EAED 101: Intro to Embryo Donation and Adoption

by: Samantha, BlessedWithInfertility.com

My goal is to leave you with some information, that will either make you feel comfortable with donating your sweet embryos to a family who would like to give them a chance at life, or inform you on this wonderful, but less known route to build your family.

What is embryo donation and adoption?

It’s exactly what it sounds like. A couple who is having a hard time getting pregnant for whatever the reasons, essentially “adopts” embryos either from their clinic, or an agency, or a private couple and uses them in basically an IVF cycle to get pregnant. You are pregnant with your adopted child! (What is Embryo Adoption)

Who is eligible?

Medically speaking, if your Reproductive Endocrinologist says that you (or your partner) can carry a pregnancy, then it’s worth looking into. Couples affected by male factor infertility, which doesn’t affect the female, and can find embryo adoption a good alternative to those who would prefer not to use donor sperm.

What are the costs involved?

Obviously, it varies, but it can be cheaper that traditional adoption and IVF. You have your actual FET (frozen embryo transfer) costs and that will vary by clinic, the medicine involved and that will vary by pharmacy, insurance coverage, and meds your doctor puts you on, and the miscellaneous charges involved with agency fees, shipping cots, attorney fees, etc. All in all, I did it for less than $7,000, but have seen it done for less. (What Does Embryo Adoption Cost)

Why choose embryo donation and adoption?

There are a lot of reasons, I have described my personal story in a previous post, but the basic pros are as follows: you get to control the prenatal environment, there is no risk of a failed adoption, less costly, and one of the biggest benefits is experiencing pregnancy and childbirth when otherwise impossible. (10 Benefits of Embryo Adoption)