Surrogacy has helped countless families grow, but did you know surrogacy has a long history? Although modern science has improved the process with technologies like fertility treatments and in vitro fertilization (IVF), the practice of surrogacy has been around for thousands of years. The history of surrogacy is fascinating and shows throughout time that there are always people who can help make your dreams of having a family come true.
Who Invented Surrogacy?
Historians know that surrogacy has been around for thousands of years. The earliest examples of surrogacy appear in Babylon and the Bible. In ancient Babylon, Babylonians used surrogacy to prevent divorce. By using a surrogate, families could continue to grow, ensuring an heir. The other example of surrogacy from ancient history comes from the Book of Genesis through the stories of Sarah and Hagar and Rachel and Bilhah. In both stories, a couple turned to a surrogate mother to carry a child.
The First Artificial Insemination In History
Surrogacy in ancient times was achieved through natural impregnation. However, in the late 1700s, artificial insemination was pioneered. A Scottish surgeon named John Hunter created a tool that fertilized his patient’s womb with semen, resulting in a successful pregnancy. Hunter’s work paved the way for modern fertility care and surrogacy.
A Timeline Of Modern Surrogacy
In the 1900s, the science around surrogacy really started to take off. With scientific, medical, and social advancements, surrogacy became more advanced and grew in popularity. Here is a timeline of the significant historical events between then and now that have defined surrogacy:
- 1936: Pharmaceutical manufacturers Schering-Kahlbaum and Parke-Davis began the production of estrogen.
- 1940: Dr. Mary Barton, obstetrician, founded the first fertility clinic to offer donor insemination in London.
- 1944: Professor John Rock fertilized the first human ovum outside of the uterus at Harvard Medical School.
- 1953: Researchers Jerome K. Sherman and Raymond Bunge performed the first cryopreservation of sperm and opened the first sperm bank in the US.
- 1976: US attorney Noel Keane created the first legal surrogacy contract protected by law.
- 1978: Louise Brown, nicknamed the “test-tube baby” by the press, was born in England as a result of the first successful IVF procedure.
- 1985: Shannon Boff was the first surrogate mother to carry a successful gestational surrogate pregnancy.
- 1986: The first major surrogacy legal dispute occurred in the US when a surrogate mother Mary Beth Whitehead would not relinquish custody of “Baby M,” but the courts awarded custody to the intended parents, Elizabeth and William Stern.
- 1990: Another major surrogacy legal battle in the US occurred when California courts upheld the parental rights of Mark and Crispina Calvert in a surrogacy dispute, defining the true mother as the woman who intends to create and raise the child per the surrogacy agreement.
- 2009: Ukraine approved its first official surrogacy laws.
- 2021: Mexico’s Supreme Court rules that everyone, regardless of identity, has the right to assisted reproductive technology, including surrogacy.
There are still many more surrogacy advancements around the corner as the history of surrogacy is just beginning. Our surrogacy agency will continue leading the way as the science and laws evolve.
How Does Surrogacy Work Now?
Surrogacy has transformed over history from very traditional forms of impregnation to the scientifically advanced fertilization technologies we have now. Surrogacy now is a much different process. Between the scientific and legal advancements over history, surrogacy is very complex and requires the support of experts like surrogacy agencies. How does surrogacy work now?
The most common form of surrogacy now is gestational surrogacy. Gestational surrogacy is where physicians fertilize an embryo using IVF. They will either use the parent or donor’s sperm and the parent, donor, or surrogate’s egg. Once the physician implants the fertilized embryo in the surrogate mother’s womb, she then carries the child to term. During the pregnancy, the intending parents support the mother financially.
To begin the surrogacy process, the intended parents need to contact a surrogacy agency. The surrogacy agency starts the matching process. The matching process pairs the intending family with a potential surrogate mother. Both the intended parents and the surrogate mother then undergo legal, psychological, and medical evaluations. If everything is good to go, the surrogacy agency then takes care of everything.
The long history of surrogacy gives us keen insight and helps us answer how does surrogacy work now. From ancient times to today, surrogacy has been helping families grow. If you are ready to grow your family and want to know if surrogacy is right for you. Contact our knowledgeable staff, and we’ll happily answer any of your questions. Whether you are just learning how surrogacy works or if you’re ready to start the surrogacy matching process, we’re here to help. We’ll provide all the information, advice, and support you need to grow your family.