Self Surrogacy Married Couples
The path to parenthood for many is not easy. Many married couples have trouble with or simply cannot safely carry a baby to term, the reasons can be many. But they have now an option to their fertility problems and the fertility solution is through Self Surrogacy. Want to know about it in detail? Here we go!
In Self Surrogacy – the surrogate carries a baby for intended parents in which the egg and sperms used are of the intended parents. The surrogate helps the baby grow for 9 months and then gives it back to the intended parents when it’s born. Gestational Surrogacy type is used in the self surrogacy process. In gestational surrogacy the intended mother’s or donor egg is fertilized by the intended father’s or donor sperm and the embryo’s is transferred to the gestational surrogate who will then carry the baby for 9 months. There is no genetic relation between the gestational carrier and the baby and the embryo created in this surrogacy process is via in vitro fertilization (IVF). In India, only Indian married heterosexual couples can pursue surrogacy, and it only allows altruistic surrogacy for needy and infertile Indian couples.
Why Do Married Couples decide to use Self Surrogacy to grow their families?
- The main advantage is the ability to be genetically related to the child
- The opportunity to be involved in the baby’s life from the beginning
- It is less legally complicated than other forms of surrogacy
Married heterosexuals, same-sex couples who are unable to safely carry a pregnancy to term, who have struggled with infertility are people who might consider self surrogacy. This path to parenthood has helped thousands of couples and individuals grow their families and is becoming increasingly common.
In general, the process involves finding a surrogate, completing legal contracts and transferring the embryo to the surrogate. It is best to work with a full-service surrogacy agency to help you with the self surrogacy process. The self surrogacy process for married couples can be broken down into these steps-
- Consultations and sign-on – This is the first step and is also one of the biggest ones: making the decision to grow your family through self surrogacy and choosing an agency.
- Matching with a surrogate – This is the most thrilling stage. In this step, you will find the amazing woman who will help you grow your family. A match will be presented to both the surrogate & the intended parents, if both parties are interested, they will be officially matched.
- Medical Screening and legal work – During this step, the surrogate/ gestational carrier will go to the intended parents’ IVF clinic for her medical screening, the surrogate will need to undergo a comprehensive screening process in order to be accepted as a surrogate mother. Her age, weight, BMI, citizenship, criminal background, basic pregnancy health, mental health, home life, financial stability, birth history, etc. will be noted down. Once all the results come back with flying colours, the surrogate applicant can be eligible to become a surrogate mother. Parents will work with their lawyer to draft their surrogacy contract/agreement while their carrier works with her lawyer.
Note – The surrogacy contract guides the entire surrogacy journey, it may look somewhat different based on the state and individual needs. The contract outlines each party’s rights, roles, and responsibilities before, during and after the pregnancy. The surrogacy contract needs to be completed and signed prior to beginning any medical procedures as it is very important to protect all parties during the medical process.
Surrogacy Contract Process
The intended parents meet a lawyer to get legal advice and answer lawyer’s questions, a surrogate is not involved in this meeting process, then the lawyer drafts the surrogacy agreement/ contract and sends it to intended parents for review and feedback. Surrogate then meets with her lawyer to review the agreement, may propose the changes. Intended parents’ lawyer makes proposed changes, if any, after discussing them. The last process of the surrogacy contract is the execution that takes place, in which the intended parents and surrogate sign the final agreement and lawyer notifies the clinic that agreement is executed.
Note – Surrogates have usually passed medical clearance and counselling before the surrogacy contract process begins. Also keep in mind that legal fees, costs associated with screening and testing, compensation paid to the surrogate should be noted before proceeding with the surrogacy process.
Are you interested in learning more about surrogacy options for married couples or starting the process?
IVF Spring Clinic will give the best options and the best treatment, we are committed to helping you through every step of your journey to becoming parents. Our goal is to simplify your fertility process and reward you with a healthy and happy baby, that you deserve completely! Contact us now!