Why Would a Woman Be a Surrogate?

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Of the many ways to use assisted reproductive technology for growing your family, perhaps no other produces more raised eyebrows as gestational surrogacy. That's understandable, especially in light of surrogacy's history and resulting legal issues.

Traditional surrogacy – in which the woman who carries the pregnancy is also the egg donor – is so fraught with potential issues that many fertility specialists and third-party matching agencies avoid it altogether. Instead, they and many infertile couples favor using gestational carriers – women who carry a pregnancy created by the IVF union of the couples' own eggs and sperm. Gestational surrogacy removes many of the legal and ethical issues from this infertility solution.

But there's still quite a bit of mystery in this process. The idea of a woman carrying a pregnancy and delivering a baby for another family to raise still makes some people uncomfortable. It's a very private experience, for the most part, so we don't often get to hear voices like Kymberli Barney's, a woman who experienced PCOS-related infertility and went on to become a gestational surrogate.

If you find yourself edging toward the idea that surrogacy might be your best option for finally having a baby, I encourage you to read Kymberli's brief story. And of course, as always, Houston Fertility Center staff will be happy to provide you with assistance in learning more about the incredible choice of surrogacy.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.

Surrogacy Is Special In Many Ways, Including Legally

Some of the hardest choices to make when infertility gets in the way of your family-building is whether or not to involve other people in making your dreams of a baby come true. For many who must turn to third-party reproductive services, the use of a gestational surrogate feels like a final step in the journey. Fortunately, surrogacy is a very successful means of arriving at the destination of a healthy baby! The laws surrounding the use of surrogacy can be tricky to manage, though.

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This article in the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinal describes the confusion that can occur because of the varying laws from state to state. This matters a great deal to patients using a gestational surrogate, because surrogates can live in states different from the intended parents.

In addition to the variances in state laws, it's also good to keep in mind that these laws are changing in many places. While the medical treatment side of infertility has been fine-tuned to result in tremendous success, the legalities involved haven't quite kept up pace. This is especially true regarding third-party ART.

So we naturally insist that patients wishing to use a surrogate do the best thing: Get experienced, qualified legal advice. Texas is actually one of the best (some say THE best) state in terms of laws that pertain to surrogacy. There are many attorneys who specialize in reproductive laws right here in the state, and Houston Fertility Center is happy to connect patients with those experts.

Surrogacy is an incredible way to build a family, for so many reasons. Making sure your arrangements and agreements are bound by law protects everyone involved, including your new child.

~ Dr. Sonja Kristiansen M.D.

Another Reason to Be Glad You're in America: Donor Supplies

Getting pregnant with the help of a third party, either an egg or sperm donor, is a tough decision to make. And how much to share with the resulting offspring about their beginnings is best left to the parents. At least, that's the American stance.

This piece in the Scottish paper, the Daily Record, illustrates how bad things have gotten in the UK since anonymity of donor records was made illegal. So few men step forward to donate sperm there now that the health system is helping out by importing semen from London. Many hopeful parents-to-be are spending time and money to go abroad, to countries where third-party supplies are more plentiful.

For patients at Houston Fertility Center, we collaborate with highly reputable agencies that have both sperm and egg donors available and waiting. The level of interaction between fertility patient and donor can vary with the agency and, most importantly, with the needs of all parties involved.

The U.S. may still have quite a few unsettled issues in the healthcare arena, but we can at least rest assured that supplies for third-party reproductive care are just fine.

Surrogacy The Final Stop In the Journey For Some

The Wall Street Journal has published a detailed article on the growing prevalence of international surrogacy as a way to build American families. The piece describes the incredible lengths that some couples will go through to have a child, heart-rending stories in some cases. It also brings up some of the concerns about connecting cross-culturally to resolve infertility.

To be sure, using a "third party" -- whether through donated sperm or egg, or gestational surrogacy -- requires more contemplation than other forms of fertility treatment. In situations where the donors are from relatively impoverished circumstances, hopeful parents-to-be must wrestle with the realities and potential consequences of their choices. With international medical care of any kind, some of the gravest issues can become mired in the differences between laws and health care technology and provision.

International medical care may be less expensive, but there are other costs. All parents must choose between rocks and hard places in "the parenthood."