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I just love being an egg donor and giving people babies
Starting a family hadn’t been easy for Polly and Gav. So when Polly read about being an egg donor in a magazine, she knew straight away what she needed to do.
“We’d both had trouble starting families in our previous relationships”
Polly and Gavin met in 2013, aged 23 and 29. They knew immediately that they wanted to spend their lives together.
Having had fertility scares in the past, in separate relationships, Polly and Gavin were hoping for a fresh start.
The quality of Polly's eggs was good, but she had experienced early miscarriages.
Now, the couple were overjoyed to welcome their two daughters, Nancy Sue and Connie, into the world.
As her babies grew into toddlers, Polly was leading a busy life, running her hair salon. But her early fertility challenges stuck in her mind.
Then something caught her eye.
She had picked up a magazine and flicked through the pages. The magazine had published a letter from a woman who had just had a baby, thanks to an unknown egg donor.
The emotional letter explained how deeply grateful this woman was for her gift.
Polly knew immediately that she too wanted to be an egg donor.
How common are miscarriages?
Around 1 in 10 pregnancies miscarries, and 1 in 100 people have recurrent miscarriages. It can be caused by eggs or the sperm, genetics, the womb and cervix, autoimmune conditions, or your age, lifestyle and weight. The cause of previous miscarriages are carefully explored to make sure the eggs are suitable for donation.
Having got the family I had longed for, I wanted to help others
When her daughters reached school age, Polly spotted a Facebook advert about egg donation with TFP Oxford Fertility and got in touch.
She was asked to complete a detailed medical and genetic questionnaire. Tests were carried out, including a test of her ovarian reserve, and then the couple had a consultation with a TFP counsellor.
Polly and partner gave serious consideration to the implications of the donation. They wanted to understand what it would mean for their daughters to have half brothers or sisters.
Their TFP counsellor suggested they look at it another way.
She explained that any resulting children would be genetically linked – simply because of shared DNA. They wouldn’t be linked in any other way. Similarly, Polly should think of herself as a genetic relative rather than a biological parent.
Polly explains, “It was important to understand this because we are always open with our girls. We want them to know what I have done and for them to learn from it.
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I felt confident about being a donor and ready to go ahead...
...I went on to donate my eggs twice!
The TFP team prepared Polly’s body for the donation by stimulating her egg production. The medication was delivered via injections, which Polly’s partner helped her with at home.
This first donation, in 2022, resulted in plenty of eggs but just one high grade embryo. Happily, that embryo led to a successful pregnancy for the recipient.
Polly donated again in 2023.
“It was a little more difficult,” says Polly. “They had to alter my medication a few times – but it was really successful.”
This time, fifteen eggs were shared between two women.
“I’m waiting to find out if any babies have arrived,” says Polly.
She admits to having a ‘wobble’ when her first donation led to the birth of a baby girl.
“But then I reminded myself that although the baby had my genetics, she was carried in her mother. Their blood was shared,” says Polly.
“And without me, this couple wouldn’t have been able to conceive. That made me feel happy and excited,” she says.
Polly’s friends and family have been supportive of her donations, particularly her mum, who had struggled to conceive herself due to severe endometriosis.
Then I decided to carry a baby for a couple
Now in her mid-thirties, Polly felt she was too old to donate her eggs again. Instead, she decided to carry a baby for a couple.
“I did gestational surrogacy,” she explains.
“This means my own egg wasn’t used.
The embryo implanted in my womb was created from the recipient couple’s egg and sperm.
“I had found the couple on Facebook through an official surrogacy group, and knew I wanted to help them.”
“The pregnancy was successful, and it was magical handing them their little boy.”
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Polly’s takeaways
Before Polly and her partner met, she'd worried she'd never be a mum.
Now, she’s not only a mum to two girls, she’s also given the gift of life to several families.
She says, “I’m so glad I picked up that magazine and learned how much impact I could make as an egg donor.
“I just love giving people babies,” she says.
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