Embyro Adoption

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing Embryo Adoption

Is It Right For Me?

Who adopts frozen embryos?

Couples and singles who adopt embryos may be:

  • Worried about male or female infertility.
  • Concerned by a high risk of passing on genetic disorders.
  • Frustrated with recurrent in vitro failures.
  • Looking for alternatives to traditional fertility treatments such as in vitro, egg donation, or sperm donation.
  • Discouraged by the costs of in vitro or other fertility treatments.
  • Nervous about the emotional exhaustion often associated with domestic or international adoption.
  • Or simply drawn to adoption as a means of bringing a family’s love to a child in need.

Use of a Gestational Carrier is also an option through embryo adoption, though this can end up being less cost-effective than domestic adoption.

Why would adopting parents choose embryo adoption instead of domestic adoption?

The most obvious difference between embryo adoption and domestic adoption is the pregnancy experience. Adoptive mothers are able to experience the joys (and challenges!) of pregnancy, prenatal bonding, and childbirth. They also have peace of mind knowing their children received the appropriate prenatal care and were not exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy.

There are certain considerations involved in embryo adoption that are not present in domestic adoption. For instance: Embryo adoption does not ‘guarantee’ a live birth. On the other hand, adopting families are able to adopt larger sets of embryos through some agencies, giving them the opportunity for multiple frozen embryo transfer attempts.

There is always the risk in a domestic adoption that the birth parents will decide to become parents rather than placing for adoption.  This risk does not exist with embryo adoption.

In addition, there is no need for a finalization hearing for the embryo adoptive family. The embryos, under U.S. law, are the legal property of the adoptive family before any embryo transfers are scheduled and the donating parents have relinquished all parental rights.

What steps should I take in evaluating embryo adoption as the right option for me?
  1. Research, research, and then do some more research!
  2. Talk with different families who have gone through embryo adoption. (Many families through Instagram and Facebook groups are happy to speak with you! Watch testimonial videos on YouTube.
  3. Ask yourself: Am I willing to take on the risks involved? Am I willing to go through a home study? Am I ready to carry/give birth to a child who is not genetically my own?
  4. Talk with your doctor to make sure you are able to carry a pregnancy without any contraindications.
  5. Contact embryo adoption providers and determine which one offers a program to meet your needs OR determine if you would rather pursue donation through a clinic program.

This is not a comprehensive list, but should set you on the right path for determining if embryo adoption or donation is the right choice for you!

Why use donor embryos rather than an egg donor?

The simple answer is that it is more cost-effective. Donor eggs can cost anywhere from $10,000 – $50,000+. Eggs are purchased, embryos are donated.

Another consideration is the fact that there are more than 1,000,000 embryos in frozen storage in the United States today. Not all of these embryos are available for adoption, but each year more families are choosing to donate remaining embryos to other families either through their clinic or through an embryo adoption program. Choosing to purchase eggs from a donor to create more embryos may simply add to the number of embryos in frozen storage.

Additionally, some couples worry about an uneven genetic connection to the child (or children), and feel more confident proceeding if there is simply no genetic connection to any parent at all.

How is Surrogacy different than embryo donation and adoption?

With surrogacy, an agreement is made for embryos to be transferred into a woman’s uterus, and she carries the pregnancy for the benefit of the intended parents. The intended parents create embryos via in vitro to be transferred into the surrogate, using either their own gametes or purchased donor gametes. Or the surrogate may be impregnated via intrauterine insemination with the intended father’s semen and her own eggs. Each state within the U.S. has its own set of laws for managing surrogacy.

Compare that to embryo adoption and donation, where the adopting mother herself carries the child or children. The donor family relinquishes their rights to any children born from the embryos prior to the adoptive family’s first frozen embryo transfer. The child that the adopting mother carries and gives birth to is the child she and the adopting father will parent. They will be named the legal parents on the birth certificate before leaving the hospital.

What emotions should be addressed before an adoptive family embarks on embryo adoption?

We recommend you learn to communicate well about complex issues, surround yourself with others who are learning about similar issues, and find professional support that can encourage and positively support you.

Finding a counselor who has in-depth experience with the psychological impacts of infertility is a good first step. Even for those who choose embryo adoption without having experienced infertility, counseling is still recommended. 

If you have faced infertility, you know first-hand how it can take a toll emotionally, financially, sexually, and spiritually on a person. We strongly urge you to grieve the losses involved in your infertility, openly share your feelings with each other, and forgive each other for the misunderstandings you experienced. Doing so will set you up to be in a place of strength to begin your embryo adoption journey.

Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience like no other. Regardless of where your children come from or how they were conceived, parenting is both the most rewarding and the most challenging life experience you will ever have.

How is embryo adoption different from embryo donation?

Embryo donation programs are generally managed by fertility clinics, which receive donated embryos to be given anonymously to whomever the clinic chooses. There are also programs that match embryo donors to embryo recipients and refer to the process as embryo donation because they prefer not to see it as an adoption.

Embryo adoption programs work with families who would like to give their remaining embryos to another family for reproduction (embryo donation) and help families who would like to receive embryos to achieve a pregnancy (embryo adopters) Embryo adoption organizations regard the process as equivalent to a traditional adoption since the hoped-for outcome is the birth of a child that is not genetically related to the adopting family. The same safeguards provided by a traditional adoption are applied.

What risks are associated with embryo adoption and donation?

Legally speaking, embryo adoption is more straightforward than traditional adoption in that the donor family relinquishes the rights to the embryos and all parental rights prior to the frozen embryo transfer. The adopting parents are identified as the legal parents of their embryo adoption child on the birth certificate before they leave the hospital.

Embryo adoption does not guarantee a pregnancy, but many embryo adoption programs have a re-matching policy to help assist with pregnancy success. Other agencies allow the placement of larger sets of embryos which enable adopters to have multiple FETs.

On average, the pregnancy success rate for embryo adoption or donation is 40-50%. This varies from program to program. This is higher than standard IVF, which is currently averaging at 35%.

Eligibility

Am I A Good Candidate?

Do you need to have an infertility diagnosis to pursue embryo adoption?

There are programs that will not allow couples or individuals without an infertility diagnosis to participate, but many are welcoming of families regardless of their reasons for choosing embryo adoption as their family-building path.

Families who are simply interested in adding children to their family through adoption pursue this option with regularity. We have also known families who wish to avoid passing on a genetic condition who pursue embryo adoption.

What are the basic requirements for an adopting family?

Each embryo adoption program will have its own unique requirements for families seeking to adopt embryos. Generally speaking, however the adoptive family must meet the following two requirements:

  1. The adopting mother must be able to carry a pregnancy to term. Her doctor will be asked to provide a letter stating that she has no contraindications to pregnancy [no medical reason that will prevent her from carrying a pregnancy to term]. Some agencies permit the use of a gestational carrier if a woman cannot carry a pregnancy.
  2. The adopting family completes an embryo adoption home study for programs that are adhering to a true adoption model. Fertility clinic embryo donation programs often require psychological evaluations.

Adoption agencies may have requirements such as the adoptive family’s age, marital status, or marriage length. It’s also important to keep in mind that many agencies will match adoptive families with embryos based on the donor family’s criteria, and may recommend that an inquiring family pursue an alternative program based on how long the agency believes the family may have to wait for a match.

What other stipulations may affect my ability to adopt embryos?

Each embryo adoption and clinic donation program will have various eligibility requirements for adopters. These include, but are not limited to:

  • An age limit for the adopting mother that intends to carry the pregnancy
  • Length of time married between the adoptive couple
  • Eligibility of single women
  • Eligibility of individuals who do not have an infertility diagnosis
  • Out-of-state embryo adoptions
  • Out-of-country embryo adoptions
  • Whether adoptive couple can use a gestational carrier
  • Other limitations based on common donor family preferences
  • Ability or willingness to work with specific clinic location

You can find more about adoption agency requirements on our ‘Where to Find Embryos’ page. Some clinics will only offer their embryo donation program to individuals who are already working with their facility. Clinic donation programs can often change based on the number of embryos they have available, it is important to reach out to ask for an updated list of their program requirements.

How do we find the right embryo adoption program for us?

When researching your options, here are some things to consider:

  • How long has the program been established?
  • Has their staff demonstrated knowledge and expertise?
  • What are the particular requirements of the program?
  • What is included in the legal contracts include? Are legal contracts included in the quoted fee?
  • What is the estimated time frame for being matched and completing your FET?
  • How comfortable are you with the staff and their responsiveness to your questions?
  • What does each fee charged by the program include?
  • Does the program allow you to work with your clinic of choice?

(This is not an all-inclusive list of questions to ask.)

Can we pursue domestic adoption and embryo adoption at the same time?

Each adoption agency and embryo adoption program is different. An adoptive family should check with the organization to determine if this is permitted.

How long is the embryo adoption process?

