Donating your remaining embryos after you’ve completed your family is a deeply personal choice. For some couples, it is the obvious choice for any embryos that remain. For other couples, they may have questions or concerns that need answers before they feel comfortable moving forward with a donation for reproduction. What are some of the most common reasons couples are hesitant to donate their embryos?
- “I don’t want someone else raising my genetic child.”
It may be a sense of responsibility holding them back from donating; maybe they are concerned about who will be raising their child or what kind of life their child might have if they aren’t raising the child themselves. However, these embryos were created to have life, so if you aren’t ready to add more children to your family, giving them to someone else for that chance can be an incredible gift. - “What if they are abused?”
Being concerned about a genetic child is natural and absolutely reasonable. However, the families who are waiting to adopt an embryo are screened, go through counseling as well as a home visit to ensure a safe, loving and happy home. You can even help choose the family and keep in touch through the years through an open adoption. - “What if my children meet their genetic sibling in the future and fall in love?”
It might seem far-fetched, but it’s a real concern that genetic parents have and it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. There have been stories of genetic siblings meeting who didn’t know each other existed. Using open adoption eliminates this concern. You’ll be able to keep in touch with the adoptive family, and if both families agree, the siblings can even get to know each other!
If you have questions or concerns about donating your remaining embryos, visit EmbryoAdoption.org where you’ll find resources and can speak to experts about the embryo donation process. It’s an incredible gift of life, love and parenthood that you could give a waiting family.
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