<p>This was on the Today show, and it is heartbreaking and shocking on too many levels.
[Woman</a> aborts other mothers last embryo (implanted in wrong patient)](<a href=“404 Not Found”>Woman aborts other mother’s last embryo (implanted in wrong patient))</p>
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<p>I guess the plot of The Practice is ripped straight from the headlines…</p>
<p>I know several women that have given birth from 40 to 45 (intentionally and unintentionally). 40 does not seem like the limiting factor that it used to be unless there is an additional problem.</p>
<p>I know lots of women who didn’t start having kids till 40, but still I would demand accountability from the clinic and the doctors who performed the procedures.</p>
<p>SInce she did have IVF I would assume she was having problems with ovulation and she may not want or be able to go through the process again- it is quite expensive and stressful.
[IVF</a> Hints - Fertility Plus](<a href=“http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/ivfhints.html]IVF”>http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/ivfhints.html)</p>
<p>The point is not her age, but the fact that her embryo was placed in the wrong woman. This woman went on the list for IVF back in the 90’s, their son was born in 2003. SHe has been with him for 17 yrs. Obvioulsy, there is a medical condition that makes it difficult for her to get pregnant. However, that is not the point. Can you imagine, finding out that your embryo, the last embryo you had was implanted in someone else and that person was informed and aborted the child, all you were told was that the embryo was damaged until you showed up to find out the real story.</p>
<p>There was a case here where a white woman was implanted with her own embryo and that of a black couple. They didn’t know whose it was until after the babies were born. Very ugly situation, as you can imagine, with all sorts of racial undertones. Thankfully, there were two healthy babies born.</p>
<p>One lady that I know had IVF for her second and went off BC in her mid-40s because they figured that they wouldn’t have another because of all of their problems having the second. They then had their third. It might have been the stress of their lives causing conception problems in the past.</p>
<p>Yeah, screwups are a problem. I didn’t read anything about a lawsuit.</p>
<p>It is frightening, you would think that there would be incredible amounts of checks and balances done prior to implantation.</p>
<p>I don’t think they can sue because it is NHS.</p>
<p>pima, I can imagine the anguish. It’s not pleasant.</p>
<p>Remember the famous case a couple of decades ago of baby girls being switched in the hospital? One of them had a serious disease that led to her death after a number of years, and then her parents found out that she was not their bio child, and that their bio child was living in FL? Meanwhile the other mother had died of ovarian cancer, and the father ws at odds with the grandparents, etc, etc. The bio family of the surviving girl sued for access or custody…after all, they did not voluntarily give her up. It was very messy and painful for all. I don’t recall what the upshot of it all was.</p>
<p>Edit: I just looked it up on Wikipedia. Apparently the Twiggs sued only after the father cut off visitation. Ultimately the girl was allowed to stay with the father, but she later chose to go to live with the Twiggs. Apparently she has had a troubled young adulthood but it sounds as if she may have achieved equilibrium…very difficult for all involved.</p>
<p>Zoosermom: what happened to the babies? Did the black couple get any kind of custody of their child or did the woman who carried the baby keep him/her?</p>
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<p>I have several friends who are fertility specialists and they say this is the farthest thing from the truth and misinformation that leads many couples to wait for far too long to have children. The truth is that it’s very difficult (not impossible) to conceive naturally after 40 and that many people who wait that long are unsuccessful despite IVF. They tell me that many if not most of the success stories in women after that age are as the result of donor egg.</p>
<p>Consolation, I remember that story, that had to be at least 20 yrs ago, I think in the end the biological parents did get custody, but they realized that they were doing more harm to the child and shared custody with the other family.</p>
<p>I also recall the case zooser is speaking of and I think the white parents did not fight for custody of the black child. Only reason I remember that case because it occurred in NY or NJ, and I believe the other was with parents from PA.</p>
<p>I saw the story on the Today show this morning. The couple who are carrying the other woman’s embryo seem like very good people. </p>
<p>Here’s a link to another story about a fertility clinic mistake that resulted in twins, one white and one black.</p>
<p>[The</a> world’s least alike twins - Dateline NBC- msnbc.com](<a href=“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9438648/]The”>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9438648/)</p>
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They got full custody, as they should have, but along the way to proving parenthood, they did and said some spectacularly ugly things about the woman who carried their child.</p>
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<p>Except for the part about that the embryo was aborted.</p>
<p>I can’t quite imagine being in their shoes, but it does seem odd to me that a couple who was desperate to have a baby would choose abortion in that case. Of course, they may have dreaded endless litigation if they wanted to keep the baby: at best intrusion of the other couple into their family life; at worst, losing custody. And the length of time involved in the pregnancy and recovery before implanting their own embryo might have compromised their chances of succeeding. But of course I’m just speculating.</p>
<p>Bottom line, the situation sucks for all involved.</p>
<p>Was there time or opportunity for the two couples to meet? If the lab, hospitals or doctors didn’t set this up, then there may not have been an opportunity to explore carrying the baby and then giving it to the other couple.</p>
<p>According to the couple whose embryo was used, they were informed after the woman had an abortion.</p>
<p>Mama you are confusing 2 stories. the one carrying the black child did not abort, she deliveree to health babies back in Dec. The woman in the UK did abort, and that couple only found out recently after the abortion occurred, I guess that is why the clinic said the embryo was damaged.</p>
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<p>I do not find it odd at all that a woman who is clearly making huge efforts to have her own child would not choose to carry another couples embryo to term knowing she very likely would have lost custody.</p>
<p>I found infertility itself to be hellish enough, I absolutely cannot imagine what either couple went through.</p>
<p>It sounds as if the clinic failed both couples again when they chose not to inform both and give them a chance to work something out.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the legal situation re revealing the pregnant couple’s identity to someone else may have prevented them, and it’s possible that they counselled the couple to to do and they refused. </p>
<p>But then again it is possible that the clinic chose to try the CYA route instead.</p>