In this short snack, Ruby and Anne are talking with counselor Melanie Mikkelsen about building or extending a family with donated embryos.

It's a great solution for families that are unable or prefer not to use their own genetic material. However, there are things to keep in mind when considering donating or using donated embryos:

• It's more complicated than you probably think.
• It likely takes more time than you think.
• It's probably more expensive than you imagine.

In this short snack, Melanie, Anne, and Ruby are talking about things donors and recipients should be aware of when deciding to participate in third-party reproduction, whether you know your donors/recipients personally or not.

Often, embryo donation is a path people take when they've exhausted their options for having a child with their own genetic material. And that can mean hopeful parents are coming to the process with some pre-existing grief or frustration, and that can make working with a counselor like Melanie invaluable.

If you're considering donating or accepting an embryo, or if you know someone who might be in this position, we hope you'll listen and share.

Hear a listener story about embryo donation: https://thewholepineapple.com/snack-20-listener-story-how-to-build-a-modern-family/