Natural Pregnancy Vs. Surrogate Pregnancy

As a child, many of us dream of the day when we can finally branch off from our parents and start a family of our own. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, some women must face their infertility and are unable to bear children of their own. Depending on your particular circumstance, natural pregnancy may not be an option and is completely out of the question. Whether you are in an LGTBQ relationship, are coping with your infertility, or are aspiring to become a single parent, surrogacy has become a growing option that many people choose as an alternative path to parenthood.

As an aspiring parent, you probably would not have thought that you’d ever have to consider surrogacy as an option. However, with new and improved medical advancements and available resources, surrogacy is growing in popularity amongst many individuals. In the last decade, 35,000 children have been born through surrogacy worldwide!

What is Surrogacy?

Surrogacy is a type of assisted reproduction that helps Intended Parents (IPs) start a family of their own. Surrogacy helps many individuals experience the joys of parenthood which would not be accomplishable on their own. After filling out an application, the approval process begins and the Intended Parents are then matched with a surrogate. It takes a very special woman to become a surrogate mother. When you make the selfless decision to become a surrogate mother, you are agreeing to carry a child for another individual or couple out of the kindness of your heart, without the intention of keeping it as your own.

Types of Surrogacy

There are two types of surrogacy: Gestational Surrogacy and Traditional Surrogacy.

Traditional Surrogacy

Traditional Surrogacy involves artificial insemination with the sperm of the father. In a traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother is technically genetically related to the child she is carrying, as it is her egg that fertilizes the sperm.

Gestational Surrogacy

In a gestational surrogacy, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) takes places in which the eggs are gathered from the intended mother, and fertilized with the sperm of the father. The embryo is then placed into the uterus of the gestational surrogate. The surrogate mother will then carry the baby until birth. Since it was not her egg that was used in the fertilization process, she, therefore, has no genetic correlation to the child that she is carrying. In a Gestational Surrogacy, the surrogate is referred to as the “birth mother” while the intended mother is referred to as the “biological mother,” as this process involves the usage of her eggs.  

Why You Might Need a Carrier

There are many reasons as to why many people are resorting to surrogacy. For instance, some women may no longer have a uterus after a hysterectomy was conducted in order to treat an infectious disease such as cancer. In other cases, some women suffer from recurrent miscarriages making it difficult to experience a full-term pregnancy or may have a rare health problem that poses pregnancy as a threat to their body.

Is Surrogacy as Safe as a Natural Pregnancy?

The answer to this question is yes. With all the advances in medical technology, surrogacy has started to become more common and has been proven to be more safe and successful than other alternative birthing techniques. Surrogacy success rates used to be only 40%, but after the advancement of IVF, the success rates have gone up by 70-90%! With this being said, many individuals are now resorting to surrogacy, as an alternative path to parenthood.

Like any pregnancy, surrogacy holds the same risks and possibility of unexpected problems. The general assumption that surrogacy holds higher possibilities of risk is nothing but a myth. In fact, surrogacy is as safe as any low-risk natural pregnancy.

At Simple Surrogacy, we provide all our potential candidates with a list of requirements that they must meet in order to qualify. In addition, they go through a series of physical and psychological assessments to ensure that they are in good shape and are able to endure pregnancy with little to no complications. If we feel that the surrogate candidate is unqualified or has a low likelihood of success, we will not select them as a surrogate mother.

One of the mandatory qualifications for surrogacy is that she must have experienced a full-term pregnancy and been able to bear children of her own. This is to ensure that they are able to successfully carry a child and give birth. In addition, the likelihood of her becoming attached to this child when she has children of her own is very slim.

Overall, it is safe to say that there is no added risk when it comes to surrogacy. Just like any complications can arise with a normal pregnancy, the same is true for that of surrogacy.

How the Experiences Differ

As a surrogate, your experience will be pretty similar to the one you have experienced with your own child. One of the main differences is that you do not have to prepare to become a mother following the pregnancy. You do not need to stock up on diapers, set up a nursery, or even think of potential baby names. After the birth, you will be able to focus solely on your postpartum recovery, without the worry of a child.

In comparison to surrogacy, most women who become pregnant on their own do not actually realize that they are pregnant typically until a month or more after. However, in the surrogacy and IVF process, awareness soon begins after the embryo is transferred. Due to this, surrogates may have a greater sensitivity to early pregnancy symptoms during this stage as the awareness takes place immediately.

Moreover, as a surrogate, you must be willing to take more medication in comparison to a natural pregnancy in order to prepare the body to receive an embryo and to later be able to sustain the pregnancy.

Finally, when it comes to the delivery, typically surrogates find that they have more people awaiting the arrival of their little one! The delivery room will be filled with both your support system, your intended parents and their families! As a surrogate mother, you and the baby will be showered with double the love and support than in a natural pregnancy.

How To Get Started

If you want to learn more about surrogacy and what the process entails, be sure to contact Simple Surrogacy today! Whether you are an Intended Parent or potential surrogate candidate, do not hesitate to reach us at 1-866-41-SURRO or visit our website https://simplesurrogacy.com/ to view the list of requirements!