Surrogacy is a financially and emotionally demanding process, but it has also been an effective parenthood solution for many people facing infertility. If you are considering surrogacy, you might want to know what advantages surrogacy offers and what challenges may lie ahead. Let’s look at the pros and cons of surrogacy in detail.
Pros of Surrogacy
For intended parents, the advantage of surrogacy is obvious - to achieve their dream of parenthood and hold their child. However, surrogacy offers more benefits to people seeking parenthood.
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A child born through surrogacy will be genetically related to one or both intended parents. In the case of gestational surrogacy, the intended parents’ eggs and sperm are used to create embryos. As a result, a surrogate acts as a carrier of the child and is not genetically related to them in any way. Sometimes, the genetic material from one of the intended parents is combined with the donor’s material. In this case, the child will be related to one of the parents.
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In the process of regular medical screening for intended parents and a surrogate, experts can identify both mild health issues as well as more serious conditions such as embryo diseases and address them.
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You can choose the gender, plus the eyes and hair color of your future child. Some surrogacy-friendly countries offer an opportunity to select the gender of your future child. This is only possible through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) which is usually used in the surrogacy process. New technologies are also being introduced that allow you to choose the color of your future child's eyes and hair.
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You can choose to have twins or triplets. The surrogacy process allows intended parents to plan a twin or triplet pregnancy.
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You can actively participate in pregnancy. Intended parents can experience their baby's development by sharing the pregnancy process with their surrogate and participating in the milestones.
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You can be sure that you will have a baby. Even if the process takes longer than expected, surrogacy can guarantee that the intended parents will have a baby. If one surrogate match or embryo transfer is unsuccessful, more surrogate options and attempts are always available.
Cons of Surrogacy
Despite the above advantages, it is important to be aware of the common challenges that surrogacy can pose.
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Surrogacy is expensive. Medical expenses, legal fees, and surrogate compensation usually add up significantly. Intended parents should be financially prepared for the process's demands. Check out prices here.
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Surrogacy is not legal in every country. Most countries ban it completely. However, there are just a few surrogacy-friendly countries that make the process legally convenient for intended parents. Check out surrogacy-friendly countries here.
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Surrogacy is an emotionally demanding process. It takes time and effort, and intended parents may encounter difficulties and setbacks along the way. The process requires patience and perseverance throughout all the stages.
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Society's prejudice against surrogacy. There is still some prejudice towards surrogacy, especially with gay couples and single farthers. Working with intended parents, we’ve also experienced their challenges and learned how to support them best.
To address these issues and support intended parents, we will be streaming a webinar discussion with a well-known guest who has faced condemnation for his choice of surrogacy. The webinar will take place at the end of September. We will release the date and time on our website so stay tuned!
Surrogacy Risks
It’s essential to be prepared for any possible emergencies and complications in the surrogacy process. Below is a list of some common risks for the intended parents, surrogates, and babies.
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Intended parents should remember that, like with any pregnancy, there is no guarantee that a surrogate pregnancy will be successful and go to term. Surrogate pregnancies can also have complications and health risks.
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Fertility treatments and medical procedures can cause side effects and pose health risks to intended parents and surrogates.
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Required medical and financial services plus surrogate compensation can pose a financial risk for unprepared families.
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Surrogacy poses emotional and health risks for a surrogate. Pregnancy can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, infections, etc. Surrogates may also get emotionally attached to the baby they are carrying, especially in the case of altruistic surrogacy. Carrying a pregnancy for other people can be emotionally and physically challenging not only for a surrogate but also for their family, even though most surrogates believe in what they do and are happy to help others become parents. Intended parents, in turn, often experience a lack of control in the surrogacy process.
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Another challenge is that there are a lot of scams in the area of surrogacy. Scammers manipulate intended parents’ longing for a child and you need to be careful looking for an agency that has a good reputation and testimonials. A quality surrogate agency will provide care and support to surrogates during pregnancy. You should also watch out for hidden payments when the amount you must pay increases along the way. At WCOB, we offer intended parents a fixed price without unexpected changes.
To Sum Up
Surrogacy offers unbeatable advantages but also poses some challenges and risks. On the positive side, you will have a child genetically related to you and your partner, you may choose to have twins or triplets and decide on the gender, and you will have a chance to identify any underlying diseases you or a surrogate might have. But it’s important to remember that surrogacy is expensive and might not be legal in your country. Surrogacy is also an emotionally demanding process and requires complete dedication and patience.
The benefits and challenges of the surrogacy process will mainly depend on your unique circumstances. The WCOB team can identify challenges and advantages in your unique situation based on your health, location, and personal surrogacy goals. Contact us for a personalized pros and cons assessment of your surrogacy journey.
