A snowflake embryo is a frozen, donated embryo. “Snowflake embryo” comes from the agency that coined the term and has evolved to refer to frozen embryos that are available for adoption.
Snowflakes embryo adoption program gives you a path to parenthood if you are having fertility issues, unexplained infertility or don’t want to pass on genetic disorders affecting you or your partner. A snowflake embryo adoption gives you a way to grow your family.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about your options for building the family you have always envisioned.
This article will break down the snowflakes frozen embryo adoption program, the differences between embryo adoption and embryo donation and how adopted embryos can be used.
Snowflake Babies and Embryo Adoption
Nightlight Christian Adoptions pioneered the adoption of embryos back in 1997. They did this to help completed families select a family wanting to expand to receive their left over frozen embryos
This led to Nightlight create the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program, likening embryos to snowflakes as both are unique, with no two being exactly alike.
Nightlight has separate programs for embryo adoption and embryo donation, but the two are similar in nature in terms of offering intended parents a path to parenthood. Both of them refer to the legal transfer of embryos that have been frozen and donated by families who have created those embryos though in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
What separates the two, however, is how the processes are handled.
An embryo adoption agency may ask you to complete a home study and legal contract. Although it may not be required as embryo adoption is the same in the eyes of the law as embryo donation, embryo adoption agencies can have their own requirements.
The term “embryo adoption” can be misleading because it infers that an embryo is protected under adoption law. This opens up the potential for professionals to require legal procedures for the adoption of born children that aren’t legally necessary, resulting in more time, money and effort spent by the intended parents.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine gave an example of how adoption laws are not legally applicable to embryo donation.
Adopting an embryo may involve a legal process similar to a conventional adoption, but embryos in the U.S. are considered property, not a person, and are typically regulated by property law.
Embryo donation in the U.S. is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA lays out requirements for all donated human tissues for reproductive or non-reproductive tissues with some states also having their own legislation.
Who Was the First Snowflake Baby?
The first snowflake baby was Hannah Strege, born as a result of the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption program. Hannah’s parents, John and Marlene, learned they wouldn’t be able to conceive themselves when Marlene asked if frozen embryos could be adopted that led to Hannah’s birth.
Where to Find a Snowflake Embryo
Embryo adoption was a brand new concept back in 1997 when Nightlight created the term “snowflake embryo.”
Now, it has evolved to the point where there are a variety of avenues where embryo adoption with a snowflake embryo can occur such as:
- Licensed adoption agencies
- Fertility clinic donation programs
- Online matching programs (Self-matching)
- Through a friend or family member
No matter where you get your snowflake embryo, these embryos can be used for your IVF cycles and/or surrogacy.
In addition to the reasons why utilizing a snowflake embryo adoption to grow your family might be necessary, you should know about the benefits that come with it too.
If surrogacy is right for your situation, once you have secured your embryos you can be matched with a surrogate and get that much closer to becoming a parent. Learn all about the ins and outs of surrogacy by filling out our online contact form.
If it’s possible for your situation, being able to form a bond with your child through pregnancy is something that can start before the child is born. It also allows you to have control over the birthing experience, from your diet and lifestyle leading up to it to the hospital stay itself. Adopting a snowflake embryo is considerably less costly than the average prices of adoption in the U.S., whether you are interested in pursuing a domestic or international adoption. Adopting an embryo costs an average of ,000-,000, whereas a singular IVF cycle can be upwards of ,000-,000. When embryos are donated, the donors relinquish their parental rights well before the birth of the child. When you give birth to the child, you are identified as the child’s legal mother on the birth certificate. IVF can fail for a number of reasons; choosing embryo adoption can help you secure viable embryos if you have struggled to create embryos via IVFBenefits of Snowflakes Embryo Adoption
Does Insurance Cover Embryo Adoption?
The answer depends on where you live and who your insurance provider is as some states and insurance providers cover infertility treatment costs while others do not. If your insurance does cover embryo adoption, be sure to understand the costs it does or does not cover.
Surrogacy and Embryo Adoption can give you the family you've been dreaming ofLearn More About Surrogacy and Embryo Adoption