You’d
be surprised with the amount of people who have trouble conceiving a child. Surrogacy now provides options for those
experiencing infertility issues, and with the help of some of the most caring
and giving women, it allows for these individuals to fulfill their dreams of
becoming a parent. The following is a guide in understanding the concept of
surrogacy.
Surrogacy; is the involvement of a woman who carries a
child to term and relinquishes her rights to said child over to the intended
parent(s).
There are 2 types of Surrogacy:
Gestational and
Traditional Gestational Surrogacy;
This
is the most popular type of surrogacy; it includes the use of Assisted
Reproductive Technology (ART) treatments such as InVitro Fertilization and
embryo transfer (implantation) procedure.
In
Vitro Fertilization is a procedure in which the eggs are extracted from a
woman's ovaries, either from the intended mother or an egg donor, and then
fertilized with sperm from the intended
father or a sperm donor. Once the eggs are fertilized, they are considered embryos
and are soon ready to be implanted into the uterus of a woman who will
carry the child to term, i.e. the surrogate or gestational carrier.
Because
the fertilization process occurs outside of the human body, unnaturally and in
a medical laboratory, the process can be costly and often times is not
covered by one’s insurance plan. . Once created, embryos may be frozen and
stored in a lab, which provide a safe, stable environment. If donors are
involved in this process, it adds to the cost.
Additionally, the intended
parents often need a written contract with the donor (anonymous or known) to
ensure that the donor has no rights to any child resulting from the embryos
created with her genetic material.
In
the scenario described above, the woman carrying the child to term is not
genetically linked to the child; this means she is classified as the gestational
carrier.
Before transferring the embryo into the uterus of the surrogate for implantation,
a written contract needs to be drafted between the intended parents and the gestational
carrier. This contract confirms the gestational carrier’s intention to relinquish
any rights to the child she may have simply as a result of her birthing the
child. Also, she acknowledges that the intended parents are in fact the legal
parents of the child.
This
now brings us to the question of compensation for a gestational carrier. In some
U.S.States and other countries, it is legal for you to pay someone to carry a
child for you -- above and beyond the medical bills and travel she may incur to
the medical facility to undergo ART procedures. This is sometimes referred
to as commercial surrogacy.
Commercial
surrogacy is becoming very widely known, as it has become legal in many U.S. states.
Unfortunately, some of our states and other countries are still against this
and have not legalized surrogacy in many areas.
Commercial
Surrogacy is when the gestational carrier and the intended parents have an
arrangement where the gestational carrier is paid to carry the child. Not only
do the intended parents cover the medical cost, travel, and clothing, but they’re
also paying the gestational carrier for other fees and expenses throughout her
pregnancy.
Since
there is money involved, a contract is a necessary document to have in place.
This establishes when payments will be given to the gestational carriers and in
what circumstances and amounts. All of these fees and expenses are paid according
to the terms the intended parents and the surrogate have agreed upon and
included in their contract.
Traditional Surrogacy;
While gestational surrogacy is very popular, traditional surrogacy,
on the other hand, is less common, but often less expensive.
The surrogate will be using her own egg and will become
pregnant via an insemination process where the sperm of the intended father, or
that of a sperm donor, is transferred to her uterus. In this case, the surrogate
is genetically linked to the child she is carrying.
This means that once the child is born, she must relinquish her parental rights,
usually through an adoption hearing, so that the child can be raised by both
the intended father and his partner or wife.
The process used for traditional surrogacy is known as intrauterine insemination
also known as IUI. As part of the IUI
process, semen from either the intended father or from a donor is collected and
washed carefully in a laboratory. The semen needs to be specially washed
as semen is not only made up of sperm.
The sperm is then separated from any impurities. This will ensure the sperm is
concentrated; the more concentrated it is the higher the rate of pregnancy. This
concentrated sperm is then transferred into the uterus of the surrogate. Insemination
can take place in either a sterile medical facility, where it is constantly
being monitored, or in a home setting.
No two surrogate journeys are the same. Each has its own
path, and may be a bit of a roller coaster while others more like a lazy river.
Before deciding which type of surrogate journey is best for you (gestational or
traditional), please take the time to do further research.
We welcome you to check our website
www.reproductivepossibilities.com for more information.
