Surrogacy is the only option for many families dreaming of having children. There are even examples of surrogacy. Not so long ago this issue had a public resonance. And not so much because of the fact of bearing a child by another woman, but because of the ignorance and misunderstanding of the process.
There was a “cliché” inherent in nature: if a woman carries a baby under her heart, it is her child, and rejecting it was condemned and despised. Even today, this stereotype wanders among the residents of our country. But many things have changed in the attitude towards surrogacy when children by surrogate mothers were born by celebrities and famous people.
Who will it look like?
- The first thing that couples who have decided on surrogacy wonder about is whether their children will have their traits, is there an example of surrogacy? The answer to this question primarily depends on the type of gestational surrogacy.
- Embryo from both intended parents. In this case, the sperm of the husband and the egg of the wife who want to become parents are used. The baby will only have the genetic makeup from these people. That is, it will look like them.
- Surrogacy with egg donation. This procedure is resorted to when, due to some circumstances, the egg of the woman who wants to have a baby cannot be used. In this case, donor material (not a surrogate mother) and the sperm of the future father is used. In this case, the child will have the genes of the husband and the woman who became the donor (information is not disclosed).
- Surrogacy with sperm donation. This option involves using the expectant mother’s egg and the donor’s sperm. The baby will have the genes of the woman who wants the child and the donor (information is not disclosed).
- Surrogacy with a donor embryo. It is not uncommon for people who have undergone IVF to allow other couples to use their remaining embryos. In this case, the baby will have the genes of those people whose materials were used for the procedure.
As for the surrogate mother, the child does not inherit anything from her. Children born to surrogate mothers have no connection to them (including genetic connection). A surrogate only functions as a kind of incubator (as unpleasant as that may sound). She is simply carrying a child for another couple (their child) and gets remuneration for her “work”.
It is not uncommon for a couple not to publicize the birth of a surrogate baby. Different tricks are used, just to make sure that no one finds out how they had a baby. As a result, when walking in the park with the baby, the new mother hears from all over how much he resembles her (even if embryo donation was used). So “similarity” is a relative concept! The important thing is that the baby is wanted and loved!
