Gestational surrogacy (i.e., when a surrogate is not genetically related to the child she is carrying) is a great opportunity for straight couples to build and expand their family. However, choosing to grow your family through surrogacy is definitely a major decision. It’s a decision that takes a lot (no, seriously, a lot!) of consideration. With that said, though, we want to help guide you through this process so you can make a decision that best suits your family.
Why choose surrogacy?
Fostering, adoption, IVF, surrogacy — there’s so many choices! So, why opt for surrogacy? Well, there can be a lot of different reasons you may choose surrogacy over something else, like adoption. Here’s an example: Many couples who have a hard time getting pregnant or cannot have children might still want to have biological children, so opting for surrogacy can ensure that these couples can grow their family and still share a biological connection to their children. It’s all about your family’s priorities!
Here are some of the main benefits that come along with choosing surrogacy (other than ending up with a cute baby, of course):
- Even if you have experienced infertility, have medical conditions, or simply cannot have children, you can still successfully grow your family.
- You can still share a biological connection with your child.
- The surrogacy process involves a contract that is legally binding for everyone involved, meaning that you will have legal rights to your child after birth.
- You get to be involved throughout the process starting from the embryo transfer to the surrogate’s pregnancy milestones, getting to go to important doctor visits, and, most importantly, being involved in or even present for the baby’s birth (cue the daydreaming of your baby’s going-home-from-the-hospital outfit!)
- Surrogacy has a strong track record; it is safe and might even be more successful than fertility treatment!
Now, considering surrogacy also means you have to think about potential drawbacks. It’s true, surrogacy may not be for everyone. It’s important that you think about the downsides of surrogacy too in order for you to make the best decision. So, consider these potential snags:
- Gestational surrogacy is a complicated process, both legally and medically
- This can be a tough one for you Type A people, but you have to be willing to give up some control and be able to trust your surrogate to go through the pregnancy and eventual delivery.
- Cost can be factor- like save-up-for-months kind of expensive. (But we have ways to help make surrogacy affordable.) Let’s face it, though, trading in a pricey car for a more affordable minivan is totally worth it when you try to swap out that car seat for the five hundredth time.
What are our options for surrogacy?
For straight couples, there are many options for surrogacy. You can choose what option works best for your family. Here are some of the main choices straight couples can make for gestational surrogacy:
- Genetics Provided by the Both Intended Parents: The sperm of the male intended parent can be used to fertilize the egg of the female intended parent. The embryo that develops from this fertilization will then be transferred to the gestational carrier.
- Genetics Provided by Only the Male Intended Parent: If the female intended parent is unable to use her own eggs, a couple has a few options. You can have a family member be an egg donor, or you can go through a egg donor program. You may also purchase frozen eggs from an egg bank. Whichever option you choose, those donor eggs will be fertilized by the sperm of the male intended parent.
- Genetics Provided by Only the Female Intended Parent: If the male intended parent cannot use his own sperm, then an alternative choice can be to use a sperm donor. That donor sperm will then be used to fertilize the eggs of the female intended parent.
- Genetics Provided by Neither of the Intended Parents: Lastly, you may also opt to use both donor eggs and donor sperm. In this case, the donor sperm will be used to fertilize the donor eggs. Then, the embryo will be transferred to the gestational carrier.
Why choose Fairfax Surrogacy to build our family?
At Fairfax Surrogacy, offer highly personalized and comprehensive services at a fixed rate, making sure that you never have to pay any surprise costs or extra fees. With us, you will not have to worry about insurance costs and keeping up with balance statements to make sure everyone is compensated. We also have an innovative pre-screening process that, unlike other agencies, allows us to choose only the highest quality of surrogates to match you with.
If you are ready to move forward with your surrogacy journey, contact us by filling out our form here.
