What it is:
What will they think of next? There is now a way to adopt embryos that are left over from IVF. It is estimated that some 400,000 embryos are frozen and waiting for use. Many of these frozen embryos will be used by their genetic parents, but there are cases where the genetic parents have completed their families and still have frozen embryos from their IVF treatment.
Who gives up embryos for adoption?
Some couples end up with lots of embryos leftover from their IVF cycle. While they may start out with the intention of using every one of their embryos, sometimes age or the arrival of multiples keeps them from being able to use every embryo. For couples with a strong moral background, who believe that life starts the moment the sperm penetrates the egg, destroying these embryos is not an option. Adoption gives the genetic parents the ability to have a say in who ultimately parents their children, just as a birthmom today is able to pick and choose the right family for her baby. And ultimately it helps another infertile couple, something that anyone who has traveled the long road of infertility is willing to do.
Who is a candidate to adopt an embryo?
In order to adopt an embryo, the woman must be able to carry a baby to term safely. There can be no medical issues with her ability to do that.
The adoption agencies:
In recent years, there have been a few adoption agencies that have taken on embryos. These embryos are treated with all the respect that children are given. The genetic parents help choose the adoptive parents. They are able to specify how open or closed they would like the adoption to be. Open adoptions involve contact via pictures and letters with the genetic family. Closed adoptions involve no contact with the genetic family.
The drawbacks:
As with any infertility treatment, there is the risk that the frozen embryos won't develop once they are implanted, and there is always the risk of a miscarriage. The woman also has to undergo hormone therapy for the cycle.
The benefits:
Some women who adopt are sad that they've missed out on the experience of being pregnant. In embryo adoption the adoptive mom carries the baby to term in her womb. This allows her to experience the feeling of a baby moving in her womb, and the bonding experience of breastfeeding her baby.
There is also less risk of the genetic parents of an embryo changing their mind at the last minute. Usually these embryos are from a stable couple who have completed their family. The couple giving up the embryos knows exactly what it is to want a baby and be denied because they went through IVF themselves. Once the embryo transfer is complete, the embryos (which are legally viewed as property) no longer belong to the genetic parents. Legally, they cannot change their minds after that point. This is much better than the 48-72 hours after a birth that most new birthmoms have to wait before signing over their legal rights to their child.
For women who have poor egg quality, or men who have no sperm, this option provides an alternative to using donor eggs or donor sperm. Donor eggs and donor sperm are controversial methods because they create a child who would not have existed within the confines of the couple's marriage. Some couples are hit with the reality that they can not morally continue with fertility treatments. Adoption allows them to carry on with fertility treatments and achieve pregnancy without compromising their morals.
The cost is estimated to be 1/3 that of regular IVF. There are the normal costs of a frozen embryo transfer, plus whatever it costs to have the embryos shipped to the adopting parents' fertility facility. This makes it an affordable option for infertile couples who have probably already spent a lot of money on fertility treatments.
