Beginning a family is a dream of everyone! Though not all couples and or individuals can celebrate the joy of parenthood through natural pregnancy. In recent years, males and females have both been increasingly facing infertility issues. Though there are plenty of fertility treatment options, few couples may meet negative results of conception with these treatments as well. Where all the fertility medical process fails, surrogacy can act as a boon to your life. Whether you have been struggling with infertility, a gay couple, or a single hopeful intended parent you can conceive a healthy genetically linked child through surrogacy. While a lot of intended parents have a common concern about surrogacy vs pregnancy- what is the difference?
Natural pregnancy is when a couple plans to embark on a parenthood journey, after the positive results of conception a woman can carry a child and follow pregnancy medications. And she does not need any medical or fertility assistance Women who undergo natural pregnancy, conceive, celebrate and plan for the nurturing of their little munchkin.
Whereas surrogacy pregnancy is similar to natural pregnancy but the process of assisting a potential surrogate to become pregnant differs. When a potential surrogate agrees to carry your child, the journey may seem different and daunting for the intended parents. We understand the pain of not being attached to the baby during pregnancy like missing the intricate moments like the first kick of the baby, and more.
Before you commit to the process, intended parents might be having doubts like how does surrogacy pregnancy works? How do I know whether this is the right decision for me? Whether I will be able to bond with my baby once he or she is born through a surrogate? We understand your anxiety with this procedure, though let’s first understand what is surrogacy and how different the surrogacy vs pregnancy processes are.
Let us walk you through the journey of surrogacy vs pregnancy with detailed steps and give a clear idea about why you should consider surrogacy and what are the benefits of surrogacy.
- What is surrogacy
- Experience of surrogacy vs pregnancy
- Is surrogacy as safe as natural pregnancy?
- How does surrogacy pregnancy works?
- Surrogate and intended parent application
- Screening and matching process
- Formation of the surrogacy contract
- IVF or the medical process of surrogacy
- Pregnancy
- Delivery of the baby
- What are the benefits of surrogacy?
- Why intended parents choose gestational surrogacy?
- Are you ready to begin your parenthood journey?
What is surrogacy?
Surrogacy or Gestational surrogacy is an arrangement that is often supported by a surrogacy agreement or contract, wherein a surrogate carries and delivers a child for the intended parents. The Surrogate does not have any biological link with the baby, she just carries the infant that’s why she is referred to as a gestational carrier.
The surrogacy arrangement uses the medical procedure of IVF, which makes the overall journey successful by 70-90%. The medical process of surrogacy begins with retrieving the eggs of the intended mother or egg donor and the sperm sample of the intended father or sperm donor and their gamete material is mixed to create embryos. After a few days of observation, embryos are transferred to the surrogate’s uterus. Once she confirms pregnancy she continues with the pregnancy procedure. Though, we will be discussing the surrogacy process, its benefits, and why intended parents consider this process.
Experience of surrogacy vs pregnancy
Women who conceive naturally after unprotected sexual intercourse, usually don’t realize that she is pregnant until after a month when she observes a few pregnancy symptoms or misses their periods. In comparison, the surrogate and intended parents do realize that surrogate is pregnant when they transfer embryos through surrogacy’s medical procedure. In this process surrogate mother tends to be more sensitive to her early pregnancy symptoms as she is aware of the conception process.
Additionally, the surrogate needs to take more medications as compared to women with natural pregnancy to balance the surrogate’s and intended mother’s menstrual cycle and additionally after embryo transfer to make sure the conception process gets successful.
The main difference between surrogacy vs pregnancy is intended mother who becomes pregnant naturally does not need to go through a tedious and intricate fertilization process and nor she needs to take additional fertility medicines. Whereas, if intended parents go through the surrogacy process, the intended mother does not have to bear the pain and emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy, the couple can wait and plan to foster and nurture their beautiful baby once he or she arrives.
One of the drawbacks for intended parents is they won’t feel attached to the baby during pregnancy, but when you would receive little updates from a surrogate mother or a surrogacy agency like Global Star Surrogacy you will feel it’s worth waiting around the corner!
Is surrogacy as safe as natural pregnancy?
When every probability blocks your way and surrogacy is the only program recommended, intended parents may have a first concern as is it safe as natural pregnancy? well absolutely yes! With the advancement of technology in medicine and fertility, surrogacy is popular worldwide among infertile and LGBT couples with success rates as it is believed that surrogacy is more successful than other fertility treatments.
