Using A Surrogate Mother
A surrogate mother is a woman who carries a pregnancy to term for another. Who uses surrogates and why? Do you need an attorney to hire or become a surrogate mother? Here’s what you should know.
Infertile Couples
The most common consumer of surrogacy services are infertile couples. They may be unable to conceive a child because the mother’s womb is inhospitable, the father’s sperm isn’t mobile, or any combination of infertility factors. Surrogacy is often used for gay couples as well. Surrogacy is most often chosen in cases of couples with infertile women, however, some couples do still choose surrogacy when the male partner is infertile if IVF isn’t an option.
Women Who Have Medical Issues with Their Reproductive Organs
Some women may be unable to become pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term. For example, women who have had ovarian cysts may have had their ovaries removed and may not be able to conceive. Or, women with severe endometriosis are often treated with a hysterectomy and are left without a womb to carry a child.
Women Who Have Systemic Medical Conditions
For some women, conception isn’t a challenge, but carrying the pregnancy to term would be life-threatening. These women may have medical conditions that cause them to be unable to tolerate pregnancy and even though getting pregnant is a possibility, having a baby could potentially risk their lives. This includes both physical conditions like severe hypertension or a history of eclampsia, and mental illnesses like postpartum depression. Surrogacy provides women with pregnancy-incompatible conditions the ability to enjoy motherhood without putting their bodies or their minds at risk.
Gay Couples
Gay couples are also frequently interested in surrogacy. Some couples choose to work with a friend on a private basis to avoid discrimination while others prefer to have a professional who has dealt with surrogacy for many years involved. Gay couples can choose to have one partner be biologically related to the child or neither — if neither, an egg or sperm donor will be needed, although this makes for a more complicated surrogacy arrangement.
Women Who Don’t Want to Go Through Pregnancy
Some women simply don’t enjoy the idea of dealing with pregnancy or the changes their bodies will go through to bring a child into the world, but they still want to become a mother and develop a very real and meaningful bond with their child. Because the number of qualifying surrogates is low, at SMI “convenience surrogacy” is not an option. SMI believes that there are far too many people who cannot have a child who are interested in surrogacy to allow those who can have a child, but simply don’t want to, to participate in its program.
Do You Need a Surrogacy Attorney?
Surrogacy is a wonderful option for couples who want to grow their family and are unable or don’t want to become pregnant. However, there’s a lot of grey area when it comes to legal rights; it’s important that you work with a surrogacy lawyer to protect your rights and the interests of your child. Contact us today at 1-888-SURROGATE.
