Dr Ruth Curson answers your medical questions about egg and sperm donation. She recently retired from her job as Specialist at the Assisted Conception Unit, King’s College Hospital, London.
Dear Dr Ruth
I became an egg donor 18 months ago. Since then I’ve been trying to get pregnant and had a miscarriage. My periods are now regular but my cycle has changed to six weeks apart. Could the egg donation have caused this?
Natalie
Dear Natalie,
Congratulations on being an egg donor. I am sure you have made someone very happy by your kind act. I’m sorry that your pleasure has been spoilt by you having a miscarriage since then and that you are now worried about your periods.
From what I understand, you are still having regular periods but the pattern has changed to a period every six weeks.
There are many things that change the pattern of our periods: it is common to have a different cycle after any pregnancy; travel may disrupt the cycle, as can any stress. Women commonly report having a gap in their periods or some irregularity after the drugs that they take in treatment to have IVF or be an egg donor but this is usually relatively short-lived. I think what you are probably experiencing is that since you had the miscarriage your periods have settled into a new pattern of a bleed every six weeks. These will still be fertile cycles but you will now release your egg each month four weeks after your bleeding starts.
I do hope you get pregnant again soon and everything goes well next time. I would suggest if nothing has happened after six cycles you go and see your GP so they can advise you.
Dr Ruth Curson
Tags: advice, egg donation, health
SEED: Sperm, Egg and Embryo Donors 
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