If you have frozen embryos*

[linz]

If you did IVF and have frozen embryos, what is your RE's process for them? As far as how long will they store them (if there is a limit). Once you are done having kids, what are your plans for the embryos if you have any leftover - donate, destroy?

[linz]

I was talking to my OB about this yesterday at my yearly. He asked if I would donate any leftover (we have 7 and hoping to do 1 more SET if I don't get pg on my own). I told him I wouldn't feel comfortable donating them so obviously destroying them would be our option. Stinks, but I know I'm lucky to have frozen embryos.

azurely did you ever ask our RE about storing them? I realized I never talked to her about it. I assume we aren't paying for it but wasn't sure if there is a time frame for it.

[ivy]

Do you mean eggs or embryos?

We have one frozen embryo and 9 frozen eggs. We plan on using the embryo for #2 (or #1 if this doesn't work out) and will fertilize the eggs down the road if/as needed. All will be frozen for as long as we want and as long as we pay the yearly fee.

We had to sign a ridiculous number of papers going over what we would do with the frozen embryo and eggs in every possible scenario imaginable (one or both of us dies, we divorce and can't agree on what to do with the eggs/embryo, etc. It was intense.) We decided that if we don't use them ourselves, they will all be donated to science or be destroyed. In the instance that we both pass away, they will be donated to other couples.

[Muddled]

We elected to donate if we had any unused embryos. We don't.

[G22]

We have 2 frozen embryos. They will freeze them for 5 years, and if by then we haven't done anything with them or communicated to them if we will, they will be donate to science per the paperwork we signed at the beginning. That was what we chose if we didn't use them.

[pooh8402]

Ditto: eggs or embryos?

I have no frozen eggs and 3 frozen embryos. As of now, it is not 100% that we will even try for another child, but if we do, we will go straight to FET. We plan to do SET each time, unless our RE recommends transferring two for some reason (quality). Once we run out, we're done. We do not plan on another fresh cycle at this time.

If we have embryos left over after we have decided that our family is complete, our current plan is to destroy them. We do not feel comfortable donating them to science or another couple, and do not have the money to store them for perpetuity.

[ginkgoleaf]

We have 3 frozen embryos. If we don't need them, we elected to be donated to science.

[azurely]

May 29, 2015 8:33:57 GMT -5 linz said:

azurely did you ever ask our RE about storing them? I realized I never talked to her about it. I assume we aren't paying for it but wasn't sure if there is a time frame for it.

I don't know actually. I was wondering this too and have been meaning to call. I remember signing lots of papers re: our embryos, but I don't remember there being a fee or anything to keep them stored. I sure hope not at least, because I haven't paid anything and definitely want those little embryos in the freezer when we're ready to use them.

We only have three embryos and will likely do SET only. If we have any left over after conceiving #2, we'll use up the remaining 1-2 by trying for #3 a few years later. I don't think we will have any leftover though, since it took three embryos to conceive C (one didn't thaw well, two were transferred).

[linz]

Sorry I meant embryos. What does science do with them?

[ginkgoleaf]

May 29, 2015 20:37:34 GMT -5 linz said:

Sorry I meant embryos. What does science do with them?

Research, with no making into babies involved. I'm not totally sure, just thought we'd do that to help the IVF "cause".

[pooh8402]

They also do genetic testing and attempt to develop them into stem cells.

[mae141]

We didn't have any leftover, but if we did we would have donated to science. We wanted them to go to something good rather than just be destroyed, and our office didn't do embryo donation, so that was basically our only option.

[dana2006]

Our clinic would store it until the woman reaches age 50 (or 55? can't remember exactly) as long as you pay the annual fee.

We have one and our plan is to transfer it before I turn 42 (I'm 40).