There are different types of surrogacy programs for people who cannot have a child on their own. At Mata Laxmi Nursing Home, we have been through a surrogacy process ourselves and understand the intense emotions associated with this type of undertaking. We are here to support our clients through every phase of the process, from learning about the different types of surrogacy to choosing a surrogate mother and an egg donor to providing follow-up support after the baby arrives.
One of the newer and more appealing types of surrogacy is called gestational surrogacy. This process involves a surrogate mother who has no genetic relation to the child she carries. The fetus is created from either the egg of the intended mother or from an egg donor. Some women are able to produce healthy eggs but are medically incapable of carrying a pregnancy to term. For these women, gestational surrogacy is a wonderful gift.
Gestational surrogacy makes it possible for one or both of the intended parents to be genetically related to the child a surrogate carries for them. Even if the intended mother cannot produce healthy eggs, the intended father's sperm can still create a genetic link to the baby. Whether the egg comes from the intended mother or from an egg donor, fertilization of the egg takes place in-vitro.
We are happy to explain all the details of the different types of surrogacy to our clients. we understand the need for confidentiality, compassion, and support.
Gestational Surrogacy :
Most intended parents prefer gestational surrogacy because they feel more secure in knowing the chances of the surrogate being able to keep their baby is slim to none. They also feel more in control of the surrogacy and pregnancy in general because they are choosing the genetics of their baby. An advantage to having an egg used by an ovum donor or the intended mother is that for the surrogate mother, it separates the complex emotional issues of being a gestational and genetic donor/mother. Many surrogate mother's find that their friends and family are more receptive to their participation in a surrogacy because they more easily view the child the surrogate carries as belonging to the intended parents due to it's genetic make up.
Using an Egg Donor :
Often parents who choose to have a gestational surrogate carry their child cannot genetically contribute to their offspring nor do they wish to have their surrogate mother be the genetic mother. Intended parents in these situations usually rely on outside assistance via sperm and or egg donation. While sperm donation has been around for hundreds of years egg donation is relatively new. In this process a screened egg donor undergoes hormone therapy (usually injections) over the course of many weeks which cause her ovaries to release more than one egg. Between one and fifteen eggs are usually harvested during a surgical procedure. They are then inspected for quality and either frozen for use later or immediately mixed with sperm for the intended father or a sperm donor.
Altruistic surrogacy :
Altruistic surrogacy is a situation where the surrogate receives no financial reward for her pregnancy or the relinquishment of the child (although usually all expenses related to the pregnancy and birth are paid by the intended parents such as medical expenses, maternity clothing, and other related expenses)
Commercial surrogacy :
Commercial surrogacy is a form of surrogacy in which a gestational carrier is paid to carry a child to maturity in her womb and is usually resorted to by well off infertile couples who can afford the cost involved or people who save and borrow in order to complete their dream of being parents. This procedure is legal in several countries including in India where due to excellent medical infrastructure, high international demand and ready availability of poor surrogates it is reaching industry proportions. Commercial surrogacy is sometimes referred to by the emotionally charged and potentially offensive terms "wombs for rent", "outsourced pregnancies" or "baby farms".
We at Mata Laxmi Nursing Home doing surrogacy case in routine and we have arrangements for egg donor/rent womb.
There is no national policy regarding surrogacy. Each state has come up with their own legal approach to this relatively new method of procreation. The laws vary from making surrogacy contracts enforceable to criminalizing all forms of commercial surrogacy. India there is no such law till date Nov. 2005.