On average, it will take about 8-14 months to complete a home study, match with a donor family, and assist you in completing the legal and administrative steps to ship the embryos to your fertility clinic.

The length of time will vary based on many factors including: your age, the preferences of specified on for a donor family, and the requirements your reproductive endocrinologist may have regarding your matched embryos.

What questions should a recipient family ask when looking for a fertility clinic?

If you work with an embryo adoption program that does not already have clinic recommendations, here are a few questions you may want to consider asking when looking for a fertility clinic:

  • Is the clinic willing to accept embryos from another clinic for a frozen embryo transfer (FET)?
  • How much does it cost for a FET, including necessary medications?
  • Does the clinic have any testing requirements?
  • What other conditions are involved in accepting and transferring the embryos?
  • What are the in-house statistics regarding the thawing and transfer of embryos?
  • What paperwork is required to accept the embryos into their practice? How long will it take the clinic to process the paperwork?
  • What are the short-term and long-term storage fees at the clinic?

Check the Centers for Disease Control statistics on the clinic to see their pregnancy rate, live birth rate, and multiple birth rate. This information can be more useful if you are researching an in-house clinic embryo donation program. Embryos created in another facility will not necessarily be impacted by a change in location, but it is still useful information to have on hand.

(This is not an all-inclusive list of questions to ask.)

Why should we complete a home study when embryo adoption is not a 'true' adoption?

The importance of the home study lies in its purpose to develop healthy families.

An adoption home study ensures that the safeguards currently in place for traditional adoption also protect the child, the donor family, and the receiving parents in an embryo adoption situation.

Regardless of the fact the adoptive mother is giving birth to a child through an embryo donation, the child born is still an adopted child; the baby shares no genetic relation to the adoptive mother nor father.

When children are part of a family to whom they are not genetically related, they will have the same types of questions as those of children adopted through traditional means.

The home study process includes education and background checks. It provides the adoptive family with an opportunity to learn about and anticipate these types of questions.

The home study also educates the recipient parents on the best way to address these questions with sensitivity to the needs of the child.

Can a local adoption agency conduct a home study for embryo adoption?

For most embryo adoption programs, a traditional adoption home study, along with embryo adoption education, is all that is required.

It is best to find a private, licensed adoption agency to work with because most state agencies or social services departments do not perform pre-placement home studies, and the ones who do most often will not provide an original copy to an outside agency.

A list of home study providers that offer embryo adoption home studies can be found on this website.

Can the embryo adoption home study be used for a traditional adoption?

If a licensed domestic adoption home study is completed, it may be used for a traditional adoption program, though modifications will be required. The adoptive family should discuss this possibility with their provider before proceeding with a home study.

If you already completed your home study, you know there are time limits in regards to the validity of the home study. Check with your provider to see if your home study is still valid or requires updating.

Your embryo adoption program may be able to use your current home study if it will remain valid through the completion of your adoption. In those cases, many agencies will require you to complete additional embryo adoption education to accept your home study.

Can we choose our own fertility clinic for the FET procedure?

Some embryo adoption programs will allow you to choose the fertility clinic for your FET, or have several regional locations from which to choose. Others will require you to use a single clinic location. All clinics with donor programs will require you to use their facility.

The shipment of embryos involves coordination between the two fertility clinics where the embryos are currently stored and the adopting family’s clinic of choice. The experience of your embryo adoption provider can be invaluable in this stage of the process. After all, you don’t want the embryos to thaw during shipment or be refused by the clinic when they arrive.  

The Process

How Does Embryo Adoption Work?

Costs and Funding

What costs are involved with embryo adoption and donation?

Embryo adoption costs are primarily paid by the adoptive family. The total cost of your adoption will vary based on the providers you work with for the adoption process, home study and frozen embryo transfer.

Generally, the donor family does not receive payment for their donation, nor should they expect the recipient family to cover any of the IVF expenses they had previously incurred.

Embryo storage costs prior to the match are also the responsibility of the donor family. The recipient family may be asked to pay for storage fees after the match is finalized.

What does an embryo adoption program fee typically cover?

Embryo adoption program fees typically cover preparing the recipient family to enter the matching phase of the program, the coordination between fertility clinics, matching, maintenance of files, facilitation of communication between donor and recipient families, preparation of contracts, relinquishment and other legal paperwork, counseling, and management and direction of shipping of the embryos.

The program fee may also cover the costs associated with preparing the donor family to obtain the required FDA blood-work and completing a comprehensive medical background and biographical information to be shared with the adoptive family.

