Guide To Surrogacy: Different Types Explained

In the process of surrogacy, a woman's uterus must implant and accept the embryo so that a baby may be delivered for a couple or another person. The female who will carry this embryo is referred to as a surrogate.

In surrogacy, in vitro fertilization or IVF is used to implant the fertilized egg into the surrogate female's uterus.

In surrogacy, there are two types: traditional and gestational. The differences between the two are explained in further detail below:

Traditional Surrogacy

The surrogate donates the egg and carries the embryo in her uterus. The surrogate is impregnated through intrauterine insemination (IUI). In the IUI procedure, the physician will take sperm from the biological father and transfer it into the surrogate mother's uterus. This encourages fertilization to occur naturally.

In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother is also the child's biological mother. Couples pursue this form of surrogacy when the biological mother's egg or biological father's sperm cannot be used.

Gestational Surrogacy

In this form, the surrogate mother's eggs are not utilised. Instead, the embryo contains the genetic information of both the biological mother and father. In the process of in vitro fertilisation, the sperm and egg from the birth parents are fertilised in a petri dish and transferred into the surrogate mother's uterus. The fertilisation procedure takes three to five days to complete before transferring to the surrogate's uterus. Once the embryo is transferred and successfully planted, the surrogate will carry it to term, until birth.

A Note about both Types of Surrogacy

Although the procedure for traditional and gestational surrogacy is different, both are safe procedures. Before starting on the surrogacy path, the surrogate mother is thoroughly screened to determine her health's overall status.

If you opt for gestational surrogacy, the surrogate must take medications to help develop and release numerous eggs to be used in fertilisation. Once the embryo is implanted into the surrogate's uterus, she will carry it to term.

In both gestational and traditional surrogacy, after the baby is born, they will go home with their biological parents.

To learn more about surrogacy, please contact Rite Options.