If you were seeking to get pregnant via in vitro fertilization, what would you do if you found out that the wrong embryos were implanted?

I’m assuming that since I’m using in vitro, it’s been hard for me to conceive. I’d let it go and keep the embryos that were implanted – the universe has a way of making these things happen even if they don’t make sense to us. And I’d sue the hell out of the facility and probably write a personal letter to the woman whose embryos I’m now carrying and would want to see what kind of a relationship she’d want with me, the babies (if they are born), etc.

Those stored embryos were probably precious to the woman to whom they belonged.
Since they cannot be returned (until they are born at least) the woman in whom they were implanted (implantee) has unwittingly become their guardian. Is that not some kind of sacred trust?

I would think the implantee would want the clinic to contact the woman whose embryos were misplaced (literally) and offer her the option of adopting the child when born (regardless of the gender or health of the baby). If they irrevocably turn down that option, then the implantee is free to terminate the pregnancy or accept the embryo as her own and carry it to term.

If my wife was the implantee, I would respect her choice and support it fully. If born, that child would be our child, regardless of its gender, race or health. We would expect financial compensation from the clinic for the costs associated with their error.

I would not terminate the pregnancy but I would certainly sue the facility.

There was a case of a couple in Norway who had twins. Due to careless lab procedures, one twin was white and the one was black. Obviously they are raising both together and dealing with it as matter of factly as they can under the circumstances.

So things like this do happen but it makes little sense to punish an innocent (developing) child for the carelessness of a fallible human worker in a lab.

But holding the lab itself legally and financially accountable helps to lessen the chances of a future re-occurence.

I would continue the pregnancy and hope that things work out. I would be torn if the women whose embryo I was given wanted “her” baby after I had carried the baby through the pregnancy, but I could understand her feelings and would give her her baby. It would be a really tough situation. I can see both sides of it right now, but I doubt I would be this objective if I was actually in the situation. Obviously both women have a very vested interest in this child. I can’t imagine finding out that the IVF worked and then finding out that it was the wrong embryo.

This is how I would hope things worked out, but I can understand with all the emotions that go on surrounding pregnancy that it wouldn’t always work out as well.

@Dr_Lawrence Your wife has a wise husband.

I would sue the facility for sure, but willing to settle for a sum that would provide the ability for my embryos to be put in a surrogate, because I have difficulty keeping pregnancies. If the couple who actually were the parents of the embryos inplanted in me wanted me to continue the pregnancy I believe I would, and give them the baby after the birth. I think. That is what I am inclined to think I would want to do. I would have incredible empathy for the couple, and that is what I would want someone to do for me. I do not mean that I might want to keep the baby, I am only talking about the option of aborting.

Mine is a little more complicated because my husband and I already have some fears about my health during prenancy outside of the typical fears, so there is an additional dimension to the question if it were actually happening to me. A bazaar twist would be that my embryos still in the lab probably have a better shot of making it in a surrogate. If health was a complete non-issue, then I would absolutely carry the baby for the other couple.

I would sue the clinic, insist they notify the donors and offer to carry the embryos to term and give over the birthed child or terminate if they declined. I would also encourage the donors to sue the clinic or at least insist on complimentary care as they try to become pregnant again.

I have no idea how I’d react in this situation. On the one hand, I am uncomfortable carrying a baby to term and handing it off to someone else. I am also uncomfortable with the idea of be required to have these people in my life permanently without knowing anything about them (if they want to visit or establish a relationship). I am also uncomfortable with the idea of now knowing anything about their medical history. I am too young to have a baby now, but I worry about passing down any diseases to my child or disabilities. That worry would be amplified by a ton with someone else’s genes floating around in there.

On the other hand, if I’m doing I.V.F., I must be having trouble conceiving (I am morally opposed to the use of I.V.F. for genetic selection of traits) and any baby would be welcomed and loved.

So, I don’t know. I would discuss heavily with husband and other couple. But I want to make the point that while it is the other couple’s embryo, it is now in my body (even if by accident) and I think the mother’s life trumps the rest of it. I would say that even if the shoe was on the other foot. Specifically:
~If the other couple doesn’t want the baby and doesn’t want me to have it, I would be comfortable getting an abortion if it wouldn’t harm me physically.
~If the other couple isn’t comfortable with abortion but doesn’t want the baby, tough luck, it’s in my body and I will make the call.
~If the other couple isn’t comfortable with abortion and wants the baby, but I can’t handle carrying the child to term for them, I will abort early.

And as for suing the clinic… I would expect them to pay for my procedure and future procedures if I have to have the implantation redone because this fetus was aborted. I’m really not a fan of suing for emotional damages and to be honest, if we get babies, I’ll be happy with that.

@Iclamae One thing you said didn’t make sense to me I am also uncomfortable with the idea of now knowing anything about their medical history. I am too young to have a baby now, but I worry about passing down any diseases to my child or disabilities. That worry would be amplified by a ton with someone else’s genes floating around in there You can’t catch a genetic disease from their baby. Your age would be irrelevant, because if you are pregnant with the baby that means you are at an age that you are doing IVF procedures yourself (I realize you actually would never do IVF) but the only way you would get the wrong embryos put inside of you, is because you signed up for and thought you were getting your own.

Lastly, I don’t think a continuing relationship would be an issue, because the parents did not hire you as a surrogate, their intentions were to carry the baby.

@JLeslie Sorry for the misunderstanding.

No, I know I won’t catch a disease from the baby (though I’m not clear how AIDS would work there). I meant more along the lines of caring for the baby as my own but not* knowing the possible diseases it may have contracted from its original parents. I’m really just a giant worry-wart and would want to know more about their medical histories. Specifically, I’m one of those people who can’t decide if having a baby that will definitely have down’s syndrome is a good thing or not. The child will be a bundle of joy but I don’t know if I could handle watching him or her suffer through it.

With regard to the age thing, I am not planning on having a baby until I am finished graduate school at least. So that would be 6–7 years from now. (At that time I think I would be monetarily capable and able to give the child my attention without career worries in the way). Maybe by that time, I will have developed different feelings on he matter and will be less paranoid about genetic diseases and the pain of giving away a baby.

With the continuing relationship thing, while I agree that’s not the point of the thing, some people are weird about their DNA. It’s their DNA in the baby and so they want to keep up with it. (I’m half and half on this). That’s why I wasn’t sure about the continuing relationship. It’s like when someone adopts your kid, sometimes the original parents want to keep up on them and build a relationship.

@Iclamae But, none of the DNA in the baby is yours, so it is not like adoption. However, there is a chance the child as he/she got older would be curious to meet you. And, there is a chance the bio parents might want to let you know how the baby is doing, but I have a feeling they would go along with whatever you want in that situation.

I guess you feel you will have a strong bond with the baby since you carried it, which I can understand.

@JLeslie oooooh, I meant the other way around. If I keep their fetus (if they don’t want it). Them wanting to establish a relationship anyway would raise a lot of questions for the child I wouldn’t know how to answer. I mean I’d have to explain it all eventually, but it could possibly wait until they are older, as opposed to being brought up immediately. And there’s the issue of what kind of people they are. Would have to get to know them.

@Iclamae Ahhh, now I get it. Thanks for sticking with me.

@JLeslie No problem. :D

@Iclamae By the way I think the chance of them wanting to let you keep the fetus is very close to zero. Legally you would have the right to keep it, unless they tried to fight you in court, but the law is on your side in most states I think.

Switching babies after birth in case my embryo was implanted into someone else.