Donor eggs make parenthood possible for couple facing infertility

Getting pregnant doesn't come easy for everyone. For some women, it's a painstaking process that requires the help of modern medicine.

All this week, ABC2 is taking a look at different treatments and options for couples wanting to start a family. Today we look at donor eggs.

Susan Quinzi of Crofton always knew she wanted a baby. So when she and her husband Doug started trying and didn't get pregnant, it was disappointing.

Susan was about to get even more bad news. "I was going toward premature ovarian failure if I wasn't there already."

What that meant was Susan wouldn't be able to have her own biological child. She would have to use someone else's eggs. "That was actually I have to say one of the worst days, one of the worst phone calls I ever got."

Dr. Melissa Esposito with Shady Grove Fertility Center says donor eggs are an option for women who can't conceive on their own. “Usually it's due to poor egg quality and her eggs just aren't really good quality anymore so she can't get pregnant with her own eggs."

After consulting with her doctor at Shady Grove Fertility, Susan was ready. “You might be afraid that they might not love you, or you might not feel like their mother but pretty much those just disappear when you hold your baby in your arms."

Dr. Esposito says, "All these women bring their babies back to see us and they're so happy and they all tell me that after that transfer they don't think about this baby as a donor egg baby. They just think about it as my baby."

For Susan, 6 month old Anthony is a dream come true. “There are days when I think about the donor who donated the cell but I know he's my son, our son and he's the child we were supposed to have."