Did Elizabeth Edwards use donor eggs?

[liberalpragmatist]

This article in Slate speculates that Elizabeth Edwards probably used donor eggs.

http://www.slate.com/id/2108863/

So how did Edwards have children at such a late age (late in reproductive terms, anyway)? It's likely she used donor eggs. By employing a younger woman's eggs, a woman can have babies well into her 50s. The process consists of finding a willing donor with desirable traits, supplying her with fertility drugs, extracting the multiple eggs that mature in her ovaries, placing them in a Petri dish with the man's sperm, and waiting for three to five days. A few of the embryos that result are then transferred to the woman's waiting uterus. The rest can be cryogenically frozen for later use, given to another couple, donated to science, or discarded.

Alas, no one but the Edwards family and their doctor—and maybe an egg donor, though most remain anonymous—can say for sure if donor eggs were used in the creation of Emma Claire and Jack. But reproductive endocrinologists agree that having babies with your own eggs at 48 and especially 50 is, well, just not going to happen: "The probability is 99.9 percent," said David Adamson, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based reproductive endocrinologist and clinical professor at Stanford University's School of Medicine. "If she hadn't, she'd probably say, 'No, I didn't use donor eggs.' " Adamson, who sits on the medical advisory board of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, added that in the 25 years he's spent treating thousands of infertility patients, he's only seen one woman of 45 and one of 46 give birth using their own eggs. Fecundity starts to drop off long before that, he says. At 35, one in four women trying to have a baby will run into difficulties. At 40, about half will fail to conceive naturally. Above 45, there are so few births using one's own eggs that no one keeps records of it, said Adamson. When it happens, you're in miracle territory.

If this is true I can understand the Edwardses' reluctance to be so public about this - they probably want this to be a private affair and to let their children know on their own terms - not from the media.

Even so, it raises some interesting questions. Should the Edwards talk about this more to spread public knowledge of the practice? Many women remain woefully uninformed, and many activists would like the Edwards to be more open about this, so make people more aware.

...her silence on the matter has some people miffed. "I think someone in her position can serve a great public good by being more outspoken," said Richard Silverstein, 52, a fund-raiser in Seattle whose wife, Janis White, used a donor egg to give birth to their son, Jonah, three years ago. White, now 48, is currently pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl, also from donor eggs. Silverstein doesn't understand why Edwards—if she used donor eggs—doesn't speak up. "There's an enormous level of ignorance about egg donation," he said. "She could use the bully pulpit to clear some of it up."

Fady Sharara, a reproductive endocrinologist who heads the Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine in Reston, Va., underscores the ignorance that surrounds issues of infertility. Somehow, says Sharara, women aren't getting the message about what happens to their fertility as they age. "A lot of my patients wait to come in until they're in their mid-40s because they think they have forever and can get pregnant very easily at 45. 'What about Geena Davis, who just had twins at 48?' they say. When I tell them these women use donor eggs, they get the biggest look of shock on their face."

What do you guys think? It does seem that people seem to be quite angry with me for posting this - I'm merely posting an article from Slate. Personally, I should note that I agree with most of you that this is a private matter and that if this is true the Edwardses are under no obligation to speak about how they reproduced - that's their own business. Even so, I found the article interesting, and am curious to see what other people's responses are.

[Dookus]

1. I think it's nobody's damn business

but their own.

[Hans Delbrook]

5. Amen

I thought this article was way out of line. Who the F--k do they think they are? These are human beings and theirpersonal lives that they so coolly proceed to dissect.

[madaboutharry]

17. Amen, too.

Man, I can't stand it when people call on someone else to lead a battle charge for them. People are entitled to a certain privacy in life even when they are public figures. This attitude really turns me off. The Edwards have a responsibility to their children and their family. And I don't really care how she got pregnant. I really don't need to know about it.

[gjb]

34. Amen three and by the way......

Since when is it ethical for a doctor to comment/speculate on a persons medical history, especially someone who is not their patient?

If a doctor made comments like this in Canada he would lose his licence in a heartbeat along with his house, his condo in Hawaii and all his cars.

[liberalnurse]

21. I second that!

[deadmessengers]

27. Word.

Nothing more to add than that - who gives a flying fuck about how any of the Bush, Kerry, Heinz or Edwards kids were conceived?

[Seabiscuit]

36. I'll second that - I resent seeing this thread here!

It's no one's business but the Edwards and their reproductive endocrinologist. Public speculation about it, however accurate, is an invasion of their privacy.