The surrogacy process shares a few risks or unexpected problems like any other pregnancy journey that consist certain level of risk. As the surrogacy process uses the medical process of the IVF program, it makes the journey more successful, viable, and as safe journey like a natural pregnancy. Surrogacy vs pregnancy, both methods are safe. If you cannot conceive by yourself don’t worry surrogacy too is a safe and reliable way to complete your family.
At Global Star Surrogacy, we take utmost care that intended parents do not face any complications amidst their surrogacy journey. From the consultation session to the day of delivery and post-surrogacy legal procedure our experts ensure thorough guidance and support. Additionally, with our great network of qualified donors and surrogates, we make sure you match with a perfect surrogate who meets your criteria, and expectations.
Furthermore, we perform thorough physical and psychological examinations of all potential surrogates to make sure they are perfectly fit for a surrogacy arrangement and that intended parents do not face any unwanted complications or hurdles in the journey.
How does surrogacy pregnancy works?
Although both surrogacy vs pregnancy both processes are quite similar and completely safe, intended parents considering surrogacy often have doubts about how does surrogacy pregnancy works. The surrogacy process entails tedious medical proceedings of which every intended parent must be aware. Let us walk you through the step-by-step process of surrogacy.
Surrogate and intended parent application
After the consultation session, intended parents are required to fill out the application form, so that our experts understand your medical or fertility history, your expectation with the program, and related things.
On the other hand, before beginning the matching process with the surrogate she too needs to fill out an application form stating her medical and social background, relationship status, employment details (if any), history with pregnancy, and more.
Screening and matching process
After receiving a few surrogate applications, we perform a physical and psychological screening test to ensure the surrogate is perfectly fit to carry a baby for someone else. There are a few criteria that every fertility clinic or surrogacy agency looks for:
- The potential surrogate should not smoke or consume alcohol, or drugs.
- She must be between the age of 21-35 years.
- She must have previous experience with a surrogate pregnancy.
- She must be free from HIV or AIDS infection.
- She should not have a history of miscarriage.
After the screening test results, we send the portfolio of shortlisted gestational carriers to the intended parents to finalize the one that meets their preference. In the end, we make sure, the intended parents match with a surrogate who is trustworthy, has a healthy lifestyle, is fit and fertile, and has good behaviour.
Formation of the surrogacy contract
Once you match with the surrogate mother, the next step is to form a surrogacy contract with an attorney. A surrogacy agreement entails the roles and responsibilities of each party, a roadmap for the process, parental rights, the surrogate’s compensation, fertility process details, and many more.
It is a must-have document to secure parental rights post-surrogacy journey. Additionally, the intended parents and surrogate mother both must have a separate attorney so that both of their expectations are fulfilled in the contract. Once both parties sign the contract, only then we can proceed with the medical process of surrogacy.
IVF or the medical process of surrogacy
IVF or the medical process of surrogacy begins with prescribing the intended mother or egg donor to stimulate eggs, once it is ready to fertilize IVF specialists would retrieve eggs in an incubator. Meanwhile, the sperm sample is collected from the intended father or sperm donor.
Furthermore, it is mixed to create embryos, and after a few days of observation, embryos are transferred to the surrogate’s uterus. After ET-embryo transfer surrogate needs to undergo a few medications to get a successful conception and then she will undergo a test to determine whether conform to pregnancy.
Pregnancy
This is the stage you can officially be excited and see the positive results coming around the corner! Well, once the surrogate becomes pregnant she will carry forward with the usual pregnancy journey. Here the difference between surrogacy vs pregnancy is that intended parents cannot live with a surrogate nor IPs will be able to experience little moments with their baby during pregnancy.
Though, a surrogacy agency and or surrogate will assist intended parents to stay connected with their baby by providing them with little updates about the baby’s movement and pregnancy. At times, your agency will conduct a virtual meeting so that you can communicate with your surrogate.
Delivery of the baby
The surrogate mother will deliver your baby usually in a hospital nearby from her home and whether the intended parents can be present in the delivery room must be discussed with the surrogate in the earlier stage of pregnancy. Also, before beginning the process you must discuss with her, whether she is comfortable providing her breastmilk after the surrogacy journey. This can be beneficial for gay couples or single intended fathers.
After the child is born intended parents can obtain their parental rights, in a few countries intended parents will have to undergo one additional legal step i.e obtaining parental order. At times, the surrogate and her spouse’s name may appear on the child’s certificate. To change the names of parents intended parents will have to apply in court for the process with the help of our attorney. And surrogate can focus on her postpartum recovery and rest.
What are the benefits of surrogacy?
Intended parents from different backgrounds have one common dream i.e to embark on the journey of parenthood. Whether you are a same-sex couple, a heterosexual couple, or a hopeful individual – surrogacy can be an ideal program to help you complete a happy and healthy family.
