My sister recently brought the subject of infertility up with my husband and I. Babe knows I discuss it with her in length, but it was the first time all three of us had talked about it. At first I was nervous it would make him feel uncomfortable but he seemed not to mind. She asked us what options we've considered. We mentioned liking the idea of adopting but knew it would be expensive. I explained how an IUI works, and that it might be something we would consider if we were good candidates for the procedure. For those not familiar, it is a procedure in which sperm is collected and "washed" and only the good ones are inserted through a catheter into a woman's uterus. Then, for the first time, I explained the idea of embryo adoption/donation. It was the first time I'd ever mentioned it to Babe.
Not long after, he and I discussed this possibility. The biggest concerns I have, which Babe agrees with me on, are 1) the possibility of parenthood being questioned and not being held up in a court of law and 2) my body fighting the embryo as if it were an infection since the embryo wouldn't match my genetic makeup. Since we wouldn't know how my body would react until it happens, there's nothing we could really do about number two. However, since embryo "adoption" is still in it's infancy I would want to make sure we've done enough research to know no donor would ever be able to rescind their donation. That would be absolutely devastating.
So although we're a long way from having to decide on any of these options, it was nice to discuss them aloud. It gives us a pretty good idea of how we'll each react when they're finally on the table.
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