When you're done with infertility: Starting a family through gestational surrogacy

Many women with hormonal imbalances like PCOS and endometriosis are able to conceive naturally. However, there are unfortunately still cases where this is not possible: either because of a severe hormone imbalance, inhospitable uterus, problems on the male-side, and countless other reasons.

We’ll be talking about gestational surrogacy today and how it helps many women and men achieve their dreams of having a family.

While it may not be the path you imagined for yourself for parenthood, starting a family with a surrogate is a monumental journey like no other between those wishing to become parents (intended parents) and a gestational carrier (surrogate or surrogate mother).

What is gestational surrogacy?

Gestational surrogacy helps those who are unable to have children become parents. It’s a process that requires medical and legal expertise, as well as a strong support system throughout the journey.

Surrogacy is a method of assisted reproduction where intended parents work with a gestational surrogate who will carry and care for their baby(ies) until birth. 

Through IVF, embryos are created in a lab at a fertility clinic. Sometimes the intended parents use their own genetic material. Sometimes, an egg donor is required. At the fertility clinic, 1-2 embryos are implanted into a gestational carrier, who carries the baby(ies) to term.

Gestational carriers have no genetic relationship to the children they deliver.

If conceiving or carrying a healthy baby to term is out of the question for you - and if finances permit - surrogacy is an excellent way to start a biological family.

Who uses surrogacy to have a baby?

Surrogacy helps many individuals and couples have the baby(ies) they’ve always dreamed of.

Intended parents come from all different backgrounds, from all over the world. Those who use surrogacy include:

• Heterosexual couples who have struggled with infertility
• Intended mothers who are unable to carry a child
• Intended parents who have a genetic defect or health condition they don't want to pass onto the child
• Same-sex intended parents who want to have a genetic link to their baby

Every surrogacy journey is unique, just like the intended parents. And while it can feel like a complicated process at first, it’s one that allows intended parents to have a biological connection to their child. 

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