Discover the Types of Surrogacy

There are several different types of surrogacy available to prospective parents and surrogate mothers.

Traditional Surrogacy

Traditional surrogacy is when the child and surrogate mother are biologically related. The intended father is frequently also related to the child. In traditional surrogacy, pregnancy is produced through artificially insemination, usually utilizing the father's sperm. Donor sperm may be utilized if the intended father has health issues in his family's genetic history.

Artificial insemination may take place at a hospital or in the privacy of the surrogate mother’s home if she is comfortable enough to do it herself. This type of surrogacy is often chosen because of genetic factors that the intended mother carries or because of her inability to carry a pregnancy to term. For example, an intended mother may have a genetic factor which could adversely effect her health or the health of the baby.

The intended mother may also not be able to carry a pregnancy to full term because of a genetic component or because of pre-existing medical conditions. There is also the possibility that the intended mother's family history has potentially harmful genetic factors. In any case, the child conceived through traditional surrogacy will not be biologically related to the mother who has arranged the surrogacy.

Financial burden is also another reason to chose this type of surrogacy. The medical procedures involved in traditional surrogacy are less demanding and significantly less expensive than those of gestational surrogacy. Although there are many benefits in traditional surrogacy, intended parents may find that they both want to be biologically related to their child. In this case, they are forced to choose gestational surrogacy.

Gestational Surrogacy

Gestational surrogacy is also known as IVF surrogacy because pregnancy is produced through in vitro fertilization. When a pregnancy is produced through IVF, both intended parents will be biologically related to their child. The pregnancy is produced by utilizing sperm and eggs from the intended parents. More intense and time consuming medical procedures and medications are required to utilize IVF surrogacy.

The financial cost of gestational surrogacy is significantly higher than that of traditional surrogacy. The medications required for the intended mother and the surrogate mother can be expensive and may have adverse side effects. Both women's menstrual cycles must first be synchronized in order to allow for a successful pregnancy.

There is also a higher possibility for multiple births when using IVF. Intended parents should be financially and mentally prepared in case their surrogate mother gives birth to multiple babies. While gestational surrogacy is significantly more expensive than traditional surrogacy, intended parents may decide that they both want to be biologically related to their child.

Altruistic surrogacy is when a surrogate mother receives no financial compensation for services provided. In other words, she will not be paid for her time or for the pregnancy. However, in most cases, most of her medical bills and other bills directly associated with the pregnancy are paid by the intended parents.

Although there is no additional compensation for the surrogate mother, surrogacy can still be quite expensive for the intended parents. Their choice in whether to use traditional or gestational surrogacy will effect their financial burden.

By utilizing altruistic surrogacy, intended parents can save a significant amount of money as opposed to commercial surrogacy which can be quite expensive. Relatives of the intended parents are generally the surrogate mothers in an altruistic surrogacy. In this case, the intended parents will want to be sure that the relative does not carry any genetic faults that they were trying avoid by utilizing a surrogate.

Some states have laws that forbid compensation for surrogacy or egg donation, and thus altruistic surrogacy is the only option for intended parents. However, some states have surrogacy programs in which surrogates can receive compensation. In that case, intended parents would be utilizing commercial surrogacy.

Commercial Surrogacy

Commercial surrogacy is a type of surrogacy in which the surrogate mother is compensated for her services in addition to payments for her bills related to the pregnancy. While some intended parents will choose to go through an agency in order to find their surrogate mother, some may find a surrogate mother on their own. However, it is highly recommended that each party involved retain a lawyer.