Embryo adoption is the newest method of planning your family, which combines assisted reproductive techniques with adoption, so that instead of adopting a baby, infertile couples adopt an embryo. When we perform IVF, young women often produce many eggs, and therefore, many embryos. We transfer 4-6 embryos as per the couple's wish. The extra embryos can be stored, and we do this by freezing them in liquid nitrogen at minus-196 degrees Celsius.

If the parents get pregnant, they often agree to donate their embryos to other infertile couples, to help them to start a family. The pregnancy rate in our clinic, when we transfer 4 frozen-thawed embryos, is 45% per transfer. The reason for the high pregnancy rate is manifold. Firstly, these are often excellent quality embryos (it is usually because the parents have achieved a pregnancy with the fresh embryos, that they are willing to donate these frozen embryos to another couple). Also, since we prepare the endometrium using hormones, the uterine receptivity (judged in terms of endometrial thickness) is usually very good. The procedure is identical to a frozen thaw embryo transfer (FET) cycle. We prefer to transfer frozen embryos in down regulated cycles using Nasarel/Synarel/Lupride from Day 1, along with Estrace/Progynova tablets & Gestone injections. The procedure is non-surgical, and there is no risk involved.

At Rotunda - Hygeia, we handle embryo donation like a closed adoption. There is absolutely no contact between the donor couple and the recipients, who never see each other. The recipient couple does not even need to inform their obstetrician that they achieved their pregnancy through embryo adoption! Unlike traditional adoption, the couple does not have to go through a legal process to adopt , but through medical treatment. This means that the couple " biologically adopts " the embryo .

There are many reasons why couples may prefer embryo adoption to adopting a child.
For infertile couples, embryo adoption offers the unique opportunity to be pregnant, to bond with their child prior to birth , and to give birth. In addition, embryo adoption may be much more affordable than traditional adoption . Embryo adoption also offers couples privacy and secrecy, so that they do not need to worry about societal acceptance of their adopted child.
Embryo adoption is an alternative for infertile couples who need egg or sperm donation. Also , families who cannot afford the huge fees needed for egg donation may prefer embryo adoption.