There are still some controversies about couples using surrogate mothers to have a baby. The legal process is different from each state which makes it a little bit tricky. Even though a lot of controversy surrounds it, it is still an option for couples if they have fertility problems or other reasons.
What is a surrogate mother?
A surrogate mother is someone who bears a child on behalf of another woman. It can be from the implantation of fertilized eggs from the other woman into her uterus, or it can be her own egg fertilized by the other woman’s partner.
There are two kinds of surrogate mothers. The first one is called a traditional surrogate. It is a woman who gets inseminated with the father’s sperm artificially. She then bears the baby and delivers it to the couple who hired her. This process of surrogacy makes the surrogate mother the biological mother of the baby. It is because it was her egg that was fertilized by the sperm of the father. Donor sperm can also be used in exchange for the sperm of the father.
The second kind of surrogate mother is called gestational surrogates. They use a technique called the In Vitro Fertilization or IVF, which makes it possible to easily gather the eggs from the mother to fertilize it with the sperm from the father. The embryo will be put into the uterus of the gestational surrogate. The surrogate carries the baby until its birth. With this technique, the surrogate doesn’t have any genetic ties with the child because it was not her egg that was used in the process. The biological mother is still the woman whose egg was used. The gestational surrogate is only called the birth mother.
In the United States, gestational surrogacy is a lot less complicated legally. It is because both of the intended parents have genetic ties to the baby. Because of this, gestational surrogacy became more common than the traditional surrogacy.
What are the qualifications to become a surrogate mother?
To be able to become a surrogate mother, you need to be able to pass both the physical and psychological qualifications. Here are the physical and psychological qualifications to become a surrogate.
Physical qualifications to become a surrogate mother
Being pregnant can come with risks and it can also be complicated. Physical qualifications are needed to ensure that the surrogate is capable of bearing a gestational pregnancy with the least amount of risk both to the baby and herself.
Professionals set these qualifications based on the ability of the surrogate to safely bear the shield for someone else. Here are some basic required standards that must be met in order to become a surrogate mother:
-Have carried at least one successful pregnancy
-No history of anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants for the past 12 months
-No new piercings or tattoos for the past 12 months of the starting process
-The age should at least be 21 years old and no older than 40 years old are allowed
-Have a healthy Body Mass Index that was determined by a doctor.
-There should be no major complication in their previous pregnancies
If a certain individual meets the basic surrogacy qualifications, she is a good candidate for surrogacy. It is still always a good idea to contact a professional. Because even if a certain qualification is not met, many professionals will still approve some surrogates on different occasions and may make an exception to some of the rules.
Psychological qualifications to become a surrogate mother
To qualify as a surrogate mother, it is not just about meeting the medical requirements. Every woman who is considering being a surrogate mother should be aware of the psychological and emotional challenges of the journey before they started it.
When a woman becomes a surrogate, she will have to commit herself to a partnership of at least a year with the intended parents. She will have to give up a big amount of energy and time to help them in becoming parents. At the same time that the surrogate handles her daily life, she will also have to cope up with the hormonal changes of being pregnant.
In conclusion, becoming one of the surrogate mothers is like a full-time job for a year. She needs to be prepared for the extra stress that will be added to her daily routine.
