I agree with Meredith. It would good if the furor over the Octomom put adoption in a positive light and made it a first choice for more parents. The uproar brings up another potential benefit: increased awareness of embryo donation.

Instead of transferring so many embryos to one person with the possibility of creating more octomoms, women with many embryos should be encouraged-and want to-offer them to others who are having difficulty conceiving a child. The Nadya Suleman case is being examined closely, particularly the ethical and medical issues and the dangers of transferring so many embryos. We can presume that in the future doctors will adhere to existing guidelines pertaining to the number of embryos that can be safely transferred. The result: Many more embryos will remain unused after a successful transfer and resulting birth.

Embryo donation is probably the least known use of in vitro fertilization in its 30 year history. Families who have had children from embryo donations most closely resemble families who adopt. Studies of those families, thus far, reveal the lack of genetic connection to the parents is not detrimental to a child's behavior.

For more details, check my post, "Embryo Donation for Octuplet Mom." One reader offered this comment: "...embryo donation is an amazing opportunity for parents who have already built their families to give their leftover embryos a chance at life and for infertile people to experience having a family of their own. I hope more people will consider donating embryos in future."

We can be hopeful that Nadya Suleman's situation will, in the least, change attitudes about adoption and embryo donation.