You are doing what?!

With all the talk in the news about the octuplet mother I have been getting a lot of questions. I am pretty open about our infertility journey- and some of my co workers know what's going on with us. Over the past two weeks I have been asked "well what would you do with your embryo's" and "how many embryo's would you guys transfer". I truly love hearing what others have to say about fertility treatments, because people really have no clue.

One of the most controversial topics that surrounds IVF is what to do with leftover embryo's which are mature and growing properly. Especially in young women so many eggs are retrieved that there are far more embryo's that are mature and able to be transferred. In women under 35 the average number of embryo's that are transferred are 2 or 3, not 6 as in the octuplet mother. Now every case is different, I am talking the average person undergoing IVF. Your fertility specialist will tell you what they feel is best and leave the decision up to you and your partner. Some couples only want to transfer one embryo, because they do not want the risk of having multiples.

So in the instance that you transfer less embryo's then you have growing and maturing you have to make the decision of what to do with the embryo's. Most couples choose to freeze the embryo's in the event that:
1. The first transfer is unsuccessful they can defrost the leftover embryo's and do another transfer
2. If the first transfer is successful then the remaining embryo's can be used down the road for a sibling

In the event that you choose to freeze your leftover embryo's and you have a successful first cycle then you can continue to keep your embryo's frozen and when you feel the time is right you can make a decision about what to do with your left over frozen embryo's. If your family is complete and you do not wish to transfer the remaining embryo's that you can choose to put the embryo's up for adoption, destroy the embryo's, or donate them to stem cell research.

So I am sure you are wondering what my opinion is on the subject and really I do not have one. I feel that each couple has to make the best decision for themselves. John and I are not quite to the point where we have to make these decisions, but if we did not have twins I would absolutely use my frozen embryo's to have a sibling for my first born. If we did have twins or we chose not to have another child I would look into donating them to stem cell research. I definitely could not destroy them or put them up for adoption, as much as I would love to help another infertile couple I just could not put my embryo's up for adoption.

People do not realize that this is a very controversial topic and one that should not be taken lightly, but every couple needs to take their time and make the best decision for them. Talk to your doctor and get all your questions answered before making any decisions.