What's the process of Embryo Donation?

Embryo donation is still fairly new and there isn't a specific way to go about it. I know there are some agencies out there, many of which have religious affiliations and can be exclusive as to whom they allow to access the donated embryos. I have heard about one agency in Florida called Embryo Donation International that I believe is more inclusive, but I don't know much about them.

I actually don't know the answer to what the process of ED is, even though I did it. I only know my process.

We actually didn't set out to find a donated embryo. I was looking at clinics that had frozen egg banks because I heard they were less expensive (which they are, but not by all that much.) In a frozen egg bank you end up sharing eggs with other people, which helps bring down the cost. Anyway, I started calling around and found a clinic in Seattle who had a frozen egg bank, and in talking to the program coordinator, donated embryos came up. I hadn't heard much about it at the time, so I asked her if she had any half-Japanese embryos in the "pantry" as she called it. She did. She sent us profiles, which consisted of one page of information about the egg donor and one page of info about the sperm, and for some reason I just connected. It took over six months to actually wrap our heads around this option and then I started medication and was monitored by my RE out here and we flew up for the transfer, and lo and behold it worked. 

It was actually a fairly simple process (logistically, that is) and the cost was about $7000 not including meds. I know some people who call different clinics and get on waitlists. I've heard of people "finding embryos" through Facebook, and I've heard of agencies that treat embryo donation like formal adoption and do a home study and other intensive screenings. I've heard it can cost between $2500 (which is the average actual medical cost of an FET) and $20,000 (for a place with steep agency fees). 

I wish there were a more concise or specific process, but there isn't one I know of. If anyone has done this and has info to share, please do. All I can speak to is my experience and this sense that this specific embryo just felt right. Here's are two recent articles about embryo donation that might give some more info.

Happy Friday to everyone! 

Comments

[Don't Count Your Eggs]

Rebecca-- sounds like we might have gotten embies from the same pantry-- the process is really different for different people. I wish anyone going this route the best of luck

[heartcentered]

Definitely talk to your RE. You'd be surprised how many local REs are now encouraging their patients to donate once their embryos have been in the "pantry" for years and years without use. My RE has a small program where she only inquires about and accepts voluntary donations from patients who used egg donors (or in some rare cases sperm donors). The embryos that have resulted from these kinds of cycles have already shown a historical track record of success and are very high quality, therefore much more likely to stick for the recipient of the donation. This is a much needed reassurance for those of us who have already been down the long, long expensive road of IUI/IVF.

[Rebecca]

We are 35 weeks pregnant with a donated embryo. I've been following your journey and have found great comfort in reading your posts as you put into words a lot of the thoughts and feelings I've felt along this path. We have a six year old child which we conceived miraculously with no medical help after being told we would not be able to without it. When she was three we started down the road of creating a sibling. We had failed IUI's, failed IVF, and spent time contemplating being done growing our family. When the desire wouldn't go away we started looking at other options. We had heard about adopting embryo's through my research online, but didn't feel comfortable with doing a home study and all that came along with it with no guarantee of growing our family. After sharing this with our fertility doctor she referred us to a clinic in Seattle which had a donated embryo program. We instantly felt hope. The donation program took some of the emotion out. The program was very structured and had specific rules and guidelines on who is eligible to participate. We had to become patients of the clinic, we needed to have tried other fertility treatments before we could be a part of the program, and we could only participate in the program one time (which included 3 FET's with a goal of one healthy pregnancy). After we had selected our embryo it felt much like a FET cycle and were elated when we got a BFP on our first transfer. Now as I waddle around waiting anxiously for our little guy to get here I am so thankful for the option of embryo donation and feel so grateful for the family that selflessly donated a part of themselves so we could grow our family. Having been pregnant with a child genetically related to us and now being pregnant with a child not generically related to us I can honestly say there is no difference. I adore this child and long to meet him just like I did with my first child. The only difference is I am so curious as to what he is going to look like. I thought that with my first too, but the unknown is so much bigger this time around. Did the donors have some recessive red hair gene or is he going to have blonde curly hair. It doesn't really matter though, in five more weeks and I get to put a face to the wiggle worm that has been gifted to my family. Although I have big questions about the future and how we are going to share with him how he came to be a part of our family I am overwhelmed by the thought that genetics don't matter and they don't determine the level of love you can have toward a child. He is a part of our family and we all can't wait to meet him. Thanks for sharing your journey!