Mary is a surrogate mother. She is one of the more experienced surrogates in the country and has children of her own. Mary is 35, she started becoming a surrogate when she was 29. In order to become a surrogate, the surrogacy agency endorses her to intended parents who are looking to have a child but is unable to.
As a surrogate, Mary carries the baby for the couple who wishes to have a child. She becomes pregnant thru an assisted reproductive technology that is most commonly known as IVF (In-vitro fertilization). This type of surrogacy is called Gestational surrogacy which means Mary is implanted with eggs from a donor or from one of the couple and carries the child without having any genetic relation to the baby. This type of surrogacy is the most common one which often involves a surrogacy agency who manages the selection of the egg donor, IVF clinic, surrogate and the legal aspects.
Another type is known as traditional surrogacy which is not commonly practiced today. Traditional surrogacy involves natural or artificial insemination where the surrogate’s own eggs are involved in the process genetically linking the child to the surrogate and is often unrelated to the intended parents.
Usually a surrogate mother is required to be 21-44, healthy and psychologically capable of becoming a surrogate. Pregnancy changes the behaviour of women with heightened emotional and sensual states. This is when legal representation is important in undergoing surrogacy as it will protect the rights of both the intended parents, the surrogate mother and the child.
By the second trimester during the pregnancy, intended parents will need to process a pre-birth order from a judge requesting that they are named as the rightful guardians and parents of the child after birth. Laws on surrogacy vary per state so it is important to know ahead the laws governing your arrangement. There are states that process a “declaration of parentage” prior to birth where the intended parents are able to put their name on the birth certificate and bring the infant home after release.
In some states where it does not offer the “declaration of parentage”, the infant remains under the care of the surrogate mother for a few days until adoption procedures are granted to the intended parents.
Mary is one of the 450 surrogate mothers who give birth every year. Some of them have their own insurance plans while others are given new birth plans by the intended parents. The surrogacy agency takes care of most of the details and intended parents assist in the surrogate’s journey to bringing their child to this world.
Author-April Parker
Leave a Reply