Should I Donate My Embryos?

If you have successfully conceived using IVF, you may have to face a problem that leaves you in a quandary -  what do you do with your remaining embryos that are frozen in the lab, in liquid nitrogen! What is going to become of them?  Do you want to store them , or do you prefer disposing them off ?  You also have the option of donating them to science for research, or even to someone who has not had success with conceiving so far.

It’s quite a tough decision you have to make and not something you pay much cognizance to when you are undergoing the IVF treatment. The idea that someone else will be raising a child with your DNA can be a little more than disconcerting. But if you remove yourself from the situation and look at it in an objective manner, isn’t this much better that simply discarding those cells?

The Initial Consultations

Any patient who comes into our clinic goes through very detailed initial consultations.  We ask our potential patients a number of questions. In addition to ones that are directly related to their medical history, we give them complete information about how the IVF treatment progresses and what they can expect out of it at every stage.

If they are planning on freezing the embryos and storing them, we also ask them questions such as-“What will happen to your embryos in case you and your partner go different ways?”, “What will happen to your embryos if one of you passes away” etc. At that point of time, questions such as these seem a tad confrontational; it has to be understood that couples who conceive the normal way, never have to worry about this kind of decision making and soul-searching.

The Big Decision

Once a patient’s IVF treatment is successful, the next big decision they have to make is about what they want to do with the frozen embryos. For those who think they may want to have another baby in the future, the embryos will be waiting for them. But we also have a number of patients who are sure they have completed their families.

Their embryos will just be lying there frozen in time; they have the potential to turn into a child, but only if someone carries them in utero. So, would you actually consider donating these remaining embryos, so that someone else can also enjoy the pleasures of parenthood?

About Embryo Donation

Not many people are aware about the embryo donation (also called embryo adoption) procedure, but it is truly a life-line for a number of people who have tried every other treatment possible to have a baby, in vain.  Just as you have to decide whether you would be comfortable with donating your embryos we also have a number of patients consulting us about the different fertility options available to them. If their own IVF treatment and all other treatments have failed, we do suggest they consider opting for embryo donation. This procedure becomes one of the best options for having a baby and it is also much more affordable than some other choices.

The Process

In addition, the odds of success are also comparatively favorable. It’s important to keep in mind, that like any other medical technique, this one too comes with its own set of challenges. This is how the process works:

•    When a couple opts for embryo donation, the embryos that have been donated  by someone will be placed in the uterus  of the recipient woman, to facilitate pregnancy and childbirth
•    Just as in the case of sperm and egg donation, the child that results from this  procedure is considered to be the child of the birth mother; it is not the child of the woman who has donated the embryos
•    The legal framework for this particular procedure is still quite new, and in most cases is treated as an egg/sperm donation would be

A Personal Decision

A number of clinics handle this process for couples, and ensure that both the parties are comfortable with the procedure and that their legal rights are well-protected. At the end of the day, what you choose to do with your remaining embryos is your personal decision. If you have had successful IVF treatment and feel that you want to donate your embryos, speak with your IVF doctor about it.

Need more information? Please send me your medical details by filling in the form at www.drmalpani.com/free-second-opinion so that I can guide you better!