What is traditional surrogacy?

       Surrogacy is a conception of reproduction involving a woman to bear and give birth to a baby to another woman or couple. It is used usually by the woman who either has infertile or no eggs at all. It is also used by a woman or couples who wish to have a baby biologically linked to one's partner. A surrogate woman becomes pregnant conceived with her own egg and the sperm of a man who hopes to have a baby with his partner or wife. As a result, the baby will be genetically linked to the surrogate. Fertility treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be performed in surrogacy. Sperm donated can also be used in this treatment. The surrogate mother conform to turn over the newly-born baby to the lawfully contracted parents. Before surrogacy is considered to be used as a procedure, other methods of ART are tried but attempt failed.

What is Gestational Surrogacy?

       Gestational surrogacy are typically used by the majority of surrogates today. With this procedure, the surrogate termed as gestational carrier, delivers birth to a baby that was formed biologically with an egg of the surrogate or donated egg and sperm of a couple or a donor sperm.

In vitro fertilization is a method done in a laboratory to retake and fertilize the eggs from the intended mother. A practitioner transfer a few or all of the embryos into the uterus of the surrogate if fertilization was successful. If the pregnancy is carried to childbirth, the surrogate delivers the baby and immediately turn him or her over to the intended parent/s.

Who are candidates to use surrogacy?

Candidates for persons opting for surrogacy are:

• Women who experienced difficulty in reproduction or conceiving a pregnancy to childbirth
• Gay male couples who need a baby with a genetic link to one partner
• Single women or couples with a uterine lining abnormality or imperfection
• Women who have undergone a surgical removal of the womb
• Women no longer capable to achieve pregnancy being over 45 years of age
• Women with heart or renal disease which may complicate or threaten the life of during pregnancy
• Those with other causes of infertility or abnormality

What is the process in using a gestational carrier?

       The prospective couple must first choose a gestational carrier and arrange the details for approval prior to any legal terms can begin. The surrogate may be known or unknown to the intended parents. The gestational carrier may be selected by the couple, either through an agency, or from an in-house surrogacy program within the office of the practitioner.

Selection of both the surrogate and the donor must be simultaneous, like in the screenings for IVF. In using an egg from the donor, fertility drugs will be administered to increase the quantity of eggs available for retrieval. Once the eggs from the woman have been taken and fertilized, the embryo will be inserted directly to the gestational carrier. The couple may also desire to use donor eggs, donor sperm, or a donor embryo to be implanted into the gestational carrier.

To ensure the embryos livability before implantation, they are meticulously checked. One or two embryos, depending on the donor's age, will be implanted to the gestational carrier. The embryos are commonly implanted in the blastocyst stage of formation. Embryos may be transferred at day 3 if only a few embryos have developed. The surrogate is checked during the stage of pregnancy prior to delivery of the baby of the intended parents.

What are Legal Concerns?

       A legal contract is quite necessary to be executed before commencing any process to protect the rights and responsibilities of the parents, surrogate, and expected child. Prior to the procedure, the surrogate or gestational carrier must sign the prepared contract. The use of a gestational carrier is less risky for intended parents in a legal contract being terminated because the child is not biologically bonded to the surrogate. In traditional surrogacy, especially during pregnancy to the child, there is a greater risk that the gestational carrier may change her mind. Both the surrogate and intended parents must have their own legal counsel to ensure protection of their rights.

How much does a surrogate mother cost?

       $20,000 to $120,000, or much higher are typically the cost of using a surrogate. The surrogate is normally paid an agreed stipulated fee by the potential parents for carrying the baby. Costs of using a surrogate also include preparation expenses, screening tests, daily needs for the surrogate, the possible need to using donor eggs or sperm if required, fees charged by the agency, delivery fees and costs necessary to achieve the ends.

How do I find a surrogate?

       Most intended parents search gestational carriers or surrogates in fertility clinics, websites, newspaper ads, lawyers, and private agencies. Most agencies or clinics require surrogates to have already bear their own children. Surrogates must at least be 21 years of age, be in optimum medical condition and emotionally stable. Screening for infectious diseases, blood type, lifestyle past events, and obstetric records are usually done on surrogates. Agencies also make the effort to determine that the surrogate's purpose is to help intended parents realize their dream and not solely by financially incentives.

What is the success rate for using a surrogate?

       The success rate for surrogacy depends on the primary source of the egg used in the program. The success rate if using a gestational carrier is the same as the rate of success for in vitro fertilization. The age of the carrier and the egg donor is of prime importance to consider to determine percentage of success. Success rates may vary from 50 to 60% dependent on the source of the egg from the donor.