Surrogacy is an historical practice, dating back thousands of years. It remains a subject of uncertainty for many, and in some states, the process is against the law. According to the Organization of Parents Through Surrogacy, approximately 10,000 babies were born through surrogate mothers between 1976 and 2006.
A Surrogate Mother
A surrogate mother is a woman who carries a child through pregnancy for another person. Depending on the options available, there are two main types of surrogacy. Traditional surrogacy involves the use of sperm either from a donor or a potential father. This method produces a child that is genetically part of the surrogate mother. The second type is gestational surrogacy and involves the use of both donor egg and sperm or those from a potential couple and the child is biologically related to his parents.
Qualifications
The necessary criteria to be a surrogate mother varies, but many clinics have required qualifications before beginning the process. Potential surrogate mothers are of childbearing age, and many clinics prefer a woman who has previously been pregnant. Surrogate mothers can be married, but their spouse should be supportive and accepting of the choice. Candidates undergo background testing and medical checks to ensure they are stable, healthy and capable of supporting a pregnancy. Ideally, a woman's motivations for surrogacy are sacrificial instead of for financial gain.
The Process
For a traditional surrogacy process, the surrogate mother undergoes artificial insemination after determining when she is ovulating. The sperm for insemination can be either from the expectant father or through donor sperm.. If the sperm fertilizes an egg and pregnancy follows, the surrogate will be the biological mother of the baby. Depending on the laws of the state involved, the intended mother in the expectant couple becomes an adoptive mother to the baby.
During gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother must take medications to prepare her body for pregnancy, including those that will thicken her uterine lining to support an embryo. If the expectant couple is using the intended mother's eggs for the process, she also may need to take medication to prepare her eggs for retrieval. After fertilization with sperm from either the intended father or a donor, the embryos are implanted into the surrogate. If extra embryos remain, they may be frozen for use later if the first attempt does not succeed.
In both situations, the surrogate mother may be closely monitored by a reproductive specialist for the first several weeks after achieving pregnancy. The pregnancy can then progress normally.
Benefits
Many infertile couples have spent time and money trying to conceive without results. The benefits of using surrogacy for a childless couple are that a pregnancy can come to those who are unable to have a baby on their own. Some parents are also excited to go through the pregnancy with a surrogate mother, knowing that she is carrying their baby. They may enjoy going to doctor visits and seeing ultrasounds as well as being at the hospital for the birth.
Considerations
There are some ethical dilemmas related to the use of surrogacy. Intended parents and the surrogate mother typically have some form of a legal contract to protect both sides during the process, although some moral principles are still questioned. For example, a surrogate mother is usually paid and some might have a dilemma about a woman receiving compensation for having a baby. During the process of labor and delivery, the surrogate may struggle with giving up a child that she has carried for nine months. Complications with delivery and a child's medical issues may raise the issue of where responsibility lies. Surrogacy can help childless couples have a baby, but it also asks some questions that do not have easy answers.