The home study, medical, and incidental expenses are generally not included.

Do embryo adoption or donation fees include the medical expenses?

This depends on the program. If medical expenses are included in the fee, you will most likely need to work with a specific fertility clinic. If medical expenses are not included, adopting parents are often able to choose a fertility clinic and doctor.

Recipients are responsible for the fees to thaw and transfer the embryos, as well as any other associated medical costs connected with the transfer.

When choosing a fertility clinic, be sure to compare like services included in various quotes and the costs of subsequent transfers and embryo storage.

What additional out-of-pocket expenses can a recipient family expect?

Each program will have its own fee structure.  Some are all-inclusive. Some are a la carte and have a schedule of fees. When comparing programs on a cost basis, be careful to compare apples to apples (make sure all of the items covered in one program costs are the same as what you are expecting to receive in the other program). Caveat Emptor is Latin for Buyer Beware.

Items that may or may not be included:

  • Infectious disease testing for the donor family
  • Rental of the embryo shipping container (dry shipper)
  • Embryo storage costs
  • Counseling
  • Family communications management
  • Establishing an open rather than anonymous match with the donor
Does the adopting family help with any of the fees incurred by the donating family in creating the embryos?

Adopting or recipient families are generally not required to reimburse the donor for any expenses that accrued prior to having been matched. (e.g.: IVF or storage costs)

Does the adoption tax credit apply to embryo adoption?

We have heard of families who have been able to receive the adoption tax credit (ATC) for their embryo adoption.

We have also heard of families who have applied and have not received the tax credit.

We would encourage you to talk to your CPA about the possibility and they would be able to point you in the right direction of how to apply.

Do the costs fluctuate based on the number of embryos you receive?

Each program will manage the disbursement of embryos uniquely.

Some have a fee per embryo received. Some limit the number received to 1 or 2. Some will keep embryo sets intact. Most will allow for rematching if you don’t achieve a pregnancy with your first set of adopted embryos.

Are there grants and loans available for embryo adoption?

There are infertility treatment grants available, which will cover some fees associated with embryo donation and adoption. Families have fully funded their adoption through low or no-interest loans, adoption benefits through an employer, health insurance, and fundraising. You can find a few options here.

Matching

How are donor and adoptive families matched?

The matching process through an agency includes the following steps:

  1. Both donating and adoptive parents provide the agency with information about themselves and indicate the type of adoptive/donating family they desire.
  2. Both parties indicate their preferences regarding the age, income, post-birth work plans, religion, prior marriages, existing children in the family, and race of the adopting families as well as their desire for future contact.
  3. Assuming an adoptive family matches these criteria, their introductory letter, biography, and photographs are sent to the donor family for consideration and possible match.
  4. If the donors show interest in the match, their profile information (introductory letter, biography, and photographs), and medical health history are sent to the adoptive family for their consideration and possible match.

Clinic donation programs frequently do not accommodate personalized matching and embryos are frequently distributed by the medical staff to patients on their embryo waiting list. There are online self matching programs. Matches have also been arranged via social media or friends and family. 

While self-matching may sound appealing it does not take into consideration the legal, medical, and clinic coordination requirements to allow the embryos to be used by the recipient couple.

 

What information will we receive about the donors and their remaining embryos?

This depends upon the program you choose to work with and it is important for you to understand clearly what sort of information you will receive about the donor family and about the embryos.

Some medical information is usually provided. Online matching sites will give you some profile information about the donor family and their embryos set. You may get some photographs.   

Your RE and embryologist will receive the embryology reports, freezing and thawing protocols, and all infectious disease tests for the donors. If the embryos were created with an egg and/ or sperm donor, you need to request as much information as possible on the donor(s).

What is the risk that the donors might change their minds?

The legal agreements signed by both the donor and recipient parties mitigate the risk of the donors changing their minds regarding the donation. The donors transfer their ownership and parental rights by signing a relinquishment contract prior to the embryos being shipped to the adoptive family’s clinic.

Once the donors sign the legally-binding contract, the donors have neither legal claim to any resulting children nor any responsibility for them.  

Can a donor family have a say in who receives their embryos?

The level of input the donor family has will be determined by the fertility clinic or embryo adoption program through which the embryos are being donated.

Frequently, donations made through a clinic are anonymous. Some clinic programs will allow directed donations where the donor may be able to specify some parameters for the recipient family.

Donors will generally experience a greater level of control through an embryo adoption program. They can choose the family who will receive their embryos and determine the future level of contact they will have should a pregnancy result from the donation.

