What are the reasons for which one should go for surrogacy?
- Problems with fallopian tube or issues with complete or partial tube blockage
- Female who has undergone hysterectomy i.e. removal of the uterus.
- If the female partner is suffering from some hormonal imbalance or ovulation problem.
- Antibodies produced by the host body can kill sperm or the egg.
- Any genetic disease
- Women with missing part of uterus or ovaries or any reproductive organ
- Single man who wants to be a Dad
- Couples from the LGBT community unable to bear children due to biological reasons
- Women have risks of their life due to pregnancy because of some systemic diseases like severe heart disease or have high blood pressure.
- The frozen embryo of a woman who died and her male partner wants to have a child
In these above-mentioned cases, surrogacy could be an ideal option to get a baby in your lap and celebrate parenthood.
What are the factors which are important for a successful surrogacy?
Apart from the biological reasons, there are some other conditions that are needed to be fulfilled as in surrogacy treatment procedure, there are investments from the emotional, legal, and from the financial side as well.
- Good emotional as well mental health of both the sides i.e surrogate mother and the intended person or couple.
- Couples or the person who seeks surrogacy should have realistic expectations about the treatment outcome.
- There should be open and clear communications from both the sides
- Financial costs related to it
- The emotional response of both the surrogate as well the intended parent.
What are the types of surrogacy available for the treatment?
There are 2 types of surrogacy available i.e.
- Traditional surrogacy- they are also called biological mothers. As their eggs are artificially inseminated with the male donor’s sperm.
- Gestational mother- there are no genetic ties to the surrogate with the embryo or the baby. They are the carriers of the embryo as the eggs and sperms are taken from the intended Mom and Dad respectively. They are often considered as ‘birth mothers’.
What are the tests a surrogate should undergo before having the baby in their womb?
There are a few tests that are suggested by the fertility specialists or doctors which are necessary prior to the placement of the embryo into the surrogate’s uterus.
- hepatitis-B
- Hepatitis-C
- HIV
- Syphilis
- gonorrhea
- They are immune to chickenpox, measles, mumps, or rubella.
Before the confirmation of your surrogate, the concerned ART clinic should consider all the test results and evaluate whether the surrogate is physically fit for a full-term pregnancy or not.
How can you find your surrogate?
There are some agencies who will help you to find your surrogate and they will also help you to make an agreement related to the collection of the fee between you and your surrogate.
What are the conditions you have to keep in your mind while choosing your surrogate?
- The surrogate should be more than 21 years old.
- But she should not be more than 45 years old.
- Surrogates should be selected as per the ICMR guidelines.
- Surrogate should have given birth to at least one healthy baby in the past.
- There should be a thorough mental health screening of your surrogate as it is necessary for your surrogate to be mentally strong. There should not be any disagreement after the birth of the child during the partition from the surrogate and the child.
- The Surrogate should agree to return the child after birth to the intended couple.
- As an intended parent, you should also provide the maternal care cost to the surrogate family.
How to choose doctors if you want to go for a surrogacy treatment procedure?
- You can go through the reviews of those who have already been through surrogacy treatment procedures in multiple medical forums and if you are worried about some negative review, you can always consult with your doctor about the matter.
- Look for the experience of gynecologists and fertility specialists and positive patient stories.
- You can also look for the success rate of surrogacy treatment done by your surgeon.
Who are the best doctors for performing surrogacy treatment procedures?
An experienced and board-certified gynecologist and fertility specialist can perform the procedure. And make sure to check the accreditation of the hospital from where you are getting your surrogacy treatment done.
How to take care of a surrogate mother?
After checking the accreditation of the fertility clinic or hospital, you should ask for a surrogacy support team is associated with the hospital or not. The physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the surrogates should be the topmost priority of the associated clinic or the hospital. Sometimes surrogate coordinators or the social worker also keep visiting these hospitals.
Can you meet with the surrogate?
You should always meet with your surrogate once the pregnancy test results come positive. But you should not consider the physical characteristics as selection criteria for your surrogate as there is no correlation between the physical attributes of your surrogate and the baby’s features. You can always visit the concerned person in the hospital to know about the progression of the treatment.
Why should you go for the surrogacy procedure in India?
Along with the high-quality lifestyle here in India, you will get well-experienced and skilled surgeons who are comfortable with the best and latest available technology. You will get personalized care from trained medical personnel.
Any botched-up case of the surrogacy treatment procedure in India?
To date no such cases have been reported as here in India, surgeons are way more skilled and experienced. But to avoid these kinds of cases, you should choose your doctors carefully.
Do you feel that the cost is way out of your budget? Are you looking for insurance?
Though the cost may vary according to the place you live in, medication, procedure cost, follow-up, or monitoring cost of your surrogate, your insurance company might not provide the procedure cost and can only provide the follow-up costs.
You can consult with your financial advisor related to the matter and explore the possibilities along with your surgeon. Though nowadays EMI facilities are available in some financial agencies. Even after that, you are feeling it’s difficult for you to avail yourself of the insurance, you can always ask your doctor to write one letter to your insurer describing the importance of this procedure. If your insurance company provides coverage also, it will bear a partial amount of its budget. So make sure you read the details and go for it. Even if your insurance company bears it now, you might have to pay a higher premium for later.
Are there any legal issues you might face related to surrogacy treatment?
There are no such parental rights after a surrogacy treatment or surrogacy pregnancy.
The law can vary from country to country. In some countries, you might still have to pass ‘adoption’ proceedings to obtain complete custody of the born child. In other areas, you can avoid the adoption proceedings by signing a ‘declaration of parentage’ before the child’s birth.
You can always hire an attorney who has specialization in reproductive issues to protect the child’s rights. Attorney can write a thorough agreement based on the fact that what needs to be done in which scenario. In that way, you can stay steer clear related to any surrogacy problems that can arise during treatment days or after the birth of the child.
Still if you are confused related to the procedure and don’t have any idea about what to do next, you can always reach us.