The surrogacy procedure has become a life-changing procedure for a lot of families around the world. It’s given the miracle of life to families that find it medically impossible to have their children. Couples receiving the news of being unable to possess their child are often devastating. Due to surrogacy, tons of couples were enabled to possess a family of their own. Women who lend their bodies to becoming surrogates can help change lives and also give opportunities for other couples who can’t have their child.
Surrogacy is an agreement that’s often protected by a legal arrangement, whereby a woman agrees to carry a baby in her womb for another couple. The woman is called the surrogate mother while the clients are called the intended parents. When pregnancy is too dangerous for others or if they’re in a medical situation, surrogacy is usually among the alternatives for people to have their child.
The surrogacy process is usually intimidating, especially if both the intended parents and the surrogate mother goes into it for the first time. Before starting the process, each side must do their research on the facts needed.
Surrogacy has two types, namely traditional and gestational. The two surrogacy types are similar since both types have a woman carry a toddler for a further couple or person. The difference between the two would rely on the biological factors and the process involved. Surrogates should know the two sorts of surrogacy before becoming a surrogate mother.
Two Type Of Surrogacy
Traditional Surrogacy
Traditional surrogacy can also be mentioned as genetic or partial surrogacy. A mother undergoing traditional surrogacy would use her egg within the process. The sperm that is going to be utilized in the process is going to be artificially inseminated from the intended father or a donor. If the intended father has medical problems, a depository or a donor can provide the sperm. The surrogate mother is the one who will carry and deliver the baby. Since the traditional process uses the surrogate’s egg, it suggests that she is the child’s biological mother. Since the surrogate is the biological mother, she must give her parental rights and relinquish it to the intended parents for them to raise the child as their own.
Traditional surrogacy has subsided more than its counterpart because of the emotional and legal complexities involved. However, if an intended mother has medical problems preventing her from possessing a child or her egg has issues, traditional surrogacy could also be a viable option.
Some states within the US do not have any legal grounds for surrogacy. Some states in the United States have not legalized traditional surrogacy but they allow gestational surrogacy. The intended parents must have the surrogacy process in a state where the procedure is legal.
Gestational Surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy can also be mentioned as full surrogacy or host surrogacy. Contrary to the traditional procedure, gestational surrogacy is a process where the surrogate mother has no biological association with the baby. The embryo is made through In Vitro Fertilization or IVF. This process uses the egg and sperm of the intended parents and can be inserted into the womb of the surrogate mother. If one or both the intended parents have some medical issues where their sperm or egg can’t be used, a donor is often used for the IVF process.
In most cases, a minimum of one among the intended parents is biologically related to the child. In some cases have both intended parents share a genetic-relation with the child. The surrogate mother has no biological relations with the child. This procedure is more common nowadays.
The couple can work with an agency that handles the screening for the surrogate candidates. They might also need to work with a lawyer if they decide to do an independent surrogacy process. However, a procedure that’s independent of any agency is usually complicated since they have limited resources to screen surrogate candidates compared to a longtime agency.
Women who have an interest in becoming a surrogate mother must adhere to certain requirements such as previous successful pregnancy with good mental and physical health. Surrogacy is a process where it’s going to be unnerving to anyone who goes into it with no proper research. Working with an agency or a lawyer specializing in this field is usually helpful and should aid both the surrogates and the intended parents to navigate the process.
