Shipping frozen embryos for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) allows you to expand your family without being limited by your location. By utilizing specialized shipping services, you can move your frozen embryos locally or even across state lines, giving you access to the best fertility clinics and the care you need.
If you’re looking for a fertility clinic, we can connect you with fertility specialists in your area. If you intend on shipping frozen embryos for surrogacy, we can connect you with a surrogate in an average of 1-6 months. Contact us today.
If you don’t know how to ship frozen embryos, we’ve got you covered. This article will break down everything about frozen embryo shipping, from who can do it to how much it costs.
Can Frozen Embryos Be Shipped?
Yes, you can ship frozen embryos.
Shipping frozen embryos is a common practice for individuals or couples who need to move their embryos to a different fertility clinic. You may need to relocate your embryos for a variety of reasons:
You may be seeking treatment at a fertility clinic with higher success rates or advanced technology. You are moving and want to transfer your embryos to a new fertility clinic or storage facility closer to your new home. Your embryos are currently being stored in an embryo bank and you are ready for them to be shipped to your fertility clinics. You may decide to ship your embryos to your surrogate’s fertility clinic.
If you have frozen embryos and are considering surrogacy, you’re ready to be matched with a surrogate.
How to Ship Frozen Embryos
First, you’ll need to coordinate with your fertility clinic and a specialized cryogenic shipping service that handles reproductive materials.
Shipping frozen embryos is done with the utmost care, from the professionals that transport them to the practices around the shipping of the embryos themselves.
When done correctly, it has no negative effect on the embryo’s viability for transfer.
That’s why although companies that ship frozen embryos may have their own processes around how they do it, doing it successfully usually comes down to the same factors. Here’s a breakdown of those factors.
Temperature Control
When it comes to shipping frozen embryos, regulating temperature is vital for keeping the embryos viable for use.
If you have just created your embryos at one clinic and want to ship them to another, your embryos will be frozen through vitrification, a two stage process that first sees the embryos exposed to a cryoprotectant agent.
The cryoprotectant acts like antifreeze, preventing ice crystals from forming and increasing the embryos chance of survival.
The second stage sees those embryos immediately placed into liquid nitrogen at -321 Fahrenheit. Storing the frozen embryos at low temperatures stops all cellular activity, preserving the embryos until needed.
Packaging
Frozen embryos are stored in straws or vials inside canisters to prevent damage or movement.
Frozen embryos are then shipped in cryogenic shipping tanks caked dry shippers that are specifically designed to hold materials at extremely low temperatures.
This is done with an inner absorbent material that holds the liquid nitrogen, allowing the shipping tank to maintain a proper temperature during transportation while preventing spills or leaks.
In addition to packaging the frozen embryos to ensure they remain at the right temperature, there are sensors and data loggers that can be packaged with these shipping tanks to track the temperature during transit.
Monitoring During Transit
Beyond the sensors that can monitor the temperature of the frozen embryos within the shipping tanks, there are courier services that specialize in frozen embryo shipping.
These couriers act as a personal escort, meaning the container with the frozen embryos remains upright, isn’t exposed to extreme conditions and is never passed on to a third party.
Whether it’s being able to address any issues with temperature immediately or ensuring that your shipment doesn’t undergo X-ray scans that can destroy sensitive cells, you can ship frozen embryos with peace of mind/ knowing there is always someone with them.
Shipping Frozen Embryos with a Cryoshipping Service
Human cells or tissues that are used to implant, transplant, infuse or transfer into another human recipient in the U.S. is strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
When it comes to gestational surrogacy and shipping frozen embryos, any professional that is involved with the recovery, processing, storage, labeling, packaging, or distribution of human tissue and cells has to be registered with the FDA.
Making sure your cryoshipping service is FDA certified should be one of the first steps you take when determining who you want to use to ship your frozen embryos.
Their experience and methodology are two more aspects to consider when choosing a professional to ship them with, the choice is yours to make but here are some questions you can ask that can help determine how to select a cryoshipping service:
While there is a general process to shipping frozen embryos, shipping services may have different steps required to complete the process. Having clarity upfront can help you decide on the professional that fits your situation. This is your journey to parenthood, knowing how your professional will transport your embryos can give you peace of mind in the professional you choose. Depending on where you are shipping the embryos from or where you are shipping them to, the length of time can determine the steps you need to take to preserve the embryos for the entire trip. Shipping companies will need various paperwork and tests to ensure they can safely transport your frozen embryos. Knowing these documents and tests ahead of time can help you prepare for the process. It’s a worst-case scenario situation but knowing what happens in the event of something going wrong is important to the planning process.
Like any professional you choose to work with, you’ll want to work with reputable cryoshipping services that meet your needs. Here’s what you should consider when deciding who to ship your frozen embryos with.
What is the Cost of Shipping Frozen Embryos?
Shipping frozen embryos can cost anywhere from $1,000-$3,000.
There isn’t a specific figure when it comes to frozen embryo shipping and cost because that will be determined by your clinic’s estimation and whether they work with cryoshipping services.
The $1,000-$3,000 range takes into account the distance that you are shipping the frozen embryos as well as factors such as:
- Administrative fees
- Local deliveries by cryoshipping services
- Delivery by cryoshipping services
- Direct pick up
Depending on the cryoshipping professional you work with, they may offer insurance for an additional cost.
Your health care coverage may also cover frozen embryo shipping, so be sure to check prior to committing to any shipping professional.
Frozen Embryo Shipping [Your Next Steps]
- Step 1: Notify the clinics.
- Step 2: Complete the necessary paperwork.
- Step 3: Verify receiving clinic’s requirements.
Contact us online if you need help finding a clinic for IVF, or are ready to start looking for a surrogate. We’re here for you.