Don't want to tell OB that I used DE.

[50/50]

Thanks all for your ideas and suggestions. I'm thinking I will prob just get the records sent to me and just send the pregnancy related info or just have my RE write me up something...I didn't even think about that possibility. The appt maker at my OB said I would have to chge my appt if they did not receive the copies by my appt date. Had I known this would be an issue I would not have mentioned having an RE either.

thanks again!

[jlquilts]

You have many really good ideas on how to maintain privacy which is your right. I would recommend that you be prepared for outright questions of whether you used DE if you do not have certain recommended tests due to your age. We did not have the quad? triple or whatever screen it is. I did not have an amnio either. Donor age was 23 and I was preg with twins why risk this. When was had our first Level 2 U/S (everything was fine) the tech was sent in by the peri who had reviewed the films to ask if this was a preg from a DE?!!! We were thrown and said yes but that of course was confidential info. I work at the hospital and we had a friend who was the lead U/S tech and happened to not be in that day?! When the MD came in to meet us we requested that no DE info be on the chart and let him know that we socialized with one of the techs. Who knows what really happened in my chart but I wish that we had not said anything.

Good luck with your pregnancy.

[Stefani]

Hi -

As previously stated, my husband is a physician as are most of our friends. I just want to mention that most docs won't honor a request not to document medical information provided by the patient, and that includes the use of DE. If you choose to disclose the information to your OB, be prepared that he/she may make it a part of your medical records. Also, I don't consider it unusual to decline some of the screenings, since many women would choose to proceed with the pregnancy regardless of the results.

By the way, for those of you with relatives employed at the hospital or medical office you are using, keep in mind that it is a serious violation for a health care professional or staff member to retrieve and read your records unless they are personally involved in your care. I don't know how often that sort of thing actually happens, because obviously if it does, it isn't discussed.

Stefani

[50/50]

Thanks for that info. I'm guessing I will just need to keep it to myself. I was planning on passing on cvs/amnio but wanted to do the triple (?) screen but I guess can't now since that is based on the age of the eggs. I guess I could always say that these eggs were from an ivf I did when I was 23 yo? HA...more questions would then arise? Hmmm....

[mmi]

When my OB asked about our infertility journey, I told him everything, including the donor sperm. I asked him though not to chart that, and he was like, no problem!! YOu do not have to release your records from the RE(just refuse to sign the consent)..... and if you want him to know(when the talk of age, ect... comes up)... do as I did.... just tell him not to chart anything!

[BC-MAV]

You know the medical information of your egg donor and that's what's important and if the Dr. asks just say there is a family history of ----. You don't need to say it's the ED's family history!!!

As for the tests, I think SM had a triple screen done with both of her pregnancies and she is 24. Isn't that just a blood test? I don't think age has anything to do with it. If you want the test then ask for it. If insurance doesn't cover it then pay for it if you think it's worth it. If your Dr. questions you, then just say you want the test done for piece of mind or you do not care to have a certain test.

You are paying the Dr. and you decide what you need. These are not necessary tests ~ they test for genetic abnormalities of which you can do nothing about, unless you are open to termination. I don't think you need to tell anyone about your baby's background with DE. Plenty of kids are adopted and the parents have no idea of their medical backround and there are also couples who do donor embryo and may have no idea of their child's background.

[Kylie]

My OB knows that we used donor sperm but it isn't in our chart. I think she forgets about it most of the time . Like every time I am asked about birth control . I was so devastated when I was 28 wks pregnant with my first baby and went into the hospital with preterm labor. The oncall OB told me that it stated on my information sheet (the one the OB faxes to the hospital whenever you have problems or are going to deliver) that I had had donor IUI. I cried. I was so upset!!! When I was transferred to another hospital with a better NICU (in case I delivered) I asked the Perinatologist that was caring for me to white out that information that was on my chart (the dense OB that had sent me there said I could ask him to do that). He said he hadn't even noticed it on there, and of course couldn't remove any information that was already there. Well fast forward 11 more weeks and I went in for the real delivery. The stupid nurse that was assigned to us comes into the room and says to me "So I see you got pregnant with artificial insemination!" Gee, thanks for telling me that!!! Thank goodness my husband wasn't in the room when she said that! Turns out on my chart it only said IUI, nothing at all about donor sperm. I was all upset over nothing. I wish the OB had made that clear to me . So anyway, my RE did write release letters to my OB all three times but I don't think any of them mentioned donor sperm. Just the use of gonadatropins and IUI. Our pediatrician knows, but he also was asked to not write it in the chart and therefore he also forgets all the time. I told him about it because he is a very nice person and I could tell he'd be sensitive to the issue. I wanted his input on how and when to tell our children. It's almost time to tell the oldest . Anyway, you do have to be careful. Get your own records and give the OB's office what you want them to see, what you don't mind having in your file. I know that one of the posters here had her IF information put on her OB info sheet without her knowledge, it was the OBs partner that put it on there without her consent. So you have to watch some people and what they do with your private information! I don't understand why your OB insists on having any information sent by your RE's office before they see you? Mine didn't.

[anon4now]

Hi,
First congrats on your pregnancy.
I have 2 children from my first DE/IVF and I am currently PG again from a frozen cycle, originating from the same IVF.

I am currently going thru a simialr situation.
During my frist PG, I did not tell my OB or Peri, I saw no reason to.
I was getting u/s every month and figured I would deal with it if something came up. I also had the quad sreen at 16weeks, I did not know that is was age related, which it is. The results are read and then the percentages given are based on the Ovums age.

This PG, I am over 35, so knew my OB would ant an amnio. I opted for the First trimester screening (Nuchal Transluceny Scan and bloodwork). I gave my age at the time the emryo was frozen. Well, somehow my RE sent my OB a letter and she called me and asked if we used a donor, ect. I told her the truth, she said we need to contact the Peri that did the First Tri screen and tell them the Ovum age of 26 ( donors age) and when I have my Quad Screen I need to tell the person drawing the blood to use the age of 26 for the test. She said this is very important, otherwise we cannot trust the result. I told her that we were not disclosing the fact that we used a donor, she said that was fine, we only need the info for the bloodwork. I have known her for years now and feel very comfortable with her knowing.
BTW- I picked up my own records to make sure there wasn't anything about DE and I could give the OB what I wanted etc, but the RE wrote a letter for some reason!

I agree that it is completely your decsion to tell or not. You may request that your RE not forward any info regarding DE, but to release the PG info to your OB. I also don't see how the hospital would have any info on the DE, it's not like yor OB will be forwarding that info on. There are so many HIPA laws now, most Dr offices are VERY careful.

Good luck with your PG!!!

Lynn

[Kylie]

Lynn, if I were you I would have told your OB that yes, you did use a donor, but no, you don't intend to go back and give that information to the peri that treated you previously. It doesn't matter now, since you already had the children. Those blood tests/screenings are such fooey anyway. I would just refuse it this time and not worry about giving someone else's age for the bloodwork. The only test that will accurately tell you anything about the baby you are carrying is an amnio or an ultrasound.

[anon4now]

Kylie,

I must have confused you,LOL!
The test was for my current PG, the Peris office does the Nuchal testing. I did call the nurse at the Peri and she just re-read my results based on age 26 as oppopsed to age 32. So my risk for Trisomy 18 and 21 went down even further, KWIM.
I debated not calling the Peri and just using the age 26 on the quad screen, but in the end DH and I decieded we'd rather have the accurate result from the bloodwork.

Lynn