exceedingly high as compared with other countries. Junko contact s Taiwan infertility center and communicates with the doctor smoothly through a staff who can speak Japanese. Conditions for providing Taiwanese state-owned eggs are to be proved in Taiwan’s public institution as a couple’s relationship. She will not proceed before providing this proof. The donor’s information is not public. They select by age, educational background, blood type, and nationality information. “We felt that if our child does not look Japanese, it would be awkward; however, we could only choose hair and skin color.”
Junko selected 2 donors out of a dozen candidates. There are a 20 years old social worker and a 21 years old student, and finally narrowed it to the 21 – year – old donor. According to the Taiwan law, they received a certificate of a couple at the public institution. They did basic examination and collection of sperms at the clinic, after done of all process they went back to Japan. Two months later, in response to the report that they had progressed to the stage of fertilizing two donor’s eggs and her husband sperm, Junko went to Taiwan alone in June. She transplanted two fertilized eggs into the uterus and returned home the following day. After 3 weeks, to St. Mother hospital infertility clinic for pregnancy test, Junko says “I was anxious after all” while thinking that somehow it was okay because I had confirmed the positive with pregnancy test drug beforehand. The result showed that both of the fertilized eggs were safely implanted, and it was surprised that “Families will increase by two at a stretch!” I felt very impressed.
Laboring is indeed the biggest challenge for a mother.
Nonetheless, we cannot only be pleased. Pregnancy beyond the age of 40 brings various troubles to Junko’s body. She was hospitalized for 10 days with the suspicion of miscarriage. During this pregnancy my morning sickness was terrible compared to my first pregnancy. I could not move, felt bad, and vomit everyday. At week 36, pregnancy hypertension develops. Urine protein has increased dramatically, swollen even if you sit or standing. While giving great thought, birth at the Caesarean section challenged in early February, I bleed and I transfused.
“Laboring is indeed the biggest challenge for a mother; therefore these kids are truly mine. It does not matter of using the other eggs or genes for us.
I hear that majority of people think sperm provides is awkward for the male side, however woman egg recipient can grow in the woman stomach even though they are provided eggs. In the meantime, the woman become a mother, my parent-child relationship is completely firmed. ”
Her twin boys were born on 37th and 2days. Hikaru is 2900 g, Nozomu is 2,200 g. They born more than the schedule, and they joined the family in good health.
Her husband says, “Although it should have said that IVF is the last one, I could not understand at the beginning what Taiwanese egg offering and why such words would come out, but at the beginning I did not understand, but as soon as I decided, I could make twins babies, because they have healthy sperm and two healthy eggs. It’s a parent who gave birth and is a parent of taking care. This is hard work I was watching from birth for a long time. It is not one form of parent and child and there is no worry or any problem. If you say that her daughter and these children want to know about egg recipient, I will tell them honestly, I believe that babies will say it does not matter, because I planned to do it for that purpose. ”
I want to tell my experiences for my future mother
Domestically in Japan, discussions on ovum provision have been done for many years. In order not to be cautious about the problem that must be resolved ethically, such as the welfare and rights of children born by the egg donor, the obstacles to future parent-child relationships, the protection of the provider’s privacy, it seems that it is quite the current situation that discussion will not proceed. Prior to undergoing infertility treatment, Junko was thinking that if she was married, she could pregnant and give birth normally even in the middle of the age of 40. However, only after starting therapy we knew “egg ages”, and we knew the reality that we must face aging even in our 20s and 30s. “I wish I had been taught from my childhood as a younger age.
Although there was resistance initially to receive the interview, I thought that it was important to have the facts and the influence of the egg aging widely known regardless of males or females, and want people to give birth and help people who are suffering from infertility. And above all, we decided to encourage everyone and not feel any bit of embarrassment, and are proud of your choice.
(Source: Women’s health life journal jineko vol.27 2015 Autumn)