Surrogacy
In surrogacy, a woman called a surrogate carries and gives birth to the child of a couple wanting to become parents. The assisted reproductive technology used in surrogacy IVF(In vitro fertilization). Before surrogacy, the couple should get knowledge about everything like legal issues and medical issues.
Who Should Go For Surrogacy?
The couple who should go for surrogacy if they are:-
- If the women suffer from any disease that complicates her pregnancy.
- If the couple is of the same sex, any one of them can use their sperm for surrogacy.
- If a single man wants to become a parent
- If a woman is unable to carry the pregnancy due to some disorder like a hysterectomy.
- If the couple is unable to conceive due to the age barrier.
- If the woman suffers from a genetic defect she does not want it to transfer to her child.
Process
Counselling
Surrogacy is a complicated process and the journey is stressful and emotional. Before going for it the intended couple should gain precise knowledge as it is a big decision for both, the intended couple and the surrogate mother. The couple should consult with a doctor about the procedure.
Surrogacy preparation
Once the intended couple is prepared for surrogacy and knows everything about it like risks and benefits, then they should decide what type of surrogacy they are going for. There are two types of surrogacy:-
Painless delivery has severe complications.
Gestational surrogacy- in this surrogacy the mother is not biologically related to the child. The embryo is created through eggs from the mother and sperm from the father and then fertilized in the laboratory. Then, the embryo is placed inside the body of the surrogate mother.
Traditional surrogacy- in this surrogacy the mother is biologically related to the child. The eggs are fertilized by sperm from the father or from a donor using the IUI technique.
When the decision is made to pursue this further the couple needs to contact either attorney or a surrogacy agency. Then you have to go through some background checks, in which the lawyer will check the couple’s home facility and criminal records. Once you get the green signal from them you can now search for the surrogate mother.
Search for surrogacy mother
This is one of the important steps to finding the right match for surrogacy as the pregnancy journey is a roller coaster ride full of emotion and stress. Before finding the surrogate mother check medical records, religion, age, and personality. Clear all your concern regarding her before selecting her.
Fulfil legal requirement
Once the couple finds the perfect match for surrogacy, the next step is filling out a legal document. Each side brings their lawyer and reads the legal document and if they are satisfied they sign the document. After signing the document the surrogacy procedure began. The next step is called pre-birth order in this after the first trimester the lawyer makes the couple a legal parent of the child and they are now authorized to take decisions regarding the child.
Embryo transfer and fertilization process
After all the legal requirements are fulfilled, the medical procedure starts. Medication is given to the mother or the egg donor for the development of eggs. After the egg is developed, the egg retrieval procedure takes place, and with the help of sperm if is fertilized in the laboratory, that will be transferred to the surrogate mother. After the transfer, the pregnancy will be confirmed through the test. The couple helps the surrogate mother emotionally throughout the pregnancy test.
Success Rate
At Jariwala Women’s Hospital, we provide you with the latest technology and customized consultation with experienced staff that make your journey of surrogacy easy and comfortable for you.
Complications in surrogacy
The procedure of surrogacy can include complications like:-
- The medication used to stimulate the ovaries can cause the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
- The surrogate mother can have risks related to pregnancy like c-sections and other pregnancy complications.
- Embryo transfers lead to multiple babies which can lead to health problems for the baby like premature birth or low weight.
Myths
Traditional surrogacy” is the only way.
Traditional surrogacy is not the only way the intended couple can also go for gestational surrogacy.
Breastfeeding is not possible for the intended mother.
Breastfeeding is possible if the intended mother takes lactation-inducing hormone medicine prescribed by the doctor.
Painless delivery has severe complications.
Even though there are many complications like dizziness and headaches but they can be cured with medication prescribed by the doctor.
The intended parent can not get attached to the baby
In surrogacy, the baby is nurtured in the surrogate mother's womb and after it is born is handed over to the intended mother, the bonding and the skin attachment happen then.
The surrogacy procedure is expensive.
The procedure is costly before going for it the intended couple should with a health insurance provider if it is covered in it or not.
FAQs
You choose surrogacy if the intended couple suffers from infertility or the couple is of the same sex or the intended parent is a single parent.
The ART used in surrogacy is in vitro fertilization that is done in the laboratory and then transfer to the surrogate mother.
There are different requirements that a surrogate needs to pass which are medical, social, and emotional.
The identified surrogate is from the family of the intended couple. As this surrogacy is emotionally challenging compared to other surrogacy, before going for this surrogacy the intended couple and the surrogate both should go for counselling.
Yes, babies born from surrogacy are healthy and normal as babies born in the traditional way.