Procedure Medical Considerations At A Glance

There are medical surrogacy requirements for the intended parents and for the surrogate mother. A detailed medical history will be taken on both the couple and the potential surrogate mother. For the couple, the first medical tests will determine if either of them will be able to be a biological parent of the child. Doctors will check for genetic factors to be sure that neither parent carries any unwanted genetic characteristics.

In some cases, a parent may carry a gene that is likely to cause harm to the fetus or has a great potential for eliminating the possibility of a healthy pregnancy. For instance, the intended mother may have a familial history of Huntington's disease. Potential parents may want to eliminate the possibility that their offspring will suffer from Huntington's disease.

In this case, the intended parents may choose to have only the intended father be a biological parent to their child. Therefore, the intended parents would likely choose to have a traditional surrogacy. The surrogate mother would then be biologically-related to the child. This eliminates the possibility of the intended mother passing on any unwanted genetic disorders.

There are also surrogacy requirements for the surrogate mother. Doctors will want to be sure that she is completely healthy and medically able to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Doctors will check for any genetic disorders and any diseases that can be passed to the fetus. First and foremost, doctors will want to be sure that the pregnancy will not cause any health risks for the surrogate mother.

Once all medical testing have been completed, doctors will begin the procedure involved in achieving pregnancy for the surrogate mother. They will either utilize artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization, depending on medical issues indicated by the medical testing.

While there are some serious medical considerations involved in surrogacy, there are many sources of surrogacy information available to all parties. Once couples have carefully sifted through all available surrogacy information, they want to be sure that they meet all surrogacy requirements as outlined by their State and surrogacy agency.

Many of the same medical tests will be performed on the intended parents and the surrogate mother. Doctors are trying to avoid any unwanted genetic characteristics and the possibility of illness for the child. If all medical surrogacy requirements are met by all parties, the intended parents will shortly have a new member of their family.

NEXT: Read The Implications of Surrogacy Beforehand