A daddy and a baby caddy
Many women today are electing nontraditional paths to parenthood. Still, biologically a male must be involved in the baby making process as sperm is a crucial component. Today there are tons of options available such as cryobanks or more informally know as sperm banks all over the country that offer a variety of donors to father a child. The benefit of choosing a cryobank is the level of autonomy while deciding on your child’s potential father and the mitigation of legal procedures to ensure parental rights. Additionally, the male donors are heavily screened for diseases, over 300 genetic disorders, and family medical history. As a bonus some men volunteer lifetime photos, personality test, and the ability for your child to contact their biological father in the future. The selection process can be overwhelming which is why it may be helpful to consult your fertility clinic for guidance. Below is a list of questions you may want to consider while shopping around to help you discern the best options. Every cryobank site has a FAQ section with most answers to questions you’ll need to know.
Good luck on your journey and happy shopping!
Donor questions:
- How much does each sample (straw or vial) cost?
- Are the samples washed?
- How often is the donor list updated?
- How are donors screened? How often?
- What genetic screening is done on the donors?
- How many samples from one donor are sent to one geographic area and nationwide?
- How much does it cost to send the sample to clinic?
- What is the procedure for returning the sample(s), if not used? Is there a fee for restoring the returned samples?
- What is the charge for returning the tank? How is that arrangement made?
- How many samples from the chosen donor are currently available? If I become pregnant using this donor sample, can I buy and store more samples for possible future use?