Shame on the poster who started this thread.

Let others tout the value of In Vitro Fertilization as well as the beneficial options of donor sperm and donor egg programs. The Edwards are public figures with children who should never be subjected to this kind of publicity about their private lives.

[Seabiscuit]

43. I just posted the following to posts to Slate's comments board:

1. Title: "Despicable" Contents: "Suz Redfearn should be fired for publishing this article. It is a shameful intrusion into the Edwards family's privacy. How dare she or anyone else (especially those doctors she quoted, whose licenses should be revoked) spread public rumors about an entirely private family matter. The political bar in this country has never been set lower - the depths of depravity demonstrated by the publishing of this tripe have never been plumbed before. Shame on all of you who had anything to do with the publication of this article. Shame! Shame! Shame!"

2. Title: "If I were John Edwards" Contents: "I would sue the pants off the author of this article as well as Slate, the entity, MSN, and Slate's entire editorial board for publishing this smear piece on my wife. If not libelous, it certainly borders on it, and is certainly an invasion of the Edwards' privacy. Yellow, irresponsible journalism of the very worst sort. You make the National Enquirer and the Star look like Walter Cronkite in his prime."

[elehhhhna]

2. Who cares? Did Laura have in-vitro? She says they had "help"...

does that mean she found a sober guy to do the "hard work?"

[MattNC]

3. this is a private matter

and slate shouldn't be writing articles about it.

[tsuki]

4. I think it is their biz, but out.

[Ima]

13. don't know --don't care

I admire her whatever she did.

[tsuki]

31. They lost a child,

and that is something that brings cold chills to a parent.

[DuctapeFatwa]

6. As someone who is not an Edwards supporter, admirer, or fan of politicians

generally, to put it politely, that has got to be the sleaziest question I have seen during this campaign, and I have seen some pretty rank ones.

Just when you think the bar can't sink lower, somebody proves you wrong.

[cali]

7. That, my friend,

is the Edwards' personal business.

[slappypan]

8. Why are women's reproductive functions considered a public matter?

Can't we just be happy for the Edwards family and leave it at that?

[Vickers]

9. Has Bush* had his physical yet?

I mean, as long as we are talking about doctors and shit.

[Bluebear]

23. What an excellent reply!

[Vickers]

42. Oh p_t, you're just being nice 'cause you know I'm friendless in real life

:toast:

[Bunny]

10. Well, I love how they make the assumption that donor eggs were

used, and then chastise her for not broadcasting her reproductive methods! They sure assume a lot, don't they?

[glarius]

11. I LOVE that picture of John Kerry!

I think it's the nicest one I've seen of him!!!!

:)

[JI7]

12. it's a private matter

but in any case, Jack Edwards has the exact same smile as Elizabeth Edwards so it's very unlikely there were any donors.

[Judi Lynn]

14. Really shabby. Hits a new low.

Why would it be anyone's business?

There are FAR more urgent matters in the PUBLIC arena demanding attention, rather than trying to rummage around in their most private matters.

Someone never gained proper personal etiquette. Republicans are overrepresented in this shortcoming.

Really not couth.

[Justice]

15. Incredibly Inappropriate Article

It is no one's business. I am offended that they even went so far as to lay it all out so that the average reader would conclude they used donated eggs.

[klyon]

16. not relevant, mind your own business please

KL

[SoCalDem]

18. They should BUTT OUT.. Any women with the $$ to undergo

fertility treatment "already know" this ..

This is just pure nosiness..

Granted, they are public people, but some things are not our business..

Actually, the whole donor egg thing bothers me.. They like to "harvest" them from young college girls who need money desperately.. In order to harvest them, these young girls are given MASSIVE doses of hormones to stimulate multiple eggs..

There could be long (later-in-life) repercussions of those hormones..
A famous literary woman was "convinced" that her ovarian cancer (it killed her) was triggered by the fertility treatments she had with high doses of hormones.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

19. I know women who had children at age 48

one was a great-great grandmother of mine, and I assure you that this was long before they had donar eggs. The kid was normal, too. So there is a chance women can conceive naturally at that age. If the Edwards did or not really isn't any of our business, imho.

[Seabiscuit]

37. Our doctor told us he had one patient who had a healthy child at 55!

This article, the doctor quoted in it, and the poster who put up this thread should be slapped silly for their offensiveness.

[mikehiggins]

20. I think some people have too much free time on their hands.

Slate has broken some good ground over the last few years but this? This is Enquirer/Star/NYPost territory. Who, other than the Edwards' give a rats ass if this is true or not? Who cares?

