What is Donor Egg Grief and How Do I Know if I Have It?

Coming to terms that you need a donor egg to have a family can elicit all kinds of emotions. A major emotion that plays a big role during this process is grief. Grief is that deep, overwhelming sorrow that comes from loss. In this case, it is the anguish that comes from the death or loss of the dream - the dream of a genetic child. In this article, we’ll discuss grief and how it relates to being told you need an egg donor to conceive. 

What is egg donor grief?

In the late 60s, Dr. Kubler-Ross introduced a model for understanding the psychological reaction to loss. She described a cycle composed of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This model can also be applied to understand the concept of donor egg grief.

For those told that they will require the use of donor eggs to procreate, many of the stages described by Dr. Kubler-Ross can occur not only simultaneously but also repeatedly. Unlike the image above, the stages are also not always linear and do not have a specified time period. 

The different stages of donor egg grief can occur during the initial diagnosis, during the decision-making process regarding moving forward or not and for some all the way until the baby is born. The good news is that grief is normal, it is expected, and it does pass. The clouds part and happiness and joy can once again take over. 

The good news is that grief is normal, it is expected, and it does pass.

Signs that you have donor egg grief

Shock

Unless you have always known that you will require assistance to have a child, when you first learn about needing donor eggs, there is shock.  That initial shock usually wears off pretty fast  because we easily slip into denial. 

Denial

Denial is a common defense mechanism used to protect oneself from the reality that a donor egg is needed. Some people are in such denial that they switch clinics thinking that they need a second opinion or that their clinic is incompetent. Denial is normal and can be important for processing difficult information. During this you need to really understand and educate yourself about why you need a donor egg. Find out about your diagnosis, Ask a lot of questions. And yes, it is okay to get a second opinion. Some find that delving into educating themselves serves as an escape from reality, which is natural. But when you start seeing that you cannot escape the fact, then anger begins to kick in. 

Anger

Anger can come in many different forms. There may be anger at self for waiting too long, for not understanding how fertility works. There may be anger at the partner who does not have to surrender his genetics. There may be anger at friends or family who seem to so easily get pregnant. Anger is also a normal and natural response. During this time having an outlet, be it creative or physical, or whatever,  is essential. Channeling that rage and letting it out allows you to walk the path toward healing.

Bargaining

In order to move on from anger and to get a semblance of control, many move into bargaining. This can look like, “I will focus solely on treatment and 100% on clean eating and living, and I will donate money to fertility causes, if I can try IVF one more time. I know this time it will work, this time will be different.” The truth is that bargaining is really a way to protect oneself from the painful reality of that lost genetic connection, to not want to believe that this diagnosis is true. So thoughts such as, “I probably wasn’t doing the hormone injections right. My doctor wasn’t giving me strong enough hormones.” are also part of the process.  

Depression

If you start to feel persistent feelings of sadness, a loss of interest in things you once enjoyed, hopelessness, issues with sleep, and fatigue, you are entering the stage of depression. Now is the time for self-compassion which is the process of turning compassion inward.  Now is the time to be kind and understanding and to give ourselves support and encouragement. Research shows that self-compassion can be a powerful source of coping and resilience as it can radically improve mental and physical wellbeing. 

Acceptance

The last and final stage of donor egg grief is acceptance. This is recognizing the reality that if you are to have a family, a donor egg will be required. This is when the longing to be a parent outweighs the need to procreate and have a genetic link to a child. This is when you no longer struggle with the loss of that genetic tie and instead decide to focus on what it will be like to finally be a parent. This is when the old expectations of how you saw yourself becomes redefined.  The definition of mothering, nurturing and family also changes and you start seeing a happy future once again. You start to realize that perhaps the best parts of you are not genetic, but things that were learned, nurtured and taught. And those are things you can and will pass down to your child. 

We are here for you

Whether you choose to match with an egg donor through Cofertility or elsewhere, it’s important to find a reputable and compassionate agency that will treat you with respect and provide you with the resources and support you need throughout the process. Remember that you are not alone, and that there is hope for building the family of your dreams, even if it looks different than what you imagined.

Read more:

• How Can I Come to Terms with Using Donor Eggs?
• The Parent-Child Relationship in Families Created Using Egg Donation
• Will I Regret Using Donor Eggs?