According to statistics, about 10 percent of the women in the United States from the ages of 15 to 44 have a hard time with conceiving and then carrying the baby to full term. One option that these couples have is Surrogacy. This involves finding a woman who is able and willing to carry the couple’s baby to term and then sign all rights over to the couple and go on her way. As with any type of service today, choosing to go the surrogate route has it’s pros and cons. You can read about a few of them below.
The Pros of Choosing the Surrogate Route
1. Offers a chance for a couple who cannot have children to have a child of their own
2. Allows one or both parents to be in somehow genetically related to the child
3. Surrogacy involves the parents in the process from inception, throughout the pregnancy, and during the delivery. This is much different from adoption.
4. There are very few newborns up for adoption, so finding a surrogate parent is a way to have a newborn child like the couple has always wanted.
The Cons of Choosing the Surrogate Route
1. Couples have to choose whether to go with an independent surrogate mother or go through an agency.
2. Fees can range anywhere from $3,000 to $20,000 depending on the agency and if they offer full services.
3. It can get expensive, because on top of what the agency charges, the parents are usually responsible for attorney’s fees, paying the surrogate, (if they choose that route), court costs, and the prenatal care of the mother while she is pregnant.
4. Couples who choose to go the independent route can save sometimes thousands of dollars. Whichever route you choose, you need to know that it isn’t about the money, but about getting the child that you deserve and want so badly.
These are just a few of the pros and cons associated with surrogacy. You need to weigh them carefully to be sure that it is the right choice for you and your family. Sit down, talk to each other, and make a decision that you both can be happy with.
