When your own eggs or sperm cannot give you a baby, four paths can still lead to parenthood: embryo adoption, donor eggs, surrogacy, and traditional child adoption. They differ in who is genetically related to the child, who carries the pregnancy, what they cost, and who they suit. Here is a plain comparison to help you weigh them.
Embryo adoption
You receive a healthy embryo donated by another couple who created it during their own IVF, and you carry the pregnancy yourself. Neither you nor your partner is genetically related to the child, but you experience the pregnancy and birth. It is usually the most affordable of these options, because you avoid the high fees of egg donation. In our clinic the pregnancy rate is about 45 percent per cycle when we transfer four frozen and thawed embryos. It suits couples who would otherwise need both egg and sperm donation, and couples for whom cost matters. Read our embryo adoption FAQ.
Donor eggs
A donor provides the eggs, which are fertilised with your partner’s sperm, and you carry the pregnancy. The child is genetically related to your partner but not to you. Egg donation costs more than embryo adoption because it involves stimulating and retrieving eggs from a donor. It suits women who cannot produce healthy eggs but whose partner has healthy sperm, and who want a genetic link on one side. Our sister clinic explains this in detail at donoreggs.in.
Surrogacy
Another woman carries the pregnancy for you and gives birth. The egg and sperm may come from you, from donors, or a mix, depending on your situation. You do not carry the pregnancy yourself. Surrogacy is the most involved and usually the most expensive path, and in India it is tightly regulated by law. It suits couples where the woman cannot safely carry a pregnancy, for medical reasons such as an absent or damaged uterus.
Traditional child adoption
You adopt a child who is already born, through a legal adoption process. There is no pregnancy and no genetic link. It is a deeply worthwhile path, though in India the legal process can be long and the wait uncertain. It suits couples who are drawn to raising a child regardless of pregnancy, or for whom medical treatment is not an option. Embryo adoption sits close to this in spirit, with one difference: you carry and give birth to the child yourself.
Pros and cons of embryo adoption
No path to parenthood is right for everyone. Here is an honest look at both sides, so you can decide with clear eyes.
The advantages
- You carry the pregnancy and give birth yourself, and you are there from the first day.
- It is usually the most affordable of the donor options, because it avoids the high fees of egg donation.
- The embryos are often of proven quality, since the couple who donated them had already had a baby from the same batch.
- You avoid arranging two separate donors, one for eggs and one for sperm.
- The pregnancy is medically the same as any other, so your care is straightforward.
The things to weigh
- Neither you nor your partner is genetically related to the child. For some couples this matters, for others it does not.
- Success is never guaranteed. Even with good embryos, not every cycle ends in a pregnancy.
- It involves preparing your uterus with hormones and a frozen embryo transfer, so there is a short medical process to follow.
- A suitable donated embryo has to be available and matched to you, which can take time.
- Some couples want time to feel settled about raising a child who is not genetically theirs. That is normal, and worth talking through.
If you would like help weighing these for your own situation, take our one-minute self-check or message us on WhatsApp.
How to choose
Ask yourself three questions. Do you want to experience the pregnancy yourself? If yes, embryo adoption, donor eggs, or carrying with your own eggs are your options, and surrogacy and child adoption are not. Does a genetic link to one parent matter to you? If yes, donor eggs or donor sperm keep a link on one side, while embryo adoption and child adoption do not. What can you comfortably afford? Embryo adoption is usually the most affordable of the medical options. There is no single right answer, only the one that fits your family. If you would like a quick steer, take our one-minute self-check.
Talk it through with us
We are happy to walk you through these choices honestly, with no pressure, and tell you which are realistic for your situation. Message us on WhatsApp, call +91 98674 41589, or send an enquiry through our contact form.
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