What Does
Surrogacy Mean?
Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman (the surrogate) agrees to become pregnant, carry, and give birth to a child for a person or people other than themselves. That person or people are known as the intended parents and will become the legal guardians and parents of the child/children.
It is a form of assisted reproductive technology (ART) which allows women who were unable to carry a pregnancy or same-sex couples biological child or child who shares the DNA of at least one of their intended parents.
FertilitySmarts Explains Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an extremely complex process that involves medical, financial, legal, and emotional elements. After finding the right surrogate partnership, legal documents must be drawn up to outline the different parties’ role in the process, the payment for the service (if applicable), and to make the necessary arrangements in the event that something does not go as planned.
There are different types of surrogacy;
- Traditional—where sperm from the intended father or donor is used to impregnate the surrogate using her own eggs. This process is not common.
- Gestational surrogacy— uses eggs and sperm from the intended parents or donors. There is no biological relationship to the surrogate mother.
Surrogates are usually older than 25 years old and younger than the age of natural menopause. Many states also require that the surrogate must have had a child of her own, no history of pregnancy-related illnesses as well as many other parameters.
The total cost of surrogacy is estimated to be $75,000 – $125,000, but it can be more or less depending on a number of factors.