“My huge thanks to all the staff of the Stork Service center… I thought that I would never know the joy of motherhood. But after forty, happiness smiled on me.” –Ekaterina Goncharenko
If conceiving or adopting a child is not on the table for you, you can still experience the joys of parenthood through surrogacy. Surrogacy is a process where you work with a woman who carries a child for you. You’re involved in every step of her pregnancy, from hearing the baby’s heartbeat for the first time to the delivery day when you welcome your newborn to the world.
If you’re new to surrogacy, the first thing to understand is that there are two types of surrogacy:
- Traditional Surrogacy
- Gestational Surrogacy
Deciding which type is best for you early on will help you start budgeting and researching the right surrogacy services for your family. Here’s what you need to know about traditional vs. gestational surrogacy to help you begin family planning.
What Is Traditional Surrogacy?
Traditional surrogacy is when a surrogate mother uses her own egg. Doctors inseminate her egg with sperm from the intended father or a donor. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother is the biological mother of the child.
Who Should Choose Traditional Surrogacy?
Traditional surrogacy is a good option for intended parents who cannot use their own eggs and are open to the surrogate being the biological mother of the child. As traditional surrogacy does not require in vitro fertilization (IVF), it is simpler and less expensive than gestational surrogacy. Here are the pros and cons of traditional surrogacy:
Pros Of Traditional Surrogacy:
- Genetic Connection: The surrogate has a direct genetic link to the child, which can be important for intended parents seeking a genetic connection, especially if they are unable to carry a pregnancy themselves.
- Lower Costs: Traditional surrogacy can sometimes be less expensive than gestational surrogacy, as it may not involve the costly process of IVF and other related surrogacy services.
- Fewer Medical Procedures: Traditional surrogacy does not require the implantation of embryos, reducing the number of required medical procedures.
Cons Of Traditional Surrogacy:
- Emotional and Legal Complexities: Since the surrogate is the biological mother, the emotional and legal challenges are more complex for the surrogate and intending parents.
- Legal Ambiguities: Parental rights can be difficult to establish in traditional surrogacy, especially if the surrogate does not want to give up the child after birth.
- Limited Availability: Due to the complex emotional and legal dynamics, fewer women choose to become traditional surrogates, limiting options for intended parents.
If you think traditional surrogacy is right for you, contact us to learn more about our traditional surrogacy services.
What Is Gestational Surrogacy?
Gestational surrogacy is where a doctor uses IVF to implant a fertilized embryo into the uterus of the surrogate. The surrogate mother then carries the pregnancy to term. With gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother does not have a genetic link to the child. The intended parents or donors provide both the egg and the sperm. Many intending parents chose gestational surrogacy because of the reduced legal and emotional complications.
Who Should Choose Gestational Surrogacy?
Gestational surrogacy is ideal for intended parents who want a child who is genetically related to one or both of them but cannot carry the pregnancy themselves. Gestational surrogacy services are also ideal for couples, individuals, or LGBTQ+ families relying on donated eggs, sperm, or embryos. Here are some pros and cons of gestational surrogacy:
Pros Of Gestational Surrogacy:
- No Genetic Connection: The surrogate does not have a genetic connection to the child.
- Clearer Legal Rights: Gestational surrogacy tends to have more explicit legal arrangements, as the child is genetically related to the intended parents, making it easier to establish legal parentage.
- Higher Success Rates: Gestational surrogacy uses IVF, a highly refined procedure with relatively high success rates for successful pregnancies and births.
Cons Of Gestational Surrogacy:
- More Expensive: Gestational surrogacy uses more expensive procedures, such as IVF and embryo transfer.
- Higher Medical Risks: The surrogate mother undergoes more medical procedures, including IVF, hormone treatments, and embryo implantation in gestational surrogacy.
- Higher Emotional Impact: Though the surrogate has no genetic connection to the child, the emotional toll of carrying a pregnancy for others can still be significant, potentially leading to challenges during or after the pregnancy.
If you think gestational surrogacy is right for you, contact us to learn more about our gestational surrogacy services.
Find A Surrogacy Agency Offers Both Types Of Surrogacy
Both types of surrogacy provide families with the opportunity to welcome a new member, making it possible to grow your family even when traditional conception or adoption is not an option. Work with a surrogacy agency that offers both traditional and gestational surrogacy to explore both options and make a fully informed decision about which is best for your family.
At Stork Service, we understand that each family’s needs are unique, and we’ll weigh the pros and cons of the types of surrogacy. With over 10 years of helping intended parents like you, we have the expertise to help you decide which type of surrogacy best meets your needs. Contact us today to learn more about family planning with surrogacy.