Leftover Frozen Embryos

With my current pregnancy on home soil, it was a result of implanting my final two frozen embryos, which had been frozen for about 5 years. Of course, I made the decision to pay 5 years of storage fees not knowing but hoping that I would try again for another child. My goal was to always have at least two children if so blessed otherwise one would have been perfectly fine. I know that siblings don't always get along but I really wanted my son to have a sibling who he could have the opportunity to continue growing with and reminisce about the past and re-live all the good memories. Yes, my son will have his cousins and hopefully a spouse but there's something special about sibling relationships when they work. In the end, I do not have to make the decision of what to do with any remaining embryos at my previous clinic because I have none.

With SCI, although it's early in the pregnancy with my little bean, it has crossed my mind what I will do with my 9 remaining frozen embryos if everything continues going according to plan. I could continue storing them especially if I'm not 100% sure that I'm done having kids although I think three children as a single parent (even with the support that I do have) at the age of 41 makes for a happy, busy, and fun life. There's also the financial considerations for some. But what if I decide not to continue storing them? The typical options include:

• Donating them to research
• Donating them to infertile couples (or a single person)
• Discarding them
• Combination of any of the above

One could discuss the ethical and moral considerations but ultimately, it is up to those who these embryos belong to. Some research studies do indicate that those who used donor eggs have a higher tendency to donate leftover frozen embryos, which makes sense. There are many thoughts and questions that go through my mind when I think about this - I'm sure those of you who are in the same boat share those same thoughts and questions. In the end, when the time comes for all of us who are faced with this decision, we will make the decision that is right for us.

Thank you for letting me share this part of my world with you!