Hellobee

After our second failed FET (frozen embryo transfer), Mr. P and I met with our RE to discuss where to go next. When we asked about donor embryos she suggested two clinics. She knew each doctor, having met them at IVF conferences in the past. She also told us there was a donor program in our city, but she wasn’t a fan of it for a couple reasons. The local program accepted donor embryos from only their IVF patients. Couples pay for their IVF cycle then donate their extra embryos. Then the recipient couple pays for an FET with the donated embryos, meaning the clinic makes money twice off one set of embryos. In her opinion that is a conflict of interest. Mr. P and I really like and trust our RE, so we decided to look into the two clinics she suggested and no more.

While looking at each website we considered the following: distance, how long we would have to wait, the types of donation, cost, success rates, and the matching process. Here are some details on the two we considered:

Clinic A

• 15 hour drive from home
• no wait list
• strictly anonymous donation
• accepts donated embryos from all over the world
• approximately $4,000 per FET
• recipients choose embryos from a pool of donors

Clinic B

• 13 hour drive from home
• no wait list
• both anonymous donation and open adoptions
• home study required
• accepts donated embryos from all over the world
• $3,250 per FET
• recipients are matched with a donor through a matching process; both donor and recipient have to approve the match
• 50% live birth rate

Mr. P and I spent some time looking over each clinic’s website in great detail. We also sent them to our moms and asked their opinions. After some time we decided to go with Clinic B. I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why we chose Clinic B; it just felt right. We trusted our gut instinct.

There are clinics that offer embryo donation and adoption programs all over the US and around the world. If you are considering using a clinic, think about:

• where they get their embryos
• what type of relationship you want with your donor
• how far you’re willing to travel
• if you are comfortable waiting to be matched
• the cost
• whether or not you want to complete a home study
• the standard FET protocol.

I believe there is a clinic out there to meet each couple’s desires and that choosing the right clinic for you is important for your success. If anyone would like specific information about the clinics Mr. P and I considered, please send me a message. I’ll be happy to give you the names of each place.