Intended Parents

As a form of third party assisted reproduction, surrogacy is still relatively new. Still, the field of surrogacy has made huge advances in the last decade and experienced a boom in popularity as a result. Surrogacy used to be little more than a specialized form of adoption, in which the surrogate mother simply agreed to become pregnant and then give the baby to intended parents once she had given birth. However, the process has changed dramatically due to progressions in the field of in vitro fertilization.

With in vitro fertilization, an egg from an egg donor is removed from a woman's ovaries at the appropriate time. The egg donor is typically given fertility drugs to help her produce multiple eggs, increasing the chances of success. The eggs are then fertilized through the IVF/ET (in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer) process and transferred to the surrogate mother's uterus. The surrogate mother then carries the baby to term and gives birth. Typically, her medical expenses are covered by the prospective parents and a fee for her services is paid.

After the child's birth, the intended parents are either immediately noted as the baby's parents on the birth certificate or can petition to have their names listed on the birth certificate afterward. The rules regarding this process vary by state. Intended parents should also keep in mind that while most states are surrogacy-friendly, meaning that the process is legal, some are not. However, the legality only applies to the state the surrogate mother is in, not the intended parents. This is why it's important for intended parents to work with surrogate mothers who reside in surrogate-friendly states.

The Breakthroughs and Benefits of Gestational Surrogacy

Gestational surrogacy is fast becoming the preferred method of surrogacy for a few key reasons. With gestational surrogacy, the child can have the genes of one or both parents. This is ideal for couples who simply can't conceive on their own, gay couples, single men and women, and women who can't or don't want to carry a child to term. If a woman produces healthy eggs but cannot carry a child, her eggs can be harvested and fertilized with the father's sperm in a laboratory. The fertilized eggs will be carried by the surrogate mother, and the child will be 100 percent genetically linked to the intended parents. Intended parents can also choose to work with egg donors or sperm donors. In either case, the surrogate mother is carrying a child is in no way genetically connected to her.

Mothers for gestational surrogacy are typically chosen for their healthy mental and physical state. Most surrogate mothers have given birth before, enjoy the process of pregnancy, and love to help parents in need. Other surrogate mothers simply enjoy the high rate of pay; the industry standard for surrogate mothers is between $10,000 and $20,000. However, most professionals in the industry encourage intended parents to screen candidates carefully. Often, the healthiest and most supportive surrogate mother is one who is focused on producing a healthy child for an infertile couple, not one who is solely seeking monetary compensation.

Working with Surrogate Agencies

For this reason and many others, experts recommend working with a trusted surrogate agency. A surrogate agency helps connect intended parents with potential surrogate mothers and/or egg donors. Quality surrogate agencies will profile potential surrogate mothers beforehand to ensure that they're involved in surrogacy for the right reasons. The agency should ensure that any potential surrogate mother is not only physically capable of giving birth to a healthy child, but also emotionally stable. After all, pregnancy can be an emotional burden; it's vital that a surrogate mother be able to handle the process gracefully. The best surrogacy agencies will ensure that any surrogacy candidate has emotional support from family or an extended social network.

If you're planning on having a child with the help of a surrogate mother or egg donation, it's important that you have plenty of support as well. Surrogate agencies like Intended Parents, Inc. can be of great assistance. Beyond offering access to databases of surrogate mothers and egg donors, these companies can also conduct extensive psychological and medical screenings of any potential surrogate mother. More importantly, agencies like Intended Parents, Inc. offer what many intended parents need most: a supportive and understanding community of parents in the same situation.