Time for another quarterly check in. I can never believe how much time passes between posts, but nothing was new to report. We took a bit of a mental break from the process, as it is very straining emotionally. If you have not dealt with infertility, you are lucky. I wouldn't wish it on my enemy.
The break from adoption helped clear our heads a bit. It also allowed me the chance to do some more research on options. We have added another path as a potential way to 'adopt,' embryo adoption!
Don't get us wrong- we would still love to talk to expectant mothers and be considered as adoptive parents. But we also don't believe we should limit ourselves. We have wanted to be parents for almost 7 years! (Well, maybe 5 years for Matt.)
Embryo adoption (or donation, seem to be used interchangeably occurs when a couple has remaining embryos from an IVF cycle. When they are done having kids themselves, they have 3 options: donate to science, donate to an infertile couple, or have the embryos destroyed. Without getting into the religious ramifications of those options, we obviously believe that donating to another couple is a fantastic idea!
As with traditional adoption, the donation can be anonymous through a clinic, or you can 'meet' people online and donate to them. There are adoption agencies out there that now assist with donations as well, but of course they add in several thousand dollars worth of "program fees." (Important note: it is illegal to pay or be paid for embryos. But call them 'program fees,' no problem. ........)
Some of our considerations now include what clinics to look at (local ones have wait lists, there are some in FL, TN and CA that are well-known that do not, but you have to travel to them), finding donors ourselves (similar to finding our own match for traditional adoption), and whether we'd want an open or anonymous donation (leaning again towards open). The best part about embryo donation is that the cost is significantly lower than using an adoption agency (about equal to the cost of a private adoption), and significantly cheaper than IVF as well.
So, we are looking into both options now, praying to make a connection with either an expectant mother or a couple looking to donate. If you know of anyone who fits either bill, please contact us!
And thanks for reading our sporadic posts!
