Remembering unused Frozen Embryos

[JK201]

We have a couple of embryos left over that are in storage. Further rounds of ivf are no longer an option for us due to a serious medical complication and it feels wasteful to keep paying to store them. We are not able to donate to another couple sadly due to my medical history and they are not eligible for research.

So our only option is to stop paying the annual storage fee.

But I want to remember them somehow. Any nice ideas we could do to mark the occasion.

[LetsAskaRobot]

Would you consider taking them home? Once we'd decided that we wouldn't be using our leftover embryos, they allowed us to bring the straws home. We aren't sure whether to bury them in the garden under a nice tree or a plant pot indoors incase we move house, but it feels like a better way to remember them.

[JK201]

I didn't realise this was an option. As embryos are so heavily regulated under the human tissue legislation I'd always thought I couldn't just walk away with them.

[Bouffalant]

I'm pretty sure they're your property. You could bring them home and plant a tree for them?

[LetsAskaRobot]

I was surprised too, the clinic told us that it was an option which really helped me make peace with our decision to not use the embryos (we were coming up to the maximum 10 year storage period).

I think they said they are obviously unviable after defrosting but they add a solution to make sure they can't be used.

[JK201]

Thank you. I'll call and check. Feels wrong to just leave them there to be disposed of.

[itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted]

Pretty sure you can take them home - when I lost my ectopic babies we had an option to bring them home but chose for the hospital to arrange a memorial service x

[Whatelsecouldibecalled]

What about a nice plant in your garden that would flower every year?