Surrogacy is becoming a leading choice for couples who cannot get pregnant to expand their families. But it is one of the only two options along with adoption for same-sex couples who want families. Surrogacy plays an advantage by genetically linking one or both individuals to the child, allowing them to be birth parents. While it is a lengthy and complicated process and with varying laws from state to state, the procedure gets more tricky for same-sex couples.
Understanding what the journey of surrogacy for gay parents entails for them is crucial before signing up for the responsibility. Here is everything you need to learn about gay surrogacy-
What is the Gay Surrogacy Process Like?
The surrogacy process is similar for everyone with the medical, legal, and other assessments required by the surrogacy agency. Here is how the gay surrogacy process works-
Deciding if Surrogacy is the Right Choice:
Before beginning the surrogacy journey, the first step is understanding what it means to be a parent and if it is the right choice for you. Your expectations, wishes, and state laws will significantly affect your decision at this point. If you are ready to become parents through surrogacy, congratulations on completing the first step in your beautiful journey.
Answering the Essential Questions:
Once you agree to be a parent through surrogacy, you will need to answer some basic yet crucial questions about the process. For instance-
- Who will be genetically related to the child? Since both men can be sperm donors, you will need to decide which one of you will donate. Some also choose to use both the sperms.
- You will also need to answer who will be your donor. Most same-sex couples already know their donors and do not require outside help. However, if you don’t have any options, you can always work with a surrogacy agency to help find the perfect match according to your wishes.
You can both be genetically related to the child if one of the individuals donates their sperm and a relative from the other side agrees to donate an egg. This way, the child will carry the gene pool of both parents.
Matching with a Surrogate:
The next stage involves matching with a suitable surrogate who will carry the child to term for the intended parents. Prospects are shown to both parties, and if both are satisfied and agree to the terms presented by the other, they enter the surrogacy journey together.
Medical Screening:
To ensure the surrogacy process goes through smoothly, the surrogate needs to get medically assessed by the fertility clinic chosen by the intended parents. The process will begin once she gets a green signal from the doctor.
Legal Processing:
Surrogacy is as much a legal process as it is medical. Both the parties work with their surrogacy attorneys to create a contract. You can present your wishes and expectations in this contract about the process from pre to post-pregnancy stages, like whether the surrogate mother is allowed to contact the child after birth or if the intended parents can partake in the various milestones of the process. If both the parties are happy with the terms and conditions, they move to the next step in the surrogacy journey.
Embryo Transfer:
When everything is set, the egg is artificially fertilized with the sperms through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in a lab. When the embryo is formed, it is transferred into the surrogate’s uterus.
Pregnancy:
The surrogate continues working with her local clinic, and the pregnancy is confirmed once the doctor hears the embryo’s heartbeats. This step is the longest as the gestational carrier carries the child through the term. The intended parents continue to form strong bonds with the surrogate and the baby.
Parenthood:
The final step is bringing the child into this world and becoming parents.
Need More Details About the Surrogacy Agencies?
Do you want a surrogacy agency in New York to begin your family? Then visit the Rite Options Clinic. You can also fill out our pre-registration form, after which our staff will contact you. You can contact us for more information if you have any questions regarding the procedure.
