The Basics of Surrogate Parenthood

Surrogate parenthood is when a woman enters into an agreement to carry an infant to term for another person,who then becomes the infant’s parent legally at birth. Surrogate mothers are frequently utilized by women who are incapable of conceiving or carrying an infant to term. This generally happens through the process of artificial insemination,or when an embryo that has been fertilized by the sperm of a male involved is implanted. Same-sex male partners sometimes make use of surrogate parents as well,rather than seeking adoption or foster parenthood.

Two main varieties of surrogacy exist. Traditional surrogacy was once the sole type of surrogate parenthood. It involves artificial insemination of the surrogate mother with the prospective father’s sperm. With gestational surrogacy,another woman’s egg is used to create an embryo with the father’s sperm. This embryo is then implanted into the surrogate mother. The advantage of the latter is that the infant is genetically related to both prospective parents if one of the partner’s egg was used. The disadvantage of the latter is its expense,the complexity of the procedure,and how time-consuming it is.

Surrogate parents give up all of their parental rights the very moment that the infant is born. The biological father in this case automatically becomes the father legally,while the parent that is non-biological adopts the infant. Not every state permits surrogate parent arrangements. The drafting of a surrogacy agreement or contract is vital for preventing legal problems in the future. Should the surrogate parents change their minds and want to keep the infant,for instance,the contract will require her to give up the infant to its rightful parents. It is advisable for the surrogate parents and the prospective parents to hire- when seeking these agreements.