Julie Lingler has big news.

        Norma's pregnant.

        “I called everyone I knew,” Mrs. Lingler says. “And they said, "That's wonderful. Who's Norma?' ”

Julie Lingler at home with husband David and sons Aaron (left) and Bate. (Enquirer file photo) | ZOOM |

        When we last chatted with Mrs. Lingler in May, she was getting ready to donate eggs to help a Canadian woman — that would be Norma — become pregnant.

        Mrs. Lingler, 36, of Warren County, became an egg donor a little more than five years ago after she and her husband, David, saw how much friends suffered when they were unable to conceive.

        It's not an easy thing to do. For seven to 10 days, donors give themselves injections of Lupron to suppress their menstrual cycle. Then they start getting injections of gonadotropins or “super-ovulating” drugs that make the body produce many more eggs than normal. Then donors undergo weeks of blood tests and ultrasounds so doctors know when the eggs are ready to harvest.

        Once the eggs are ready, the doctor inserts a long, thin needle through the vaginal wall and into the ovary to harvest the eggs. During a normal cycle, a woman produces one egg, which is either fertilized or flushed out of the body. During egg donation, a doctor can harvest anywhere from 10 to 30 eggs.

        All those needles — not to mention the hormone-induced mood swings — don't make for a good time. In Cincinnati, donors are reimbursed about $2,000 for their time and trouble.

        But it's worth it, says Mrs. Lingler.

        “This one was a piece of cake. It was much better than last time,” she says.

        Norma, a child-care supervisor who lives in the Ottawa area, already has one young son thanks to Mrs. Lingler, who also helped another couple conceive.

        “I'm just so thrilled for her,” Mrs. Lingler says. “It's wonderful.”

        The Linglers have two sons, Nate and Aaron.

        The cut-off age for most egg donors is 32, but Norma and her husband specifically requested a second donation from Mrs. Lingler. If someone else calls, she says, she'll consider making another donation.

        “I may get another phone call. I don't have any plans to do it again, and I'm too old to be in the active donor base,” she says. “But it's possible that if somebody called me, I would donate again. I really enjoyed doing it. It's a blessing to be able to do it.”

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