In typical situations, a couple deciding to start a family will go the usual route of allowing the woman in the relationship to become pregnant. Nine months later, a baby is born, and the new family starts a new phase of life together. Unfortunately, not every couple can have the option of taking the traditional route to start a family.
Sometimes, medical circumstances make a normal pregnancy extremely hazardous, such as a heart condition that would imperil both the mother and unborn child. In other cases, pregnancy may be impossible due to life-saving surgery, such as hysterectomies that combat cancer that removes the uterus.
In these situations, surrogacy, where another woman agrees on behalf of a couple, becomes the solution. Once the child is born, the surrogate mother unites the newborn with its hopeful parents, and after the extra time, effort and investment, a new family life can begin. However, in some cases, surrogacy is something that is better handled not in the country of residence for a hopeful family but abroad.
Surrogacy Sometimes Works Better In Other Countries
Surrogacy itself is a commonplace practice, but the ways it is practiced, and its legal status can vary from one country to the next. As a result, for some couples, if it is now time to consider surrogacy as a solution to having a child, the country of residence is not always the ideal place to do it. This can be for several reasons, including:
Legality
In some countries, surrogacy is banned. The European Union nations of France and Germany, for example, both have these laws in place, so for hopeful families in these countries, surrogacy is simply not an option. In other cases, the type of surrogacy available in a country may not be optimal for a couple’s preferences.
For example, Canada only legally recognizes altruistic surrogacy, meaning that the surrogate mother’s participation in the surrogate pregnancy is on a voluntary basis. While she may receive some funds for her living expenses and medical treatment as the pregnancy progresses, she gets no financial recognition otherwise for her role in the process. As a result, there is a much smaller pool of women willing to undergo a surrogate pregnancy.
However, in countries where compensated surrogacy is legal and women do receive appropriate financial recognition, the pool of choices is much wider. This gives hopeful families many more options and more control over the process, which can be a big priority. In this case, traveling abroad to take advantage of these options makes more sense.
Currency
Sometimes, differences in currency value can be significant and mean either bigger savings or paying more than is necessary. California, for example, is a state in America that has legalized compensated surrogacies and sports modern first-world medical facilities.
However, deciding to undertake surrogacy in California also means paying premiere prices. A California surrogate mother will expect compensation equal to the more expensive lifestyle of this area, and paying for top-tier medical facilities in California is also costly.
But if the same amount of choice and the same quality of medical attention and technology is available in countries other than the United States, then not having to pay in US dollars can make a huge financial difference. Georgia, for example, is located in Eastern Europe and still sports world-class medical facilities and care. However, currencies from other countries go a much longer way here than they would in the conversion to American dollars, making this a cost-effective solution even for Americans who are not wealthy.
Working With Other Organizations
However, the decision to work with surrogacy agencies abroad can involve more coordination and planning. This is where reaching out to other groups can become essential. Depending on the type of surrogacy required, there may be a need to reach out to different medical and laboratory facilities. If a surrogate mother is located in Georgia, for example, but there’s a wish to use cryogenically stored eggs that were removed and preserved before a hysterectomy process was undertaken, then safe transportation of those eggs in a viable state requires inter-corporate cooperation.
On the other hand, there may also be certain legal measures that must be taken to ensure the safe return of a surrogate baby. A child born in another country is not always guaranteed citizenship upon return to an intended country of residence, especially if the child is not the biological descendant of the returning parents. This can require extra legal preparation to ensure that a family can safely return to the country of residence without any issues of a child being declared “stateless” and creating more challenges.
The more groups are involved in surrogacy abroad, the more cooperation is required. However, when businesses move forward into the venture with an understanding of the process and coordinating with the specialists in the different areas, this results in a safe, efficient experience for everyone involved.