Sometimes, donors will have the chance to choose the adoptive family via a family profile, or they will just provide some basic preferences they would like to be matched on.

What laws govern embryo adoption?

In the United States embryos are considered property, not people, and therefore the ‘owners’ [the donors] of the embryos transfer the ownership to the recipient family via property law.

What legal documents are used to transfer the embryos to the adoptive family?

Necessary legal documents include:

  • A document relinquishing the donor family’s rights and responsibilities to the embryos and any children born from those embryos
  • A document allowing the recipients to assume all parental rights and responsibilities for the embryos and any children born from them.
Legally, what is the relationship between the adoptive parents and the adoptive child through embryo adoption?

At the time of birth, the adoptive family is fully recognized as the legal parents to any children who are born. In the United States, the mother who gives birth and her legal spouse is recognized as the child’s parents on the birth certificate. 

When using a Gestational Carrier or Surrogate each U.S. state maintains its own set of codified legal contracts and requirements.

What are the legalities surrounding embryo adoption and donation?

The adoption process involves agreement and relinquishment forms, which are legal contracts between the donor and recipient families.

The contracts formalize the donor family’s relinquishment of their parental rights prior to the embryo being transferred to the recipient family.

Parties involved should note that embryos have a special legal status that is yet to be clearly defined. While many courts are reluctant to classify embryos as property, they also do not characterize them as human beings. As a result, embryo adoption programs may differ in how they define embryos in their legal agreements. Some may refer to embryo donation as a transfer of property while others may incorporate traditional adoption language into their legal documents.

Legalities

Frozen Embryo Transfer

Medical Aspects

What is involved in a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)?

The FET procedure is the same whether the patient uses donated embryos or her own. The procedure is performed at a clinic and can be done via an un-medicated/natural cycle, but medicated cycles are more common as they provide more control in the timing of the transfer.

Sometimes a mock cycle is performed to test the effects of the medicine on the body. If this is successful, another medication cycle is completed and the embryos are transferred. Medications that may be used in the cycle include antibiotics, oral contraceptives, prenatal vitamins/calcium supplements, estrogen supplements, and progesterone shots. Understanding the FET process may be an important part of your selection of a fertility clinic.

What is the timeline for an FET?

One of the benefits of an FET is that no egg retrieval is required because the embryos are already created. Families can skip right to preparing the woman’s body for the transfer by building up the endometrial lining. Once the lining is optimal, the embryo(s) can be transferred. The timeline for the preparation can be anywhere between 4-6 weeks.

Can a natural cycle FET be performed?

If a woman has regular, ovulatory menstrual cycles, an FET can be performed without the use of hormone preparation. Several studies have shown that the pregnancy rates in natural FET cycles are equivalent to that of hormone prepared cycles. Logistically, however, these cycles are much more difficult to perform.

In order for the FET to be successful, the embryos must be transferred on the day that the uterine lining is the most receptive. This requires precise determination of the time of ovulation. This can be done through careful monitoring, either as assisted by the clinic using blood tests and ultrasounds or some clinics will allow patients to monitor their cycle at home using ovulation kits.

Unfortunately, during a natural cycle transfer, the day of ovulation is not as controlled. Additionally, if the cycle is considered less than optimal, then the transfer day may be pushed back.

How many embryos should an adoptive family transfer?

Due to the risks associated with of a multiple-pregnancy, most doctors recommend limiting the number of embryos transferred to no more than two embryos at a time. This is something adoptive families should discuss with their doctor prior to their scheduled transfer. The ASRM also provides members with transfer guidelines based on the woman’s age.

Adopting families should limit the number of embryos transferred to the number they are willing to carry to term in the event that all the embryos implant. Some embryo adoption programs specifically require their adopting families to agree to transfer all thawed and viable embryos.   

 

Are there any additional pregnancy risks due to embryo donation?

Using donated embryos to achieve pregnancy does not involve any special or increased risk factors. However, the maternal age of the woman planning to carry the pregnancy is always a consideration and carries risks that are age-related. 

What questions should a recipient family ask when preparing for their FET?

Here are a few questions you may consider asking when preparing for your transfer:

  • What labeling protocol do they use for identifying patients’ embryos? (They should use at least two, and preferably more, unique identifiers such as bar-coding, color-coding, name, number, etc.)
  • Is a nurse available to work with you individually, if needed, to make certain you understand how to administer the medication? (Not all mistakes in infertility treatment are by the clinic itself! Infertility medications can be confusing.)
  • Is the clinic willing to do a natural cycle FET or will they require you to do a medicated cycle? (This will depend upon your fertility clinic’s preferences and may not be an option for every family.)
  •  How many embryos does the doctor recommend that you transfer per each FET cycle?
  •  Does the clinic prefer to do mock-transfers prior to the actual FET?

