The traditional childbirth route isn’t always an option for couples with medical challenges or other circumstances. However, surrogacy is the best solution if there’s still a deep wish to have a newborn baby of their own rather than adoption. Surrogacy is where another woman agrees to become pregnant on behalf of the couple. When the baby is born, that infant is then united with the hopeful parents so they can start their new lives together as a family.
However, surrogacy is a major investment of time and finances. This is one of the reasons why going abroad to other countries has become increasingly popular. But while there are many advantages to going abroad for surrogacy, this also requires considerable planning and taking into account many important factors. Here are some of the most important factors hopeful couples should consider as they look at surrogacy abroad and decide which country is the right destination.
Foreign Acceptance
It’s crucial to ensure your research is up to date on whether another country even accepts visiting couples for surrogacy. The most relevant example of this is Thailand. The country used to accept foreign couples until an Australian couple, realizing that their surrogate mother had twins, one of which had been diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome, insisted that she abort the other baby. The surrogate mother refused, so the Australian couple abandoned the baby with Down’s Syndrome, only taking the child they wanted. The act of this foreign couple so repulsed the government that they then made it illegal for all foreigners to deal with Thai surrogates.
Financial Style
While surrogacy is widely accepted in many countries, not all types or classes of surrogacy are. In many countries, such as Canada, “altruistic surrogacy” is the only type permissible. This is where the surrogate mother can only accept financial compensation for her living and medical expenses, but in all other ways, she is volunteering her body and time. For people who want more choice, “compensated surrogacies” provide that. This is where the surrogate mother receives significant financial recognition for her role. Because this payment can make a huge difference in their lives, many more medically suitable women are willing to take the role, providing much more choice.
Legality Of Couple
Some relationships, such as same-sex couples, may be legal in the country of residence, but that may not apply to other nations. Georgia, for example, has advanced medical facilities and staff and even has a constitution that protects the rights of foreign couples in surrogacy. However, all of this only applies to traditional man/woman marriages, and the country does not provide services to same-sex couples, meaning that even if these couples have the finances, they must take their needs to another country that doesn’t have the same legal restrictions.
Quality Of Care
While the primary advantage of surrogacy abroad is lower pricing, this financial efficiency shouldn’t come at the cost of lower quality of care. Carefully research the countries to see what level of medical care they can provide at the budget you are willing to spend. Some countries, such as Georgia, have significantly lower costs but do not compromise on world-class quality. Georgia offers facilities for couples like:
Inova IVF Center
The Inova IVF center is a more recent addition, opening in 2015. This is an advanced IVF center with additional services like Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. This can be critical for couples with a family history of congenital conditions like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis that are part of a family’s chronic medical history. This technique screens fertilized eggs, and those detected with the conditions are rejected for implantation.
GGRC Clinic
The GGRC clinic is known for offering comprehensive surrogacy support, even during the early stages, like helping couples find and negotiate with a surrogate mother. This clinic is recommended for start-to-finish service and can even help with legal considerations after birth, such as ensuring citizenship for the newborn.
Chachava Medical Center
Chachava Medical Center, another Tbilisi facility, has a legacy reputation spanning over a hundred years. It opened its doors to local patients in 1875 but accepts patients from across the globe today. It has comprehensive services for many surrogacy needs, such as obstetric and gynecological-related medical assessments and treatment.
Zhordania IVF Center
This clinic is in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. The Zhordania center is a more advanced facility specializing in In Vitro Fertilization with modern labs and experienced staff. The center can collect donor eggs, and if viable eggs are stored in another country, in cryogenic storage, they can transport them to their labs and use them for implantation.
And, of course, a final factor to consider is foreign experience. Only some countries or surrogacy clinics/agencies can deal with foreign visitors. This is a crucial factor in communication. If you can’t understand what is happening during the surrogacy process, this can significantly impact your chances of having a successful experience. Being able to facilitate foreign communication and needs is critical.