Surrogacy is the process of using a woman’s uterus for implanting and carrying an embryo that will ultimately bear a child in the future for the intended parents. The woman who will carry the baby is called a surrogate. Surrogacy usually is opted by couples. But can be used by an individual too.
The surrogacy process involves a medical procedure called IVF or In Vitro fertilization to place the fertilized egg inside the surrogate’s uterus.
Two Types of Surrogacy
There are two popular variations of the surrogacy process:
- Traditional surrogacy
- Gestational surrogacy
Traditional Surrogacy
In traditional surrogacy, the role of the surrogate is of an egg donor and a surrogate. She is impregnated by a medical method termed IUI, or intrauterine insemination. Under this process, the sperm from the biological father is placed inside the surrogate’s uterus to facilitate natural fertilization.
This also means that the baby’s biological mother will always be the surrogate herself under traditional surrogacy. This is a popular method opted by couples where the father’s sperm or the mother’s eggs cannot be used for medical reasons. It is also an excellent solution for people who wish to have a single-parent surrogacy.
Gestational Surrogacy
The surrogate’s eggs will not be used in this process, which means there will not be a biological bond between the child and the surrogate. The embryo is created using the biological mother’s egg and the biological father’s sperm. The medical method involved in gestational surrogacy is IVF or In Vitro Fertilization. Only after the fertilization of the biological mother’s eggs gets transferred to the surrogate’s uterus by this process.
Usually, a timeframe of three to four days is involved for the embryos to properly develop inside a lab before they could be successfully transferred to the surrogate mother. Once the transfer occurs, the surrogate carries the child in her uterus and bears the baby in the future.
Three Stages of Gestational Surrogacy
Egg donation
Here, an egg retrieval process is done on the egg donor or the intended mother.
Fertilization
In the second stage, fertilization occurs when semen is placed with the egg in the laboratory.
Transfer
Once the embryo is fertilized, it is then moved inside the surrogate mother’s womb. This stage is also termed the embryo transfer stage.
The Possibility of Success in IVF
The probability of success in an IVF process depends on the following factors:
- The age of the biological mother whose eggs are retrieved.
- The health of the biological mother.
Important Things to Consider
While both surrogacy methods are different, they are both safe and popular. All surrogates are screened thoroughly before they can be used in either of the processes.
Irrespective of intended couples being involved, or a single parent surrogacy, it is only after the surrogate passes the health standards that they can move forward with the procedures involved.
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