(This is not an all-inclusive list of questions to ask.)

How important is embryo quality when it comes to pregnancy success?

The quality of embryos is determined by a variety of factors. Just because an embryo has certain characteristics does not guarantee a given outcome. It is important to remember that the placing family typically has already been successful in building their family using embryos created at the same time as the embryos they are now placing for adoption.

There have been children born from embryos that have been frozen more than twenty years. There have been healthy children born from embryos that were deemed to ‘incompatible with life.’ There have been children born from embryos that were frozen and thawed, and frozen and thawed again! Quality does not equal pregnancy success.

Are there any reported psychological problems found in children born through embryo donation or adoption?

There are no long-term studies available regarding the issues and concerns unique to children born from donated embryos. Similar psychological issues associated with children through traditional adoption or those born through donor conception may arise with embryo adopted children. Working with an experienced adoption agency will help you understand the unique needs of an adopted child and help equip you to meet those needs. Additionally, a reputable agency will be available to you for future counseling as your children mature.

Who coordinates the shipment of the embryos between clinics?

If you are working with an embryo adoption program, the agency should coordinate shipment for the embryos between the two clinics. Otherwise, the donor family will need to discuss with their fertility clinic what paperwork is required to have the embryos released and shipped to another clinic.

The donor family should also find out what the clinic uses to transport the embryos; often clinics use glass ampules or plastic straws that hold up to six embryos. They must be held in temperature-controlled containers in order to preserve them in a frozen state. The embryos can then be shipped overnight via air courier.

In some cases, the recipient may be able to travel to the donors’ clinic and complete the FET there without the shipping expenses. Recipients need to first find out how they can be become patients at the clinic and whether the transfer can be performed there.

Adoption Success

How Successful is Embryo Adoption?

What if an adoptive family has embryos remaining after their family is complete?

This should be addressed in the legal contracts signed by both parties. The donor may not want to have the embryos returned to them after the recipient family has completed their family building. In this case, the recipient determines the disposition of the embryos based on what was agreed to in their contract.

Some contracts will specify a period of time in which the embryos must be thawed and transferred by the adoptive family. If more time is needed, another relinquishment will be requested from the donor.

What is the success rate for embryos surviving the thaw?

The success rate for thawing frozen embryos will vary by clinic, but the average is 60%. Each clinic reports on its own statistics to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. It is advisable to discuss these statistics with any clinic being considered for the transfer.

What is the success rate for frozen embryo transfers (FETs)?

The success rate for FETs are the same to slightly better than fresh IVF cycle transfers, which are around 35%. (When achieving pregnancy naturally, the average success rate is 25%.)

Some embryo adoption programs have even higher success rates of 50+%.  

How long can embryos be used after they are frozen?

Frozen embryos do not have a determined ‘shelf-life.’ Babies have been born from embryos that have been frozen 20+ years. There are quite a number of other instances where embryos which have been stored over 10 or more years have resulted in successful pregnancies.

What is the likelihood of achieving a multiple-pregnancy through embryo adoption or donation?

Multiple-pregnancies and births are less common with FETs than with fresh transfers, but this in no way guarantees an adoptive family will not have twins or even triplets. Adoptive families should consult their fertility clinic for statistics regarding multiple-birth rates. Careful thought should be given to the number of embryos transferred during an FET cycle as transferring multiple embryos does increase the chance of multiples.

What if pregnancy is not achieved with our adopted embryos?

If a pregnancy does not occur after thawing and transferring all of the embryos, another match can usually be facilitated by your agency or embryo donation program. Your original fee may cover the cost of new match or there may be additional fees assessed. This may include a nominal fee to cover counseling for the new donor couple, new paperwork and embryo transportation.

Each embryo adoption program is different, and we strongly recommend that you thoroughly research what is and is not included in the program you are considering.

Pathway2Family Magazine

For several years Nightlight Christian Adoptions created Pathway2Family magazine to help educate donors, adopters and medicinal professionals about this important topic. You may conveniently read this unique embryo donation and embryo adoption magazine on your favorite device.  Each issue contains insight regarding the process, visual guides, and family stories. We want to help you find your Pathway2Family.

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