Surrogacy is a service that has helped many couples in the Potomac, Maryland area achieve their goal of becoming parents. While there are obviously medical matters involved with surrogacy, there are several legal factors that must be discussed and sorted out before the procedure may even begin. The parents may use several sources to find a surrogate carrier including fertility clinics, law firms, websites, agencies and other services. Surrogates must be at least 21 years old and should be physically and emotionally healthy. The parents may choose a friend in some cases, or may not meet the surrogate carrier until their search begins.

Once they find a surrogate carrier that they like, the process of preparing for surrogacy may begin. Having the legal contract in place before beginning the medical aspect of surrogacy is very important. The contract will protect the rights and responsibilities of the parents and the surrogate carrier for the duration of the surrogacy process. The contract is signed by the surrogate carrier prior to the beginning of the procedure.

The parents will pay for pregnancy related expenses incurred by the surrogate carrier and are responsible for the cost of the procedure itself. The overall cost of surrogacy may run between $20,000 and $120,000 depending on several factors. In some cases, the price of surrogacy may be even higher. Many agencies will try to locate surrogate carriers that are not solely motivated by the financial gains that they receive.

There are two types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy. In the former, donor eggs or the eggs of the surrogate carrier are combined with sperm from the male partner or donor sperm to create embryos, which are transferred to the surrogate carrier's uterus. Intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization may be used with this type of surrogacy. If her own eggs are used, the surrogate carrier will be the biological mother of the child.

Gestational surrogacy involves the use of eggs from the female partner and sperm from the male partner. The sperm and eggs are used to create embryos through in vitro fertilization, which are then transferred to the surrogate carrier's uterus. In this case, the surrogate carrier is not biologically related to the child.

Many consider it less risky to use gestational surrogacy than traditional surrogacy because of the possibility that the surrogate carrier becomes emotionally linked to the child during pregnancy if she is the biological mother. There is considered less risk of the contract being broken if the surrogate carrier is not the biological mother of the child. Of course, in some cases it may not be possible to use gestational surrogacy, as some women may not produce healthy eggs or may not produce eggs at all.

Upon the birth of the child, the surrogate carrier releases the child to the parents immediately. A professional in the Potomac area with experience in the field is the best resource for further information regarding the medical and legal concerns associated with surrogacy.

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