We understand your strong desire to begin your family even after years of failure and exhaustion for achieving a successful conception. Through advancements in medicine, fertility, and technology, surrogacy makes the long-lost dream of commencing a family probable with high success rates.
There are hundreds and thousands of happy families across the globe who conceived through surrogacy. Whether you are a common man or a celebrity, surrogacy aids in fulfilling the dreams of every individual! Though, you must be wondering what are the benefits of surrogacy. To simplify your decision process, we have listed below a few advantages that intended parents must consider.
- Surrogacy allows infertile couples, hopeful singles, and gay couples, to conceive a healthy and genetically linked baby.
- Intended parents can benefit from raising the child since he or she is born.
- There are very few restrictions with intended parents compared to adoption. Also, intended parents can be equally involved in the surrogacy process, unlike adoption.
- Surrogacy is beneficial for women who have weaker or no uterus, have medical problems, or couple with infectious disease, and other problems
- As surrogates have experience with surrogacy pregnancy is finalized so she is aware of the process and hence intended parents can trust her and be relaxed about the process.
- Intended parents are assured to have parental rights from the beginning.
- Additionally, with surrogacy intended parents can conceive a genetically linked infant.
- In most cases, one or both parents can share their gamete materials for the medical process.
Why intended parents choose gestational surrogacy?
While after experiencing several failures with fertility treatment or other hurdles intended parents may choose the route of surrogacy to begin their dream family. We have listed below a few common reasons which can influence intended parents to commit to the surrogacy journey.
Age
This is one of the common reasons why intended parents choose surrogacy over other alternatives. Well, a women’s fertility and ability to carry a child in her uterus start declining as she begins aging. But the good news is a surrogate who is in her fertility age and has a history of successful pregnancy of her own or for someone else can be beneficial for couples above 35 years. Usually, the ideal age of a potential surrogate mother must be between 21-35 years.
Same-sex or gay couples
Same-sex couples usually have very limited options to conceive a child, adoption, or gestational surrogacy. While adoption has quite a lot of restrictions on intended parents, involves uncertainty in the process, and does not provide a genetically linked child.
Whereas, surrogacy assures that intended parents share a biological link with their infant and comparatively has a hassle-free and safe process, which may influence gay couples to choose this alternative.
While the surrogacy process for a gay couple is similar, the male couple will need an egg donor and the couple needs to decide who will have the genetic contribution to the process. Furthermore, after a successful embryo transfer surrogate will continue with her pregnancy journey. To know more about the surrogacy process for a gay couple, read more.
Single individuals
Whether you are a divorced individual or unmarried, you still can conceive a genetically linked infant through surrogacy. You don’t need a partner to complete your family, you alone can embark on the journey of parenthood and a happy family.
While few women cannot carry a child, you will require the help of a surrogate mother and a sperm donor. Whereas for an intended single father regardless of your fertility condition, you will need an egg donor and surrogate mother to conceive a healthy baby.
Medical problems
Hysterotomy or other uterus abnormalities can make pregnancy unsuccessful or impossible for a few women. While few women don’t realize their uterus condition until they try conceiving a child naturally. Whether you have a weak uterus, no uterus, or a history of infertility or miscarriage, surrogacy can assist you to become a parent with a safe, legally secure, and medically successful process.
Past pregnancy trauma
The trauma after a failure of pregnancy or the death of a newborn may deter women to undergo pregnancy again due to physical and emotional trauma. In such cases, the couple would prefer to choose a surrogate mother to conceive a healthy child.
Few women go through eminent pain during giving birth that further causes post-trauma stress disorder, a long emotional journey of a rollercoaster, while few may not conceive due to physical trauma which is not worth risking in attempting natural childbirth again. While surrogacy assures genetically linked children with a safe procedure.
Other reasons
The reason to choose the surrogacy process over alternatives can vary among individuals. While the majority of couples or individuals consider this program due to infertility or medical reasons while others may choose to focus on their careers meanwhile a surrogate can help you complete your family.
Whatever may be your reason, Global Star Surrogacy assures that intended parents have a hassle-free experience with the surrogacy journey. From selecting the ideal surrogate mother and or donor, and the medical process to assisting them to obtain legal rights our expert will guide you thoroughly.
Are you ready to begin your parenthood journey?
Surrogacy vs pregnancy are both safe options. If you have been struggling with conceiving naturally, you still can expand your family through a medically safe journey. Considering all the factors, we are sure your doubts must be clear by now. If you still have concerns regarding the surrogacy program, you can visit our website or book a free consultation call.
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