Traditional vs gestational surrogacy

In this day in age, there are many fertility options available, and surrogacy is no different. Once, surrogacy referred strictly to a woman who carried a baby biologically hers, conceived with donor sperm often from the intended father. Now, apart from traditional surrogacy, gestational surrogacy where the surrogate mother gestates a baby that has no biological link to her is an extremely viable option. What exactly are all the surrogacy possibilities modern medicine offers? And what are their pros and cons?

This depends on your personal situation and wishes. Certainly, there are many variables to consider! Traditional surrogacy is still practiced today, but has become far less common since the advent of gestational surrogacy and egg donation. In traditional surrogacy, one could say, the woman is an egg donor as well as a surrogate mother. This offers many more possibilities in terms of insemination techniques compared to gestational surrogacy, and is more straight forward in many ways. However, a decreasing number of women is willing to gestate and birth a child that is her child in so many ways. Traditional surrogacy is perhaps more common in cases where, let's say, your sister has volunteered to be your surrogate. If you need an egg donor because you are not able to provide your own eggs, traditional surrogacy using family members can result in a child who is still biologically related to you.

Gestational surrogacy is a great option for families in which the mother is able to produce eggs, but not carry a pregnancy to term. Using IVF, eggs can be harvested from the biological mother, and then the created embryos can be implanted into the surrogate s uterus. The same thing can still apply to families who cannot provide their own eggs, with the help of an egg donor. Think about women who do not have ovarian reserves, want to avoid passing on genetic conditions, or gay couples who, needless to say, are not in possession of their own eggs. Another benefit of gestational surrogacy is that the surrogate mother is truly a mere host to the baby, which results in less emotional difficulties for all parties involved. Of course, this host role is extremely essential to the birth of the child, but it certainly makes the situation more clear-cut. In surrogacy, there are perhaps three key roles that of the intended parent or parents, the egg donor, and the surrogate mother. These roles often overlap, and every surrogacy journey is different. Isn't it wonderful that, with so many medical possibilities, choosing the option that is right for you is a reality?