Complications & Issues with Surrogacy

Certainly, before making any decisions about adoption, surrogacy or other options, you should know all of the facts. These are very complicated issues and not ones to be taken lightly. Obviously, most people would opt to have and deliver their own baby, could they do so. When this is not possible, however, the next best option for some is surrogacy. What are the issues involved in surrogacy? Is it really your best choice? Here, we take a look at these questions to help you to make hard decisions that go along with surrogacy.

Psychological Issues with Surrogacy

Many parents worry that the host mother will form a close bond with the baby that she is carrying and that she won't want to give it up when she gives birth. In order to minimize this risk, surrogate mothers go through an intense selection process, through psychological testing and screening. There is also a lot of legal paperwork that is signed and many ways to try to safeguard this from happening. Certainly, you should talk to your doctor and your lawyer about your concerns. Many parents also worry about the psychological consequences, since they didn't actually carry and deliver the baby. Just like in adoption, parents usually bond quite quickly with the baby and don't tend to feel this detachment once the baby arrives. This might be even more realistic with surrogacy than it might be with adoption, since the baby is genetically tied to you and will probably look like you or your partner.

Legal Issues

Some people shy away from surrogacy because it is a complicated legal process. It is, of course, possible to get through the red tape involved with surrogacy and for everything to work out well. With that said, you definitely need to have a good lawyer and to work closely with the lawyer and with the surrogate mother to make sure the process move smoothly.

Financial Issues

Surrogacy comes with a very high price tag. In general, the intended parents take on all of the financial costs, including the prenatal costs, IVF costs, medical visits, medical tests, and more. You must also pay a lawyer, and pay the surrogate. If the surrogate lives somewhere far away from you, you generally need to pay for all travel costs. Furthermore, if you use a surrogate agency, you'll need to pay for their services.

Personal Issues with Surrogacy

Surrogacy is quite complicated, because the genetic mother may have certain opinions about the pregnancy care; the surrogate, of course, may have differences of opinion. This could be true for pregnancy nutrition, exercise, labor and delivery, stress management, and an entire host of issues. Genetic testing and pregnancy problems are also issues. All of these conflicts need to be thought of ahead of time, and discussed to ease the burden.