You’ve probably heard the term surrogacy floating around, but aren’t sure what it involves. So, what exactly is surrogacy, and what does it entail? Essentially, surrogacy is an option for parents to have children who aren’t able to carry a baby on their own.
In recent years, it has become an effective and successful treatment for families who may not have been able to have children otherwise.
If you’re someone who is exploring the idea of surrogacy yourself, then it’s vital that you understand the basics. Here are some of the most common terms surrounding surrogacy.
Surrogacy Agency
A surrogacy agency is a professional service that helps match surrogate mothers with intended parents. They oversee the process and help protect all parties involved in order to facilitate a successful procedure.
For a fee, they provide full services, including arranging all clinical procedures, guiding the parents as well as the surrogate mother, and providing support.
Ultimately, their job is to match healthy surrogate mothers with couples intending to be parents and ensure that the process goes smoothly.
Not every agency is created equal, however. It’s essential to make sure that you do your research in order to ensure that you get the emotional and legal support that you need. A good agency will be there to help you every step of the way.
Surrogate Mother
The surrogate mother is a fertile woman who has agreed to carry another couple’s pregnancy. In some cases, the surrogate mother may provide eggs (known as traditional surrogacy.) Otherwise, she may carry another woman’s eggs inside her body throughout the full term of the pregnancy (known as gestational surrogacy.)
In most traditional situations, they are compensated by the family, unless you’ve arranged a payment free arrangement with a friend or family member.
Intended Parents
The childless couple is known as the intended parents, who will be the legal parents of the baby born at the end of the surrogacy agreement.
The intended father is automatically the legal father; however, depending on the country where the surrogacy arrangement takes place, there may be further legal procedures to carry out. In some cases, further paperwork is required to ensure the intended mother is the legal mother on the birth certificate and not the surrogate mother.
IVF
In Vitro Fertilization, also known as IVF, is when a woman’s egg is fertilized in a lab and develops into a human embryo. In some cases, they may be used right away; otherwise, they are frozen and put away for future use.
Egg Donor
When a mother isn’t able to use her own eggs, a donated egg may be used. A couple can either purchase an egg or ask a friend or family member to provide one.
