Infertility Answers: A LaMothe Services Limited Liability Company

If you are exploring having someone help you by carrying your child to term, you probably have a lot of questions. This form of assisted reproduction is generally called surrogacy. It is a path that should not to be taken lightly. First of all this process is costly. Second, the woman who chooses to act as a surrogate is agreeing to involve her family with yours as well as putting her life on hold for the next year or so.

What is a Surrogate Mother or Gestational Carrier?

A surrogate is a generous woman who is willing to be impregnated using InVitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) procedures and then carry the resulting baby for the Intended Parents so they can complete their family.

There are two types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational. Traditional Surrogacy is where the Surrogate uses her own eggs AND carries the child for her Intended Parents. This procedure is done in a doctor's office through IUI. This type of surrogacy obviously includes a genetic connection between the surrogate and the child. Legally speaking, the Surrogate will have to disclaim any interest in the child to complete the transfer to the Intended Parents.

A gestational surrogacy occurs when the Intended Mother's or a donor egg is fertilized outside the body and then the embryos are transferred into the uterus. The woman who carries the child is often referred to as a Gestational Carrier. The legal steps to confirm parentage with the Intended Parents are generally easier than in a traditional because there is no genetic connection between child and Carrier.