There are two primary types of surrogacy. These are traditional and gestational. Each works in a somewhat different fashion:

• Traditional Surrogacy – In a traditional surrogacy situation, the surrogate mother will become artificially inseminated with the sperm of the baby's biological father. In this case, the sperm is implanted into her uterus procedurally where the child can then develop in her womb. With traditional surrogacy, the surrogate mother is also the biological mother of the child.
• Gestational Surrogacy – Because many women who cannot conceive or have children naturally still wish to be a biological mother, there is also the process of gestational surrogacy. In this instance, in vitro fertilization is used where by eggs are harvested from the woman wishing to be the biological mother of the child. These eggs, along with sperm that is collected from the baby's biological father, will all be implanted into the uterus of the surrogate mother. At this point, the surrogate mother will carry the child in her womb until its birth.

Having your baby via Surrogacy

Once you've made the decision to have your baby via Surrogacy and have met all the legal requirements, we get to work to find your surrogate mother and start the process, which involves several steps.

Step:1 Sourcing of embryos, using your own eggs or donated eggs. If you are able, and plan to use your own eggs, you will need to undergo a cycle of IVF to produce embryos that can then be transferred to your chosen surrogate. Alternatively, if you already have frozen embryos, these can be implanted in the surrogate mum-to-be.

If you choose to use donor eggs, we will help you to find a suitable donor. All potential egg donors are screened thoroughly. Typically, our choose egg donors must be under 30 years old, with ideal BMI, and matching characteristics and traits to the recipient couple.

Our egg donation programme covers selection of the donor, counselling, compensation to the donor, IVF and Embryo Transfer to the recipient. At Expert fertility Care, you can also rest assured that the whole process is handled with utmost discretion and confidentiality.

Step:2 Choosing the right surrogate. We hand-pick your surrogate after the requisite screening, and prepare her for the embryo transfer. This stage of the programme includes pre-screening of the surrogate, endometrial priming, legal charges for the advocate, Surrogate home stay for surrogate after embryo transfer (15 days), the embryo transfer and testing for pregnancy.

Step:3 Monitoring the pregnancy. If your surrogate tests positive for pregnancy, we will give you the good news immediately. She is given accommodation for the duration of the pregnancy, and we ensure that she is cared for and monitored regularly. This includes medication, scans, procedures to keep track of the baby and a balanced, nutritious diet. Of course, we will also keep you updated so that you can share your baby's key developments.

Step:4 Your baby's birth. When your baby decides that it is time to make its arrival, around the estimated due date ideally, we will proceed with childbirth, either through a normal delivery or via caesarean section, as required.

Step:5 Compensating your surrogate. The compensation fee is delivered to the surrogate mother after the birth of your child and final signing of the contract agreement.

The Legal Aspect of Surrogacy

In addition to the medical and emotional issues that are associated with surrogacy, there are also many legal considerations that must be addressed. This may involve putting in writing all of the legal requirements that are related to the surrogacy arrangement.

Particular issues can include the needs of both the surrogate mother as well as the biological parents. This may also entail the writing of a financial related contract that outlines how the medical and other related expenses of the surrogate mother will be reimbursed. Once all of these issues have been addressed and put in writing, the process of impregnating the surrogate mother can begin.