Surrogacy is a method of assisted reproduction that helps intended parents (IPs) start families when they otherwise could not. IP’s work with Surrogate Mothers to carry their babies where they otherwise would not be able to do so.
What Is a Surrogate Mother?
A woman who bears a child on behalf of another woman, either from her own egg fertilized by the other woman’s partner or from the implantation in her uterus of a fertilized egg from the other woman. There are two kinds of Surrogate Mothers:
Gestational Surrogates
A technique called “in vitro fertilization” (IVF) now makes it possible to gather eggs from the mother, fertilize them with sperm from the father, and place the embryo into the uterus of a gestational surrogate.
The surrogate then carries the baby until birth. She doesn’t have any genetic ties to the child because it wasn’t her egg that was used. A gestational surrogate is called the “birth mother.” The biological mother, though, is still the woman whose egg was fertilized.
Traditional Surrogates
It’s a woman who gets artificially inseminated with the father’s sperm. She then carries the baby and delivers the child for you and your partner to raise.
A traditional surrogate is the baby’s biological mother. That’s because it was her egg that was fertilized by the father’s sperm. Donor sperm can also be used. Traditional Surrogacy is starting to become less favored compared to gestational because of legal complications with the transfer of parental rights.
Who Uses Surrogates?
If you’re a woman, you may consider a surrogate for several reasons:
- Medical problems with your uterus
- You had a hysterectomy that removed your uterus
- Conditions that make pregnancy impossible or risky for you, such as severe heart disease
You may want to think about surrogacy if you tried but couldn’t get pregnant with a variety of assisted-reproduction techniques, such as IVF.
If gay men decide to use a traditional surrogate, one of them uses his sperm to fertilize the surrogate’s egg through artificial insemination. The surrogate then carries the baby and gives birth. A gay couple might also choose an egg donor, fertilize that donated egg, and then have the embryo implanted in a gestational surrogate to carry until birth.