What is surrogacy and how does it work?

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  • A sort of pregnancy in which a woman bears and delivers a baby on behalf of someone who is unable to conceive. Surrogate pregnancy occurs when eggs from the woman carrying the baby or an egg donor are fertilised with sperm from a sperm donor to create an embryo. The embryo is put into the surrogate mother’s uterus, which will carry the baby until delivery. Surrogacy may be a possibility for men or women who want to conceive but have had certain anticancer therapies, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which might result in infertility.
  • Surrogacy is a legal arrangement in which a woman (the surrogate mother) agrees to have a child for another person or group of people who will become the child’s parent(s) after delivery. When pregnancy is physically impossible, when pregnancy risks are too great for the intended mother, or when a single guy or a male couple wishes to have a child, individuals may seek a surrogacy arrangement. Surrogacy is one of many assisted reproductive methods available. Financial remuneration may or may not be involved in surrogacy partnerships. Commercial surrogacy is the practise of receiving compensation for the arrangement. Surrogacy’s legality and expense vary significantly among nations, sometimes resulting in difficult international or interstate surrogacy partnerships. Couples seeking a surrogacy arrangement in a nation where the practise is prohibited sometimes travel to a region where it is legal. Surrogacy is permitted in several nations only if no money is exchanged.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Surrogacy is the process of fertilising a woman’s egg with the sperm of a sperm donor via the use of medical treatments to produce an embryo for a child. This embryo is then deposited in the uterus of the surrogate mother, who subsequently becomes the mother of the child and ultimately gives birth to it. Surrogacy is a practise that is sought after by both men and women who seek to become parents via surrogacy.

TYPES OF SURROGACIES

Traditional surrogacy

Surrogate mothers are artificially inseminated with the father’s sperm in this technique of pregnancy conception and delivery. Afterwards, the surrogate carries and delivers the baby, who is subsequently raised by his or her legal parents after birth. Traditionally, the surrogate mother is regarded as the biological mother of the child since it was her egg that was fertilised, as is the case with modern surrogacy. In certain situations, parents choose to utilise donor sperm to fertilise the egg in addition to their own sperm.

Gestational surrogacy

It is necessary to collect the eggs from the mother and fertilise them with the sperm from the father before implanting the embryo into the uterus of the gestational surrogate in order for the pregnancy to be successful. Because the egg and sperm were both obtained from the legal parents, the surrogate has no biological connection to the child born via this process.

CHALLENGES

According to the government, the process of welcoming a child via surrogacy entails following a legal framework. Both the intended parents and the surrogate moms are obliged to sign agreements in order to prevent any future issues relating to the legal rights of the kid. Surrogacy, on the other hand, may be extremely taxing for the surrogate mother, who has a tendency to get emotionally connected to the infant. Surrogacy, on the other hand, has certain medical dangers associated with it, just like any other pregnancy.

Reasons to Consider Surrogacy

Every year, surrogacy helps thousands of aspiring parents overcome fertility challenges to expand their families. There are many reasons why intended parents may turn to a full-service surrogacy agency including:

  • Surrogacy may be a possibility for you and your family if you have had little success with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). If you have had limited success with IVF or ART, surrogacy may be a choice for you and your family.
  • Medical conditions or diseases that have an impact on the health of the uterus include: It is possible for many abnormalities to arise with the uterus, making it difficult for some people to carry a pregnancy all the way through. Uterine shape anomalies, a septate uterus, uterine fibroids, uterine scars from infection or surgery, and other medical conditions are all possible in women.
  • Previous operations or hysterectomy: If your uterus was removed for personal or medical reasons, surrogacy may be able to assist you in realising your goal of becoming a mother or father.
  • Conditions that either increase the likelihood of pregnancy or prevent pregnancy include: The following are some of the circumstances that might result in a high-risk pregnancy: obesity, diabetes, heart or blood vessel abnormalities, advanced maternal age, and some sexually transmitted illnesses.
  • Couples of the same gender (mainly men, in collaboration with an egg donor): Having a child via surrogacy gives same-sex couples the opportunity to have a family of their own.
  • If you and your spouse have tried unsuccessfully to conceive for 12 cycles and/or have attempted IVF with no success, surrogacy may be a possibility for you to expand your family via adoption.
  • Age of the mother: After the age of 35, the likelihood of having a difficult pregnancy begins to grow. This group of patients will benefit from surrogacy since it will allow them to have the kid of their dreams in the future.

How to Choose a Surrogate

Right now there aren’t any regulations about who can be a surrogate mother. But experts agree on a few points about how to select one.

You should choose surrogates who:

  • You must be at least 21 years old.
  • Have previously given birth to at least one healthy child, allowing them to experience firsthand the physical hazards of pregnancy and delivery, as well as the emotional challenges associated with bonding with a newborn kid.
  • Have passed a psychiatric evaluation by a mental health specialist to determine whether or not you have any concerns about giving up your child after delivery.
  • Sign a contract outlining their role and obligations throughout the pregnancy, such as providing prenatal care and agreeing to hand over the infant to you following the birth of the child.

People Also Search :

How is a surrogate baby born?

  • According to conventional surrogacy practises, the surrogate is the child’s biological mother since she decided to conceive via artificial insemination and deliver a child for the intended parents. An embryo is transferred to a woman who has decided to become pregnant and deliver the child via the process of gestational surrogacy.

What is surrogacy in simple words?

  • Contrary to what many people believe, surrogacy is an agreement where a woman bears a child on behalf of someone who is physically unable to have children for themselves, and then provides the child to that person.