Surrogate or Gestational Carrier? Understand the Difference
The terms surrogate mother, gestational surrogate, and gestational carrier are often intermixed, and sometimes confused. It is important to understand the differences so that you can make the best decisions about your family building options.
The term gestational carrier is most often used by medical professionals and attorneys, to describe a woman who carries a baby that she is NOT genetically connected to. When a gestational carrier conceives, it is via in vitro fertilization by using either the intended mother’s eggs, or an egg donor’s eggs, the intended father’s sperm or a sperm donor’s sperm. Embryos created are then transferred to the gestational carrier’s uterus with the hope that a pregnancy ensues. The term gestational surrogate is used interchangeably, and is the same as a gestational carrier.
A traditional surrogate is a woman who is inseminated by the intended father’s sperm, or donor sperm. If she conceives and gives birth, the baby, or babies are then given to the intended parents to raise as their child. In traditional surrogacy, the carrier is also the genetic mother of any children conceived.
In either scenario, the intent is for the carrier to give any children to intended parents to raise and care for as their own. There are different legal, social and ethical considerations for each of the options, so talking with professionals who are knowledgeable about all options is essential to making the best family-building decisions. Pathways To Parenthood:
An Egg Donor and Surrogacy Agency can help you with clarifying and understanding your options. Contact us today!
Making the Decision to Use An Egg Donor in Kansas City
You probably know by now that men and women tend to approach many things in life differently. Neither is right or wrong, just different, and it is important to maintain this perspective throughout the decision making process to use an egg donor. Regardless of these differences, it is essential to develop a joint vision when moving forward with using an egg donor to build your family.
It might be helpful to you to think about what differences exist for you and your partner, and BE SPECIFIC. To build a joint vision, you will likely need to discuss issues that you feel and think differently about. So start with examining your own thoughts and feelings about using a donor to build your family. If you cannot understand your own thoughts and feelings about it, it will be impossible to discuss them with your partner.
If you are having a difficult time sorting through your own thoughts and feelings, or discussing them with your partner, counseling can be helpful. Contact Pathways To Parenthood today and we can assist you in working through the decision making process.
Pathways To Parenthood: National Infertility Awareness Month
We understand that the path to parenthood can be rocky, long, scary, and lonely! No matter what your story is, or what your journey has been, or what your family building plan looks like, the following quote applies to you:
“Don’t confuse your path with your destination. Just
because it’s stormy now doesn’t mean that you aren’t
headed for sunshine.”
Author Unknown
Although family and friends don’t always “get it” there are other people available to help you through the stormy time, to the sunshine!! If you would like information about building your family through egg donation or surrogacy, contact us today and we can help.
Happy 6th Anniversary Pathways To Parenthood: An Egg Donor & Surrogacy Agency
Wow! Pathways To Parenthood has been building and growing families for 6 years! Helping hundreds of families build their family through egg donation and surrogacy, and sometimes both, has been an amazing journey.
Thank you to all of the families that have trusted us to join them in their journey. Thank you to the phenomenal women, our egg donors and surrogates who have given the most unforgettable gift, the gift of life, to someone else.
We are blessed and grateful to have worked with our families, egg donors and surrogates in years past. We look forward to the work still to be done with many more families, egg donors and surrogates in the years to come.