This is a third party reproduction procedure where your role is that of an embryo donor.
Additional embryos created through in-vitro fertilization technology are either kept frozen by the couples for future use or are donated to other intending parents under specified legislation for implantation into the uterus of another intending female who will give birth to the baby. Sometimes these embryos are donated to facilitate research.
Embryo donation and embryo adoption go hand in hand where many intending couples find embryo adoption more economically favorable than child adoption. However, you should be mentally prepared for the fact that although the embryos belong to you the baby born will belong to the mother who carries the baby and gives birth to it. However, if the baby is carried by a surrogate mother who gives birth, the baby would belong to the intending parents by force of an agreement with the surrogate mother. In any case the baby, won’t belong to you if you are the embryo donor.
Embryo donation will be a selfless gift on your part for which you cannot claim any remuneration. But you will not have to bear any expenses either. All the embryo transfer related expenses will be borne by the recipient. Before donating your embryos, you will be subjected to a thorough screening process to ensure that you are free from diseases. Here the recipient of your embryos will have every right to initiate the screening process employing an embryologist of their choice.
How embryos are donated to the intended adopter?
-The adopter should check whether she is healthy enough to carry out a full pregnancy term.
-List the embryo donor providers and select the most suitable one preferably nearest to your location.
-Fulfill the agreement formalities with the embryo donor through an authorized agency conforming to the legal procedures.
-Choose a high quality clinic to initiate the embryo transfer
-Go through the matches offered by the agency and select one as per your physician’s guidance
-Arrange for shipping the frozen embryos if needed
-Schedule an appointment with the clinic and specialist for the medical procedure of embryo transfer.
-Wait for the implantation and pregnancy to occur and get it confirmed by the specialist.
-Carry on the full term pregnancy taking due care of your health till the childbirth.
Donor eligibility tests:
The donor will be put to the following medical tests to prove her eligibility as an embryo donor:
— HIV 1 & 2.
— Hepatitis B & C.
— Treponema Palladium which is an agent for syphilis.
— Chlamydia trachomatis.
— Neisseria Gonorrhoea.
However, if your eggs are removed by nonvaginal laparoscopy instead of transvaginal laparoscopy you need not be tested for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria Gonorrhoea.
The screening process will also entail an evaluation of medical history and your personal interview to find out your inclinations, interests, smoking and drinking habits if any and drug abuse. The medical process and embryo transfer will be coordinated by the recipient couple’s embryologist who will also decide on the number of embryos to be transferred.
The documents are prepared and the agreement is signed by the intending parents and yourself. Before the agreement is signed, the clinic will be having legal experts who will explain you the legal implications of the terms of the agreement. You may have to sit together with the recipient and a psychologist appointed by the clinic who is experienced in infertility and donor related cases to make sure that both the parties are fully aware and give consent to the terms and conditions of the agreement before signing the document.
Before donating your embryos, you should ensure that the clinic you are having as an intermediary is well organized to carry on a successful embryo donation program. The clinic should ensure that all the stages and procedures involved in the embryo donation process run effortlessly. Remember that by donating your spare embryos created by IVF you are bringing in happiness to the lives of someone who have been deprived of joy for a long time. Also ensure that the clinic’s embryo donation program don’t confine the donors and recipients to a particular religion.