Choosing to Use a Surrogate
Read more articles on Pregnancy.August 8, 2006
Posted by Kim
August 8, 2006
Posted by Kim
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Infertility issues plague many couples. They try everything they can to conceive a child, wanting it more than anything. Unfortunately, some couples are just not able to overcome their obstacles and must choose other methods of having a child. That’s where very special women called surrogate mothers come in. Through several different methods, a surrogate mother can carry a child for an infertile couple giving them a gift they have always dreamed of…a child.
The first step in going through with having a surrogate carry a child is to choose one. You must be sure it is someone you can trust and someone whom you can communicate well with. There are several ways to go about finding someone. You can hire a lawyer to help you out. They will do the searching and present any prospects to you and handle all the legal matters for you. Another way is to utilize online resources. There are listings with profiles of potential surrogates where you can screen people and ask questions. You can also search local newspapers or the phone book for local agencies. Whereas finding someone on your own is more risky, it is less of a financial burden to do so. Caution should be exercised with every step of the process of hiring a surrogate.
Once you have chosen your surrogate, you must choose which method of implantation will be used. There are also several options for this. The first option is called Artificial Insemination (AI). Through AI, the surrogate is artificially inseminated with the husband’s sperm. The child in this situation is genetically related to the surrogate mother and must be adopted by the wife after the birth. This option can also be done using a donor’s sperm in which both the husband and the wife would have to adopt the child. The second option is In Vitro Fertilization or Embryo Transfer. This is where eggs are retrieved from the wife, fertilized with the husband’s sperm, and then implanted into the surrogate mother. The child will be carried by the surrogate, but related both to the husband and the wife which would mean the husband and wife would be on the birth certificate and no adoption would need to take place. This option can also be done using a donor’s eggs if the wife’s eggs are not available. If a donor’s eggs are used, the wife would have to adopt the child. The third option is called Egg Donor and is in essence a reverse surrogate situation. In this option, the surrogate donates her eggs which are fertilized by the husband’s sperm and then implanted in the wife. The wife then carries the child, so when she gives birth, the child will be hers and no adoption is necessary.
The whole process of surrogacy requires a lot of trust. The couple must trust the woman to take care of herself through the pregnancy and also they must trust that she will willingly give up the child once he or she is born. This is why it is best to go through either an attorney or through an agency that specializes in surrogacy. The women you find through these methods are more likely to be screened thoroughly and properly for both health and mental/emotional stability. Finding someone completely on your own is a big risk, especially when you will be paying for someone to have your child. The average costs for surrogacy are approximately $13,000 plus whatever an attorney or agency would charge you for their services. Many people keep in contact with their surrogate throughout the entire pregnancy and some even remain in contact afterwards. Being a surrogate is a very selfless act and allows for many couples to have a baby of their own when no other options have worked for them. Is surrogacy right for you?
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