Donating embryos

There was an article in the newspaper this weekend about donating IVF embryos. I hadn't realised it was actually possible. Sydney IVF apparently don't offer it so perhaps that's why I haven't heard about it.

Anyway, apparently a miniscule number of couples donate their unused embryos to other couples. There were two women interviewed. One had 3 teenage children from IVF but didn't want to donate her remaining embryos because she didn't like the thought of them going to someone who would not be a full-time stay-at-home mother like herself! Also something about religion.

Anyway, the other one was much more relaxed about what might happen to the potential child - she assumed that anyone going through IVF was bound to give the child a lot of love and support. I guess its everyone's personal choice on this one but it got me thinking.

I very much doubt we will be in a position to offer our unused embryos to another couple because we will use the remaining 3 to try for another baby once this one is born. I really believe we are very unlikely to get another baby from those 3 but perhaps luck will be on our side a second time.

Anyway, if we did per chance had any left over, I would certainly consider donating them. To me, if I can help someone else out of the hell that is infertility and the abyss that we have all started into that is a childless life, I would do it.

Apparently only 10% of couples agree to donate and only 10% of them still go ahead after counselling. The child has the right to contact its natural parents when it turns 18. Perhaps there are some other issues that I haven't thought about, but for me, the main thing is that if another couple love, support and protect the child, then exactly how they chose to raise them is their concern.

But perhaps it would be a bit weird for the siblings but I guess that happens, or did happen, all the time with adopted children.

Anyway, something to think about.

If we can't/don't want to donate any left over embryos, then I think we would definitely donate them to medical research, which is the other option.

On the pregnancy front, I had an extremely frustrating day buying some new maternity bras. I am quite particular about my bras - they need to be made of really nice fabric like microfibre, not have much or any lace and be very comforable but most importantly, invisible under clothes.

This week, my bras have been cutting into me so it was high time for some maternity ones. I have no idea how much more growing my boobs will do over this pregnancy, but I can't wait any longer.

The selection of maternity bras in Myer and DJ's was frankly pathetic. The options were:

- Hard cone-shaped things, a la Madonna in that video a few years ago
- Padded (for god sake, I am enjoying having a nice bigger bust, I don't need padding!)
- Plain sports bra-like numbers in cotton with huge wide straps
- Nice Elle McPherson ones in microfibre (big tick) but that were so high cut they poked out of the top of the completely normal top I was wearing today

So I wandered off to the luxury underwear shop where I knew they stocked Hot Milk maternity bras. They were just gorgeous but absolutely covered in lace, rosettes and tulle. They looked gorgeous on but with clothes over the top, I could just see all the lacy details through my clothes and it just looked awful.

Since I had no choice but to go home with something I chose the sports bar 'Loveable' ones, which look fine with clothes on but are just really ugly. They are also not quite big enough, even in my usual C cup size but I guess that's the point - I'll grow into them.

I swear one of these days I am going to learn how to design lingerie and start my own business selling nice underwear that looks good both without and with clothes that people actually want to buy.