Surrogacy and gestational carriers represent a remarkable facet of modern fertility, offering hope and opportunity for individuals or couples facing challenges in conceiving and carrying a pregnancy. Whether through traditional surrogacy, where the surrogate contributes her own egg, or gestational carriers who facilitate pregnancy using the intended parents’ genetic material, these methods offer avenues toward parenthood. The preference for gestational carriers largely stems from the desire to minimize genetic ties between the surrogate and the child, ensuring a closer genetic bond with the intended parents. The compassionate act of surrogacy involves compensating the surrogate for their dedication, time, and expenses, emphasizing the collaborative and supportive nature of this remarkable journey toward creating families.

What is Surrogacy?

Surrogacy presents two distinct paths, each bearing unique genetic implications for the resulting child. Traditional surrogacy involves the surrogate mother’s genetic contribution, using her egg fertilized by the intended father’s sperm. In contrast, gestational carrier surrogacy relies on in vitro fertilization, incorporating the intended parents’ genetic material—both the mother’s egg and the father’s sperm—into the implanted embryo. 

The preference for gestational carriers often stems from the desire for the child to share genetic ties with the intended parents. In situations where the intended mother’s eggs are unavailable, donor eggs might be an alternative to ensure the gestational carrier remains genetically unlinked to the child. This distinction underlines the complexity and the nuanced decisions surrounding surrogacy choices.

Who Benefits from Surrogacy Services?

Surrogacy serves as a viable solution for women facing challenges in carrying a pregnancy due to specific medical conditions. These conditions could include the absence of a uterus, recurrent miscarriages, uterine abnormalities, or other health concerns posing risks to both the mother and the potential child.

In cases where the intended mother is unable to carry a pregnancy and donor eggs are necessary, opting for a gestational carrier allows the child to maintain genetic ties with the intended father.

Furthermore, same-sex couples may opt for surrogacy to ensure a child with genetic links to one of the partners, expanding the pathways to parenthood.

Selecting a Surrogate: What to Consider

Choosing a surrogate involves various considerations, including selecting someone with a significant relationship to the intended parent(s), like a close friend or family member. Alternatively, surrogates can be found through specialized agencies or fertility clinics.

Key criteria for surrogate selection encompass:

• *Age between 21 and 41 years

• *A history of at least one uncomplicated pregnancy resulting in a live birth

• *Displays a positive attitude towards pregnancy and resides in a supportive environment conducive to a surrogate pregnancy

• *Maintains a healthy weight and upholds positive lifestyle habits, such as being a non-smoker, abstaining from drug use, and following a nutritious diet with regular exercise.

Preparing for Pregnancy via Surrogacy

Upon finalizing all contractual agreements, the steps for initiating pregnancy mirror those within the egg donation process. Both the surrogate and intended mother will undergo medication regimens to synchronize their menstrual cycles, a procedure lasting from a few weeks to approximately two months.

Once their cycles are aligned, the intended mother will undergo stimulation for egg retrieval. Following the retrieval of mature eggs, fertilization occurs with the intended father’s sperm in a laboratory setting. These fertilized embryos undergo development for three to five days before being transferred to the surrogate’s uterus.

Upon selecting the most viable embryo, it is transferred directly into the surrogate’s uterus. Approximately nine days post-procedure, a simple blood test confirms or negates pregnancy.

Throughout the initial stages until around the eighth week of pregnancy, the surrogate’s progress is monitored. Subsequently, her care transitions to her Obstetrician/Gynecologist (Ob/Gyn), although she continues to maintain communication with the intended parents per their contract.

Upon the surrogate giving birth, the baby is discharged from the hospital to the care of the intended parents.

In our commitment to pioneering advancements in modern fertility, our clinics in Albania and Turkey stand at the forefront of facilitating surrogacy and gestational carriers. We endeavor to provide a beacon of hope and opportunity for individuals or couples navigating the complexities of conception and pregnancy.