Understanding The Embryo Donation Process

The idea of allowing another family to raise children born as a result of embryo adoption may feel like an impossible choice, but remember! You created the embryos with a specific intention: to bring children to life, to your family. Why not give your remaining embryos this opportunity by making them available to another family of your choosing? It is a loving, caring and compassionate choice.

Through the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program, unless you decline this option, you will be provided with information about the outcome of the embryo adoption, including details such as whether the embryo(s) survive the thawing process, how many are transferred in each FET cycle, and if a pregnancy and birth result. If you desire, you will be updated on how the baby or babies are doing, see pictures, and receive other updates.

You also have the option of being less involved and allowing Snowflakes to choose the parents who will adopt the embryos.

Each family is unique and we strive to provide services that will meet your needs. There are few laws pertaining to assisted reproductive technologies. The Snowflakes Program provides the same legal safeguards for embryo adoption that are set forth through laws governing traditional adoption. We do this for the benefit of any resulting children who are born, their parents and you.

Please read through our Snowflakes Placing Parent Information Packet to learn more. If your questions aren’t answered or you want to discuss your personal situation, we welcome you to contact Jen, our Snowflakes Placing Parent Inquiry Specialist.

Not making a decision is actually making a decision. Embryos have demonstrated that they have an indefinite life span in storage, but you do not have an indefinite lifespan. If you do not make a decision, someone – quite possibly the living genetic siblings of those embryos – will eventually have to make a decision about your remaining embryos.  Unfortunately, medical facilities also don't keep records indefinitely, which means if you wait too long to make a decision and records on the embryos are destroyed in the meantime, it may become impossible to place your embryos with another family.