It’s natural for many couples to decide to take the next step and wanting to start a family. For some, unfortunately, obstacles such as medical conditions make the conventional path of a traditional pregnancy risky or impossible. Fortunately, solutions for this exist, such as adoption or, for people that want a newborn of their own, surrogacy, where another woman agrees to become pregnant and, upon the birth of the baby, that newborn is then united with the hopeful parents.
As popular as this alternative is, many choose to pursue it outside their country of residence. But why? Here are some of the primary advantages of choosing to undertake the surrogacy journey abroad.
More Choice
A big advantage of going abroad for surrogacy is that this often gives couples much more power about choice. This is especially true if they live in a country where compensated surrogacies aren’t legal. While surrogacy is legal in many nations, the most common type is “altruistic surrogacy.” This is where the surrogate mother only receives funding for the living and medical expenses she would otherwise have difficulty meeting from her own finances. So, in essence, altruistic surrogacies are on a voluntary basis, with no other additional payment to the surrogate mother.
Compensated surrogacies, however, are where it is legal for a surrogate mother to receive significant financial recognition for her important role. In those countries where compensated surrogacies are permitted, there is often far more availability and choice for suitable surrogate candidates. This is because, with greater financial incentives, many more women are willing to provide their bodies and time for the venture.
Better Pricing
However, one of the biggest advantages of choosing surrogacy abroad has to be affordability. For many, especially in the developed nations, the price of surrogacy is a significant investment, sometimes similar in scope to making a sizable real estate investment. But that is only for those that are paying domestic prices. All over the world, surrogacy organizations can provide an equivalent level of medical care and support for a surrogate mother, with zero compromises to the quality of medical care, but at lower prices than what a couple would pay in their country of residence.
There are often numerous reasons for this, chief among them being currency differences. For example, Georgia, in Eastern Europe, is a popular destination for many foreign couples, and one reason for this is that the country is not an American state and even sits outside the European Union, still retaining its own currency, the Lari, can stretch currencies like the American Dollar much further. For many couples, this can mean that something that might not be affordable in the United States or Canada, such as In Vitro Fertilization, may be feasible in a country like Georgia.
However, while these can be very beneficial for couples, it only works out if they’ve done their research and are working with credible organizations. It can be very easy for people looking at lower pricing to believe that all services are equal, but the old truism, “you get what you pay for,” still works here. It’s not enough to look at the price tags and make a decision based solely on that. For example, Stork Service has verifiable, effective alliances in Georgia with facilities like:
Zhordania IVF Center
Located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Zhordania is a specialized facility offering services like In Vitro Fertilization using world-class labs and experienced staff. The center, if needed, can even use donor eggs stored offsite in another country in cryogenic storage. They have the experience to safely transport them to their labs and use them for implantation.
GGRC Clinic
The GGRC clinic has a reputation for providing comprehensive surrogacy support, even at the early stages, such as assisting couples in finding and negotiating with a surrogate mother. This clinic is an excellent choice for couples wanting start-to-finish service. It can even provide legal assistance after birth, such as ensuring babies get citizenship in their chosen country of residence.
Inova IVF Center
The Inova IVF center is a newer facility that went into operation in 2015. This is also an IVF-focused center with useful services like Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. PGD can be crucial for couples with a medical history of congenital conditions in the family, like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. This technique screens fertilized eggs and detects the markers for such conditions, allowing hopeful families to choose to implant eggs without those conditions, giving the baby its best possible medical start in life.
Chachava Medical Center
Chachava Medical Center is another reputable facility in Tbilisi, but this is one with a legacy. It has cared for patients for over one hundred years, opening its doors to Georgian patients in 1875. Today, however, it proudly accepts patients from any country in the world. It has a broad array of services, even for surrogacy needs, like gynecological-related and obstetric medical assessments and treatment.