Embryo Donation – The Ins and Outs

Ins and Outs of Embryo Donation

Having a child can be an important part of feeling like you’re a family. Beyond adoption and pregnancy, embryo donation is an alternative option for many hopeful parents!

For many people, having children is an important life goal. Whether they want to teach them to ride a bike or travel together, many people are born to be parents! While most go a more traditional route, like pregnancy or adoption, embryo adoption can be another possible alternative. If you’ve ever been interested in the embryo donation process, there are things to know about this procedure.

What Does Embryo Donation Mean?

The process of embryo donation begins with a donor egg that has been fertilized, frozen and then thawed. These donor eggs are generally left over from couples that have undergone In Vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Since eggs are often thrown away, embryo donation programs offer the opportunity to give back to others. The embryo adoptive parent usually has no relation to the egg or sperm donor.

embryo donation

What Does It Mean to Adopt an Embryo?

There are a number of benefits of embryo adoption. While pregnancy or adoption can take time, a variety of agencies help to make the embryos available immediately. Through them, you’ll know the genetic history, and you’ll be aware of medical issues or health concerns. There are also many support counseling services that will go through the journey with you! But there’s a chance the genetic parents will want to remain unknown. There may also be long waiting lists for this type of service. Luckily, the embryo donation success rate is equivalent to IVF which makes it a good option for potential parents!

Where Can I Adopt an Embryo?

If you are interested in pursuing embryo adoption, there are a couple of different paths you can take. If you utilize an embryo adoption agency, you will be able to build a relationship with the genetic family. This will also give you the opportunity to address any health issues that might be in the donor family’s history. There is also the option of fertility clinic donation programs. Whether you are adopting or donating, there will be different embryo donation clinics to suit your specific needs. While the costs will vary, the average embryo donation costs between $2500-4000. This means that it is generally more economical than adoption or IVF.

What Are the Laws on Embryo Adoption?

While the laws can vary from country to country, the United States classifies embryos as property. Because of this, property laws govern them and embryo donation requires a contract. The contract stipulates that the adopting family has owned the embryo prior to the transfer. Once this contract is signed, the egg donor has no parental rights. This means that the embryo adopters serve as the legal parents of the child born from embryo adoption.

pregnant woman

What Are Some Embryo Adoption Resources?

Whether you are interested in adoption or embryo donation, there are a variety of resources out there to help. It can be good to do some research on your own, but there are many places to begin. While the National Embryo Donation Center and Dream a Baby can help, Embryos Alive has been around since the beginning. You can also reach out to Parents Via Egg Donation (PVED), the National Registry for Adoption and Reprotech. You may also want to contact others on FamilyApp for additional resources.

Whether you’ve undergone in vitro fertilization or are looking at adoption alternatives, embryo donation can be a beneficial choice. The success rate of this type of treatment is improving and the costs are comparatively low.

Do you have any experiences with embryo adoption or donation? Please share them with us in our comments! If you are looking to start a family, it’s worth being aware that there are alternatives out there to explore.

Similar Posts