{"id":30301,"date":"2025-01-24T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T10:53:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T08:53:28","slug":"what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/","title":{"rendered":"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If \u00a0you have undergone a fertility treatment \u2013 or are currently undergoing one \u2013 you probably know that having multiple embryos can increase the chances of achieving a pregnancy. Therefore, having more than one embryo available is usually good news.<\/p>\n

However, the results of the treatment are not always predictable: you may conceive on the first cycle, you may need more than one or, in some cases, you may not achieve your desired goal.<\/p>\n

When the process ends \u2013 whether because you have had the number of children you wished for, have decided not to continue with further cycles, or your personal circumstances have changed \u2013 you may have frozen embryos that you are not going to use. This raises an important question: what should you do with the remaining embryos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Three legal options<\/strong><\/p>\n

Under Spanish law, there are three possible outcomes for embryos not used in fertility treatments:
\u00b7 Donate them to other women or couples<\/strong> for reproductive purposes.
\u00b7 Donate them for scientific research<\/strong>, thereby contributing to medical progress.
\u00b7 Discontinue their preservation<\/strong>, resulting in their disposal.<\/p>\n

A difficult decision<\/strong><\/p>\n

Making this decision can be challenging, as it often involves ethical and emotional considerations. Sandra Garc\u00eda Lumbreras<\/a>, head of the Psychology Unit at Dexeus Mujer<\/a>, notes that this process can have a significant psychological impact: \u2018It\u2019s common to feel conflicted or uncertain about what to do. Many women experience the same feelings. That\u2019s why I advise them to give themselves time to make the decision.\u2019<\/p>\n

The emotional bond<\/strong> with embryos can be strong, and saying goodbye to them may be a grieving process for some women. This grief may be for \u2018the future child who will never come\u2019 or \u2018the future sibling who will not be born\u2019 if they already have children. Although it is not possible to say goodbye to them physically, the emotional process of acceptance may require time, reflection and support. Furthermore, the process can lead to conflict between what we think we should do and what we truly feel, adding complexity to the decision.<\/p>\n

Dealing with grief
<\/strong>Whatever your decision, it is natural to feel sadness or uncertainty. Here are some ways to work through this grief:
\u00b7 Write a farewell letter.
\u00b7 Perform a small symbolic ritual.
\u00b7 Seek support from your partner, family or a professional.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ask yourself: \u201cWhat would help me feel better?\u201d and do it. Expressing your emotions helps you avoid bottling up your unease or guilt and makes it easier to get through this time\u2019, explains Sandra Garc\u00eda Lumbreras.<\/p>\n

Give yourself time
<\/strong>Thanks to vitrification techniques, embryos can remain frozen for many years. This gives you plenty of time to make your decision calmly and without pressure. It is important to stay in touch with the fertility centre to confirm at regular intervals whether you wish to continue preserving the embryos and bear the corresponding costs. If the fertility centre cannot contact you, after two registered letters have gone unanswered, the embryos will become the property of the fertility centre, in accordance with current legislation.<\/p>\n

A rarely discussed topic<\/strong><\/p>\n

This remains a difficult subject for many to discuss, as was the case with miscarriage a few years ago. Although the situations are not comparable, both can cause feelings of loss, sadness or guilt that should be acknowledged and dealt with empathetically.<\/p>\n

If you are going through this process, ensure you are well-informed, give yourself time and seek professional support if needed<\/strong>. Making conscious and informed choices will make the experience much more positive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If \u00a0you have undergone a fertility treatment \u2013 or are currently undergoing one \u2013 you probably know that having multiple embryos can increase the chances of achieving a pregnancy. Therefore, having more than one embryo available is usually good news. However, the results of the treatment are not always predictable: you may conceive on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":30302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sin-categorizar"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use? | Dexeus Fertility<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use? | Dexeus Fertility\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If \u00a0you have undergone a fertility treatment \u2013 or are currently undergoing one \u2013 you probably know that having multiple embryos can increase the chances of achieving a pregnancy. Therefore, having more than one embryo available is usually good news. However, the results of the treatment are not always predictable: you may conceive on the […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dexeus Fertility\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dexeusmujer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-24T07:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-16T08:53:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"360\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@dexeusmujer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@dexeusmujer\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-24T07:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-16T08:53:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/\"},\"wordCount\":592,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sin categorizar\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"MedicalWebPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/\",\"name\":\"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use? | Dexeus Fertility\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-24T07:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-16T08:53:28+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg\",\"width\":540,\"height\":360},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Portada\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/35-years-of-experience-in-assisted-reproduction\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/\",\"name\":\"Dexeus Fertility\",\"description\":\"Dexeus Mujer es un centro de referencia y pionero en Espa\u00f1a en t\u00e9cnicas de reproducci\u00f3n asistida, con m\u00e1s de 80 a\u00f1os de experiencia en el diagn\u00f3stico y tratamiento de los problemas de fertilidad.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"Dexeus fertilidad\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Dexeus Fertility\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/logofertility.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/logofertility.svg\",\"caption\":\"Dexeus Fertility\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dexeusmujer\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/dexeusmujer\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dexeusmujer\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/DexeusMujer\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use? | Dexeus Fertility","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use? | Dexeus Fertility","og_description":"If \u00a0you have undergone a fertility treatment \u2013 or are currently undergoing one \u2013 you probably know that having multiple embryos can increase the chances of achieving a pregnancy. Therefore, having more than one embryo available is usually good news. However, the results of the treatment are not always predictable: you may conceive on the […]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/","og_site_name":"Dexeus Fertility","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dexeusmujer\/","article_published_time":"2025-01-24T07:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-16T08:53:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":540,"height":360,"url":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@dexeusmujer","twitter_site":"@dexeusmujer","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use?","datePublished":"2025-01-24T07:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-16T08:53:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/"},"wordCount":592,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg","articleSection":["Sin categorizar"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["WebPage","MedicalWebPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/","name":"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use? | Dexeus Fertility","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg","datePublished":"2025-01-24T07:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-16T08:53:28+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/futuro-embriones-1-3.jpg","width":540,"height":360},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/blog-fiv\/what-should-i-do-with-the-embryos-i-wont-be-able-to-use\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Portada","item":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/35-years-of-experience-in-assisted-reproduction\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What should I do with the embryos I won\u2019t be able to use?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/","name":"Dexeus Fertility","description":"Dexeus Mujer es un centro de referencia y pionero en Espa\u00f1a en t\u00e9cnicas de reproducci\u00f3n asistida, con m\u00e1s de 80 a\u00f1os de experiencia en el diagn\u00f3stico y tratamiento de los problemas de fertilidad.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#organization"},"alternateName":"Dexeus fertilidad","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#organization","name":"Dexeus Fertility","url":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/logofertility.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/logofertility.svg","caption":"Dexeus Fertility"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertilitynew\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dexeusmujer\/","https:\/\/x.com\/dexeusmujer","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dexeusmujer","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/DexeusMujer"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30323,"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30301\/revisions\/30323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dexeus.com\/fertility\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}