From Jess’ blog – Jess and Bryce

The decision to donate remaining embryos can be a difficult one for many families. Often, the
decision is made easier for a couple because they are done building their family and want to give someone else the opportunity to become a parent. However, Jess and Bryce found themselves considering embryo donation before they’d started building their family. After several IVF cycles and frozen embryo transfers failed to result in a successful pregnancy, the couple learned that Jess would probably never be able to carry a child to a term. Because of that, they chose to donate their remaining embryos and started to pursue domestic infant adoption.

Jess writes on her blog, My Path to Mommyhood, about all the possible outcomes for her embryo donation and how those outcomes make her feel. She says that while it’s difficult knowing that another couple could give birth to her genetic child while she is raising a child that she has adopted from someone else, she’s made peace with the fact that she won’t experience pregnancy and is enjoying the domestic adoption process. She also acknowledges that while she would be thrilled that the embryos she and her husband helped create got a chance at life, she’d be sad that she wasn’t able to give them that life herself. She writes, “No matter what the outcome, it’s a mixed bag. Some happiness, some sadness. Some celebrating, some mourning.”

Embryo donation is a huge decision to make, and experiencing a variety of emotion both before and after the donation is normal. However, many couples find peace knowing that they are helping someone have a child and become parents. Many embryo donors struggled with infertility themselves in the past and understand the pain that it can bring. If you are thinking about donating your remaining embryos, you can read more stories from embryo donors or get more information on the embryo donation process by visiting www.embryoadoption.org.

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