There is still considerable controversy about the practice of using a surrogate mother to carry a child. The legal system is difficult because it differs from state to state. However, if you or your partner has reproductive problems or other problems, you and your partner can choose to employ a surrogate.

Who is a surrogate mother?

Two categories exist:

Conventional surrogate. A female is inseminated artificially using the father’s sperm. They then give birth to the child you and your partner keep.

The kid’s biological mother is a conventional surrogate. This is because the father’s sperm only fertilized the egg. Additionally, donor sperm may be used.

Gestational surrogates. The surrogate then delivers the infant. Since their egg was not extracted, they are not the child’s genetic parents.

An alternative term for this surrogate is “birth mother.” But the child’s mother is still the woman whose egg is fertilized.

Who Employs a Surrogate?

There are several reasons a woman could consider utilizing a surrogate:

• Your uterus has health issues, or you’ve had a hysterectomy to eliminate it.
• Health issues that make pregnancy hazardous or difficult for you, like severe heart problems
• If you have attempted and failed to conceive using many assisted reproductive techniques, such as IVF, you may wish to think about surrogacy. Thanks to surrogates, folks who would not be eligible to adopt a child owing to their age or family situation can now become parents.
• One gay man artificially inseminates the surrogate’s ova with their sperm, while the other wants to use a traditional surrogate. The woman then gives birth to the baby.
• After a gay couple chooses an egg donor, fertilizes the donor egg, and implants the embryo into the mother, the surrogate will carry the kid to maturity.

Finding a Surrogate

You can locate a surrogate mother via several methods:

Family or friends. You can occasionally ask a family member or friend to act as your surrogate. It’s somewhat debatable. However, a tried-and-true family bond may be easier to handle due to the expensive price of surrogacy and the challenging legal difficulties it presents around parental rights.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, some relatives can serve as surrogates. However, if the child shares the same DNA as a kid conceived of incest between relatives, surrogacy is severely inhibited.

A fertility clinic. One is typically used to find a gestational surrogate. There are presently organizations. They serve as middlemen.

You can select a surrogate and establish plans with the aid of an agency. Additionally, it collects any money transferred between you and the surrogate, covering their medical bills.

Selecting a Surrogate

There are no limitations on who is eligible to become a surrogate. However, there are several topics on which experts can agree on the best option.

You must select surrogates who:

• Have at least one child under their care, so they are aware of the risks associated with pregnancy and births and the hard times of bonding with a baby; • Have gone through a psychological examination by a psychologist to rule out any concerns about giving up the kid after birth.

• Tests. Eligible surrogates should also undergo a mental health evaluation, a full medical examination, and a test for sexually transmitted illnesses.

• Lifestyle. A home study shows that surrogates should reside in a supportive home. Abuse of alcohol and drugs is another factor.

• Procreative history. They must also have had less than five vaginal childbirth and two cesarean sections while managing at least one delivery to term without difficulties.

The benefits of surrogacy

For the 12 to 15 % of families with trouble getting pregnant and those who wish to have biological kids but are in different circumstances, surrogacy can assist in some of those pieces.

People consider surrogacy for a variety of reasons, including:

• A woman cannot get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term if she has health issues.

• Infertility problems, such as recurrent miscarriages, prohibit couples from becoming or maintaining pregnant.

• Couples of the same sex want to have kids. Women also consider this option appealing since the egg, and ensuing embryo from one spouse can be transferred to and carried by the other person, even if they may be two males.

• People who are single desire to have biological kids.

Conclusion

Even though surrogacy isn’t always easy or clear-cut, more and more individuals are choosing this path.

Though complicated, the procedure is undoubtedly worthwhile to look into. If you think surrogacy would work for your family, consider contacting a local agency to discuss the process, expenses, and other factors that may be unique to your situation. This is one of the many methods that one can become a parent.