The question is, are they good parents? Judging from the older kid, they seem pretty damn good folks who've gotten through a hellish catastrophe and managed to keep heart and hearth together.

They should put the Edwards' likenesses on a coin, for pete's sake.

[greenbriar]

22. that is just aweful, but I remember reading that

she had fertility shots or something and that is why she gained weight, I also believe it is what brought them ever so much closer together than they already were afer their son Wade died

[linazelle]

24. More important than what we think is what you think...why post this tripe?

...

[idiosyncratic]

25. Disgusting that anyone thinks this is anyone else's business!

Sheesh!!!

[THUNDER HANDS]

26. beats Laura Bush - her kids were hatched from eggs

like all the other lizard children of Republicans. ;)

[greyfox]

32. REALLY?

I thought they were just poured out of a whiskey bottle! Hmmm.. interesting.

BTW, how old is Mrs. Edwards? My wife had our last daughter at age 42 and did very well.

[AmerDem]

28. Laura is rumored to have used fertility drugs

There have been a few post here showing that for the longest time shrub and Pickles couldn't have kids. Then all at once she becomes pregnant with non identical twins. I guess that's a common trait with fertility drug usage. I'm just repeating what I read.

[sangh0]

29. really shabby

.

[amazona]

30. I wouldn't be so sure

Any woman who assumes that she is infertile at that age even though she hasn't completed menopause is not all that unlikely to be in for an unplanned visit from the stork. We've all known it to happen to someone who believed she couldn't get pregnant because she was too old. I knew a man conceived when his mother was almost 50 -- and he himself is in his mid-50s now -- so I hope we can all agree that no technology was involved back in those days.

If the Edwards used donor eggs, then I'm not sure why it would be anyone's business, but I sure wouldn't automatically assume that every older woman with babies went the technical route.

[deadparrot]

33. Who gives a crap? She's a wonderful wife and mother.

[GreenPartyVoter]

35. No one's business how it came about.

[MADem]

38. My grandmother had THREE KIDS AFTER FIFTY

...and the only eggs donated to her were the ones from the neighbor's chickens, because they were as poor as catshit!

No one welcomed menopause more than she did. All she had to do was sit on a warm chair and she was up the pole, poor dear.

You can get a shot that will goose your egg production, then they harvest the eggs, pick out a few good ones, do the petri dish thing, and pick out the best of the bunch for implantation. And who is to say she didn't have her eggs harvested some time before she went ahead with the pregnancies? You gotta love idle speculation, though...I wouldn't care if they were her kids, his kids, or kids from Bangladesh, a la McCain...but gossip is gossip, and if they are talking about the Edwards EGGS, they aren't talking about why the fuck Osama is free, fat and lecturing the pResident.

[Lerkfish]

39. nobody's business...besides being wrong factually.

women can have children very late in life WITHOUT any intervention. My wife gave birth at 40, with no drugs or extraneous means...it was a miracle, but nonetheless it can and does happen.

this is completely beyond the pale, and nobody's frickin business. I just wanted to point out that its even MORE reprehensible because it assumes something that simply isn't true.

[Seabiscuit]

40. MODERATORS: PLEASE DELETE THIS ENTIRE THREAD

To "liberalpragmatist" - you wrote: "It does seem that people seem to be quite angry with me for posting this - I'm merely posting an article from Slate."

You're not *MERELY* posting an article - by doing so you're *ALSO* perpetuating a public discussion of a private matter in the Edwards family with your post. It is exceedingly offensive and inappropriate and DOES NOT belong here.

Shame on you!

[latebloomer]

41. I had a baby at age 42

with no problems, after ONE MONTH of trying!!

That doctor is full of shit.

And I agree that it's the Edwards' personal business, and even it it's true they have every right not to reveal it

[greekspeak]

44. Who gives a rat's red ass?

Why did you post this lame slur here? Who cares? I personally don't care if she worships Isis in her basement, wears a mohawk, and uses her boobs to put on her lipstick. Whatever she does she is better than that wretched Lynn Cheney. And for GOD'S SAKE she is better than that Stepford clone to whom Shrub is married.

[AngryOldDem]

45. Who cares?

I'm tired of people being obsessed with other people's reproduction.

[indie_voter]

46. I had both mine after 35

I had absolutely no trouble, both times it happened right away.

It varies from person to person.

I personally don't think this is any of our business and has absolutely no relevance to the campaign.