Surrogacy is when another adult female carries, and gives birth to a baby for you. The person carrying the baby is recognise as the surrogate and the parents to be, if there are two are called the ‘commissioning pair’. Asking somebody else to have a child on your behalf is usually as a last resort but even so, the decision to do this should be thought about carefully. Ordinarily, surrogacy is used if treatment by In Vitro fertilisation has failed or a medical condition prevents the adult female from becoming pregnant, or could be risky if she did.

It’s vital that both parties are fully dedicated to the agreement and that you understand the significance of what is involved now and in future years. This is why it is so essential to talk these through with an seasoned counselor before you commence the surrogacy procedure. Another important consideration is the legal aspect and advice in this are should be sought early on as well. When the process occurs at a infertility clinic, both parties and their partners will be required to go through the same routines used if they were having normal infertility intervention.

Two means of surrogacy are employed: the first is by providing the sperm and utilising the eggs of the surrogate. If that is the way you are using then Artificial Insemination or Intrauterine Insemination is used for the impregnation process. The other method is where you utilise your own eggs and your mate’s sperm, or donated eggs inseminated with your partner’s sperm. This needs In Vitro fertilisation which must take place in a authorized clinic.

Trust is essential, not least because you will need to agree on issues like antenatal screening - for example, for Spina Bifida or Down’s Syndrome - and decide what you will do if the baby had a congenital problem. Of course, any potential surrogate ought to be capable of a sound and healthy gestation and birth. Try and get support, if possible from friends and family, because it is stressful both emotionally and physically. It is also important that the fertility clinic and hospital are happy about the utilise of surrogacy. In some parts of the globe surrogates are paid, however this is not allowed in the UK for example where only reasonable expenses are covered: those costs incurred by the surrogate such as clothes, travel expenses and loss of earnings for example.

The surrogate mother may alter her mind about letting the child go even if it is not genetically her own, however, this a rare occurrence. This is extremely tough and painful for all involved, which is why it is so essential that you trust each other and are clear and involved to your agreement from the outset.