Surrogacy is a process, where a woman gets pregnant with an aim to hand over the newborn to the one who hired her. Actually, she carries a baby for a parent or couple, who are unable to conceive. They are called ‘intended parents. Surrogacy technique is also of two types.
- Traditional surrogacy, where the egg of surrogate mother is used to fertilize with the father’s or donor’s sperm. She is the biological or genetic mother of the baby.
- Gestational surrogacy, where the intended mother and father provide the egg and sperm. Fertilization is done via IVF method and embryo is implanted in the surrogate mother’s uterus. She is the birth mother as genetically she is not connected with the baby.
Legal status of surrogacy
In some country’s surrogacy is totally prohibited. In some countries commercial surrogacy is banned but unpaid surrogacy is allowed. In Ukraine, India and Russia commercial surrogacy is legally allowed. People with a desire to become parents can go to developing countries, if their homeland does not approve or cannot get a surrogate.
Search for right surrogate
- Successfully conceived and delivered a baby, which ensures she knows the dos and don’ts of pregnancy and childbirth.
- She is between 21 to 35 years, which represent peak childbearing years.
- Has healthy body mass index, so that there is no complication in conceiving.
- Free from anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications for minimum one year.
- Support from her spouse to embark on surrogacy journey.
You must genuinely be comfortable with the potential carrier as you will share many moments together and even get involved intimately through the journey. Read international patients success stories related to the agency or program you plan to associate with. You even get to learn about the other people’s experience with surrogacy.
Be transparent and clear right from the start
For example, intended parents chose a state that has legal framework that protects them, the child and the surrogates. Surrogate had her personal lawyer while contract negotiation. The whole situation was planned clearly. What to expect regarding the number of embryos, abortion, caesareans and more was discussed upfront. Everyone involved was totally informed and had a clear picture in the start.
Many things can go wrong in the journey if proper counseling and guidance is not conducted. To avoid controversy after the baby is born it is crucial to understand the law in your state and the country you visit for surrogacy.