Surrogacy is the process in which a woman will carry a child for a couple that cannot carry a child for themselves. A couple may choose the surrogacy process because they are unable to naturally conceive and wish for the child to have their DNA. In some cases, the surrogate mother is a person that the couple knows. It can be a family member or a friend, or in some cases, it is a total stranger that they have met through an agency.
Getting Started
To get started with the surrogacy process, you will need to decide if you want to ask a close friend or family member to be your surrogate or if you want to work through an agency to choose someone you do not know. Once you have made a decision on the surrogate mother, you will want to make sure that you have filed the legal paper work through the courts so there are no problems once the baby is born.
Embryo Transfer
Once you have choose your surrogate, then you will begin the embryo transfer process. The first step is for the egg to be removed and the sperm will be combined with the egg. The surrogate will begin to take hormones for about 2 weeks before the embryo transfer is done. After she has taken the hormones for a couple of weeks, the transfer will take place. The embryo is transferred through a small catheter that is inserted into her vagina and the embryo is placed inside the uterus. Then, in a couple of weeks, she will take a pregnancy test to determine if the process has worked. If the transfer was successful, she will then begin prenatal care. The parents to be can be involved with this process. They can go to the doctor visits with her to see the baby is getting the proper care it needs.
The Birth
Now that the baby has been carried for 9 months, it is time for the baby to be born. The couple receiving the child can be there for the birth of their new baby. Once the baby is born, as with any baby born, the doctors will check and make sure that the baby is healthy. Once the baby is released from the hospital, the new parents can take it home with them and begin to raise the child. The surrogate mother has done what she was required to do and she can be paid for her time. If the surrogate is a friend or family member, she may have done it to help the couple out and not ask for anything. In most cases, the birth parents pay for all medical bills.
Surrogacy can help those unable to have a child to be parents. If you are considering using a surrogate, make sure to do it legally. This will ensure there are no problems once the baby is born.
