When a couple decides to work with a surrogate mother, this is both a hopeful and at the same time challenging experience. It means that, unlike conventional couples, a traditional pregnancy is not in the cards. This can be due to an array of reasons, although typically, medical considerations, such as a condition that would put both mother and child at risk, are what make the normal route unfeasible.
However, deciding to work with another woman to become pregnant on behalf of the couple, better known as a surrogate mother, has its own set of considerations to deal with. Some couples may decide that while surrogacy is the route they want to take, doing so in their country of residence may not be the best place for that to happen. There can be a number of reasons for this, such as legal restrictions on the type of surrogacy they prefer or even financial considerations, such as their currency going further and getting them better results in another nation.
Because of this, it’s not uncommon for couples to go abroad for their surrogacy journey, but doing so means making some preparations in advance to ensure a more successful venture.
Determine Your Surrogacy Type
Before even approaching surrogacy agencies abroad, the first thing a couple should do is be completely certain about the type of surrogacy they are looking for. This choice will determine which countries are suitable and which are not for both legal and financial reasons. There are two factors to consider for surrogacy types: the financial side and the impregnation side.
Altruistic vs Compensated
On the financial side of things, couples will face a choice between altruistic and compensated surrogacies. Altruistic is the far more common type and is widely available throughout the world in countries that permit surrogacy. Altruistic is surrogacy on a volunteer basis. Women agree to become pregnant, and while some expenses are expected to be covered for them, such as medical or living expenses, when pregnancy progresses to the point that they can no longer support themselves, there is no other additional financial gain.
Compensated surrogacies are the opposite, where, in addition to the expected expense coverage, the surrogate mother receives significant financial recognition for her role. This is obviously more expensive than altruistic, but at the same time, it means many more women are willing to undertake the sizable challenge of surrogacy. Fewer countries legally permit this, however, so deciding on a compensated surrogacy significantly narrows the possible countries of choice to visit.
What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in surrogacy?
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a medically demanding method of fertilization in surrogacy that involves fertilizing a donor egg and sperm under lab supervision. This technique allows for optional screening for congenital diseases. Once the fertilized egg is confirmed and approved, it is implanted in the surrogate mother, and the natural course of pregnancy continues. IVF is a popular form of fertilization for hopeful couples who wish to have a child that is a direct genetic descendant of both parents, similar to a conventional pregnancy. However, it is a more complex and expensive procedure, which considerably narrows the facilities qualified to carry it out.
In vitro fertilization, on the other hand, while a popular method, is also much more medically demanding. This type of fertilization requires a donor egg and sperm that are fertilized under lab supervision. Optional screening for congenital diseases is also available with this technique. Once the fertilized egg has been confirmed and approved, it is implanted in the surrogate mother, and the natural course of pregnancy continues from there. This is a popular form of fertilization for hopeful couples that wish to have a child that is a direct genetic descendant of both parents, exactly as would occur in a conventional pregnancy. However, this is a much more complex and expensive procedure. This, as to be expected, considerably narrows the facilities that are qualified to carry out this procedure.
Researching Countries & Agencies
With these goals firmly fixed, it’s now time to research countries and agencies. Your preferred method of surrogacy will narrow down your available choices in some respects. A compensated IVF surrogacy, for example, is not something that every country and every surrogacy agency or clinic can do. This will help you to collate a lite of potential countries and candidate agencies or clinics to work with.
Once you have a list compiled, it’s time to look at other considerations, such as whether an agency or clinic is “foreign friendly” or not. If an agency can’t communicate with you in your preferred language, this will create many complications that could ultimately result in a bad or even failed surrogacy experience. Agencies and clinics that are experienced enough to deal with you in your language will typically also have the expertise to know how to ensure all legal protocols are also observed for your baby.
This is another important aspect that hopeful parents must prepare in advance as they look at surrogacy abroad. Countries do not necessarily automatically award citizenship to incoming newborns. In some cases, unless specific legal actions are taken beforehand, babies may not even be admitted into the country upon return, so knowing about the citizenship requirement for incoming surrogate newborns is an absolute must.
