looking for embryo donation...just starting the process

[Anonymous]

Hi... Hoping you all can help. I am 46, very healthy and my husband and I would like to receive an embryo donation. Have any of you had luck arranging for this privately,or through organizations like Snowflake? Also what clinics do you recommend here that will do the FET? Thanks so much for your help.

[Anonymous]

Theres an embryo adoption service called SNowflake Embryo Adoption. I dont know about clinics here in DC, but in VA beach there is a clinic called New Hope with Dr. Robin Poe Ziegler.

Around DC, I would check on Dominion or shady grove.

[Anonymous]

The best for this is probably one in Davis, CA; CA IVF.

[Anonymous]

Also, consider posting a recipient ad on Miracles Waiting (miracleswaiting.org).

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much! We are looking into several possibilities now to hopefully get embryos...

Now looking for a local clinic that has experience with donated embryos.. anyone done that here? Shady Grove won't do it for quality-control reasons (I think they are very focused on keeping their numbers/stats high). Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Is there a place I can easily donate embryos? Anyone have information about the best and easiest means to do this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a place I can easily donate embryos? Anyone have information about the best and easiest means to do this?

And to clarify, donate embryos for adoption, not for research.

[Anonymous]

If you have someone to donate them to, the process is easier. There is some paperwork though to legally relinquish them but it is not difficult.

Not to be too opportunistic (!) but my husband and I are seeking donated embryos. Please PM for more information or I can list my email. We are open to having the process be anonymous to more open.

[Anonymous]

I posted about Miracles Waiting. We are debating whether we will be trying to add to our family, but whether or not another FET is in the cards for us, we will donate any embryos through Miracles Waiting. I don't know that I would classify the process as "easy", as you need to do the following:

* Think about whether you want a closed, open, or semi-open relationship with the recipients. Think about whether it would benefit your children to have the option of contacting their genetic siblings in the future. At the very least, you could stipulate that the recipients sign up with the Donor Sibling Registry to facilitate the kids' meeting in the future if they desire.

* Contact an attorney specializing in ART. There are recommendations in the archives of this forum. You want to have someone who can advise you on what legal issues to think about, and this person can draw up a contract for you. Think about what you want to happen to any leftover embryos; if the recipient doesn't use all of them, can they then donate? Destroy? Do you want to require the unused embryos be returned to you?

* You may want to see a therapist about this. Some clinics - mine included, it's not a DC clinic - require the recipients and the donors to go through an evaluation.

If you go to Miracles Waiting, you can get a free logon ID and peruse recipient posts (or ads - money may not change hands, so "ads" may not be the best words). See if you like any of the recipient couples. You can contact them anonymously.

Another free - but again, not easy - way to donate would be to contact Marna Gatlin of pved.org (Parents Via Egg Donation). There are always members there who are looking to have children via embryo donation. You will still want to go through the process of retaining an attorney and thinking through some of the issues above.

Snowflakes and many other agencies are ideologically-driven, that is, they consider personhood to begin at conception (hence their use of "embryo adoption" rather than "embryo donation"). They usually have restrictions on who may be recipients - lesbian and gay couples as well as single parents are not accepted. For the most part they are run by people who would like to do away with IVF altogether due to the excess embryos that are often created. If that is an issue for you, consider PVED or Miracles Waiting; they are not ideologically-driven.

[Anonymous]

I'm the immediate PP. To clarify, every time I mention an option that is not easy, I mean that you still need to go through many steps, such as the attorney, etc. Another thing I forgot to mention is that you (if the embryo is from your egg) and your husband (if from his sperm) will need to go through additional FDA-mandated testing before donation.

[Anonymous]

Great answer as to the process!

I believe in serendipity and if you want to talk privately to me about the possibility of donating, please feel free to PM me at virtuallyamy at hotmail dot com. Receiving donated embryo(s) is the only option left for me and my husband to have children and we are hopefully optimistic .. amazing that this is even possible!