What is embryo adoption?

Mothers undergoing IVF treatment often have quite a few embryos available for implantation. Some women use all of their embryos, either to implant multiple embryos at the same time, or over the course of several cycles if IVF did not lead to a successful pregnancy right away. When frozen embryos are left over, some families choose to donate them to others. This is what is known as embryo adoption. Parents of frozen embryos have a tough choice to make what do they do with the embryos? There are only so many options. Either they can keep them for subsequent IVF treatments to have future children, they can have them destroyed, keep them frozen indefinitely, or donate them to be used in a scientific context.

The fifth choice, offering their frozen embryos to other infertile couples, is one that is very beautiful, I think. It gives other people who are unable to use their own eggs and sperm the chance to have a child, and gives frozen embryos a chance to turn into human beings. Through what is now known as embryo adoption, thousands of women who had no hope of giving birth before, now have the chance to experience pregnancy. Some people say the embryo adoption process, which is legally considered to be nothing more than a property transfer, is less costly, less stressful, and faster than traditional adoption. It also fulfills the wishes of many families to go through a pregnancy by themselves. If you are unable to produce your own eggs for any reason, but are otherwise eligible to undergo IVF, embryo adoption might be an option for you. If you are considering going this way, there are several ways to be matched with an embryo.

The quickest and cheapest option is through a fertility clinic. Doctors at fertility clinics often have a personal stash of embryos waiting to be donated, and they can help families considering IVF to be matched with an embryo very soon. In many, the parents of the embryos have decided to leave the donation up to their doctor. If this is something you are interested in, you can simply ask about it at your chosen fertility clinic. There are also organizations that exclusively deal with embryo adoption. Many of these are faith-based, and the matching process is more complicated and takes longer. Adopting an embryo through an embryo adoption agency is also more costly. Have you gone through IVF, and have you got any remaining embryos? What are you planning to do with them? Would you adopt an embryo, or have you? What do you think is the best way to adopt an embryo?