When dealing with infertility, there are so many crucial decisions that have to be made. It is truly exhausting. Many parents who have struggled with infertility, find themselves with a surplus of embryos and struggle with the decision of what do with them.
When parents are going through fertility treatments, they usually want as many embryos as possible, in case it takes more than one try to get pregnant. It’s common to need to do more than one transfer; even to a surrogate. Also, the parents might want extra embryos for a future sibling. So, what happens when their family is complete and they find themselves with a surplus of embryos?
This topic has become controversial and has even made headlines. We all remember the famous, or infamous California mom who implanted all eight of her embryos and delivered all eight babies because she couldn’t fathom disposing or donating any of her embryos. But not everyone is up to that challenge. So, what are the options?
Parents have the option of keeping the embryos in storage, disposing of them, donating to research or donating to an infertile couple. The latest research shows that many couples don’t know what to do and continue to pay storage fees year after year. Most parents feel a sense of responsibility for their embryos. They still count them as their children – their offspring; so donating them to research seems cold to them. Furthermore, donating to research can pose a problem due to current federal legislation.
Letting another infertile couple adopt their embryos would be a very sweet and unselfish act if the parents can live with the knowledge that their biological children are out there in the world somewhere.
In the meantime, storage facilities continue to host hundreds of thousands of embryos until parents make those difficult decisions.
There is no easy answer to this question and parents will have to come to their own conclusion.
Are you and your partner storing embryos and unable to carry on your own? Surrogacy is a great option. We can match you with the perfect candidate and will be with you throughout this incredible journey. If you are interested in locating a surrogate visit www.sharedconception.com and contact us! We would love to hear from you.
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