She Had One Embryo Left. Why a UK Couple Still Chose Colombia Surrogacy — And Why They Shipped a Backup Plan Too
Some of the most memorable surrogacy journeys do not begin with dozens of embryos.
They begin with one.
Several years ago, I was contacted by a woman from the United Kingdom who was exploring international surrogacy after a long and emotionally exhausting fertility journey. She was 39 years old, had undergone multiple IVF cycles, and after years of treatment, she and her husband were left with a single remaining PGT-A tested embryo.
One embryo.
No backup embryos.
No second chance.
Like many intended parents in a similar situation, she understood exactly how much was riding on that embryo.
When we first spoke, her biggest concern was not surrogacy itself.
It was embryo safety.
She wanted to understand how the embryo would be transported internationally, how it would be handled by the fertility clinic in Colombia, whether the freezing and thawing protocols would be carefully reviewed, and how the laboratory team would protect what had become the most valuable biological asset her family possessed.
As an embryologist, I completely understood her concerns.
For intended parents, an embryo is never just an embryo.
It represents years of hope, multiple IVF cycles, financial sacrifice, and often the final opportunity to have a genetically related child.
After several consultations, the couple decided to proceed with Colombia surrogacy.
However, because they had only one embryo remaining and did not yet have children, we spent considerable time discussing risk management and contingency planning.
One recommendation I often make in these situations is surprisingly simple.
When arranging international cryogenic shipping, consider transporting a frozen semen sample together with the embryo.
Many intended parents initially assume that if they have embryos available, there is no reason to transport sperm as well.
In reality, preserving future options can be extremely valuable.
International cryogenic transportation is expensive. Whether embryos are being shipped from London, Manchester, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, or New York, the process requires specialized liquid nitrogen equipment, regulatory documentation, and international logistics coordination.
If circumstances ever change, having reproductive material already stored at the destination clinic can save significant time, cost, and stress.
After discussing the pros and cons, the couple decided to transport both their embryo and a frozen semen sample to Bogotá.
The embryo was Plan A.
The semen sample was Plan B.
The goal was always to use their own embryo.
But if that embryo did not result in a live birth, they wanted the ability to move forward immediately without repeating the entire international transportation process.
Their backup strategy was straightforward.
Should the embryo fail, they would have the option of pursuing an egg donor surrogacy program using the husband’s frozen sperm already stored in Colombia.
At Canbaby Surrogacy, we work with intended parents from around the world who require different levels of reproductive assistance. For families who no longer have viable embryos or who have experienced repeated IVF failures, our Colombia Egg Donor Surrogacy Guaranteed Birth Program provides an alternative pathway to parenthood with significantly greater predictability than repeated IVF attempts using limited embryo inventory.
Fortunately, this couple never needed to activate their backup plan.
Once the embryo arrived safely in Bogotá, our team coordinated every stage of the process, including laboratory communication, surrogate screening, legal preparation, cycle planning, and embryo transfer.
The surrogate selected for the program successfully completed all medical and psychological evaluations and met the clinic’s requirements.
Then came the transfer.
There was only one embryo.
One opportunity.
The embryo survived warming successfully and was transferred according to protocol.
Days later, the pregnancy test returned positive.
The first ultrasound confirmed a gestational sac.
The next ultrasound confirmed a fetal heartbeat.
For the couple, it was the first time in years that hope felt real again.
Several months later, a healthy baby was born in Bogotá.
Today, that child is home with his parents in the United Kingdom.
When people hear stories like this, they often focus on the outcome.
A successful transfer.
A healthy pregnancy.
A healthy baby.
But from my perspective as an embryologist, the most important lesson is not the transfer itself.
The most important lesson is preparation.
The success of this journey began months before embryo transfer.
It began with careful planning.
It began with protecting future options.
It began with understanding that while nobody can guarantee an outcome, families can dramatically improve their chances by building a strategy that considers both success and failure scenarios.
Not every intended parent will achieve success from a single embryo.
Reproductive medicine simply does not work that way.
But this case demonstrates that even when only one embryo remains, family-building opportunities still exist.
And sometimes, preserving a backup plan provides exactly the peace of mind that intended parents need during one of the most important journeys of their lives.
At Canbaby Surrogacy, we regularly assist intended parents from the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia, and Europe with international embryo transportation, surrogate matching, legal coordination, birth registration planning, and post-birth documentation support. Whether a family is pursuing surrogacy using their own embryos or exploring donor egg surrogacy options, our goal remains the same: helping intended parents build their families with confidence, transparency, and professional guidance.
Sometimes one embryo is enough.
And sometimes the smartest decision is preparing for both possibilities.
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