Traditional Surrogacy Vs Gestational Surrogacy– What Best For Your Family?
The main difference between traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy is that in traditional surrogacy baby is biologically connected with the surrogate mother and in gestational surrogacy baby is not biologically related to the surrogate mother but with the intended parents.
Most of the intended parents are not sure what is the best surrogacy process for them. They start their research and soon get overwhelmed by the vast information about this topic.
One of the relevant topics is ” different types of surrogacy” and what is best for them. Initially would parents not know the difference between traditional vs. gestational surrogacy? No matter what surrogacy type you choose, it will play a significant role in your surrogacy process.
In this article, we will discuss the difference between gestational and traditional surrogacy and I am sure by the end, you will be able to choose the best option for you.
The most significant difference between traditional and gestational surrogacy is:
In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate eggs are utilized, making her the biological mother of the baby she carries. That means she not only carries the baby but also has a half-genetic link with the baby.
Gestational surrogacy process, the surrogate does not have a biological link with the baby. To simply define gestational surrogacy, she is just a carrier of the baby for a childless couple who, for any reason, cannot carry the baby for themselves.
Although this differentiation might seem to be simple, there are many important factors that potential intended parents should consider between traditional and gestational surrogacy types. Knowing these factors, helps them to choose the best surrogacy type for them.
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Read more about the surrogacy process:
What is gestational surrogacy?
What is traditional surrogacy?
The principal difference between a traditional Vs gestational surrogacy
Egg Donor:
In gestational surrogacy, an egg donor is needed to create the embryos which are later implanted in a surrogate mother or gestational carrier. In some cases, the intended mother can use her eggs, which means no egg donor is needed.
But for some heterosexual couples, single males, and same-sex couples opting for an egg donor is necessary. So, they need an egg donor and a surrogate mother both. And these two ladies are two different girls.
In traditional surrogacy- Egg donation isn’t mandatory in traditional surrogacy since the surrogate uses her very own eggs acting as both the egg donor and the carrier.
Medical Techniques:
Gestational and traditional surrogacy frequently involve different medical processes to conceive.
In the case of gestational surrogacy, in vitro fertilization ( IVF) is utilized to create embryos with the eggs of the intended mother ( or sometimes using eggs from the egg donor) and sperm from the intended father. After this, the embryos are then transferred to a surrogate mother.
For traditional surrogacy, IVF may be used or not used. The most common process used is artificial intrauterine insemination (IUI). IUI is a simple procedure that usually doesn’t require the surrogate to take fertility drugs or any invasive medical process.
What is the difference between IVF and IUI?
What are the different types of surrogacy and what is best for you?
Surrogacy Cost:
One of the most common downfalls of gestational surrogacy is the high cost of the surrogacy process. That is mainly due to an expensive medical procedure like IVF or sometimes due to the egg donation process as well.
Traditional surrogacy tends to be more affordable than gestational surrogacy as IUI is a much simple and cheaper process than IVF. Moreover, parents do not need to pay a hefty medical procedure fee to the IVF Clinic. On top of that, no egg donation cost is involved in traditional surrogacy.
Read more:
Top 4 cheapest surrogacy countries in the world
Surrogacy Professionals:
It goes without saying that traditional surrogacy has more legal and psychological complexities as compared to gestational surrogacy.
There is a surrogacy professional who helps the parents to navigate through both processes. But as gestational surrogacy is more common and professional, so most surrogacy agencies or surrogacy professionals are keen to work on this form of surrogacy.
Intended parents who opt for traditional surrogacy might have fewer options when selecting a surrogacy professional. Mostly no surrogacy professional encourages or participates in this form of surrogacy.
Wait Time to find surrogate mothers:
For this apparent reason, many surrogates prefer to opt for gestational surrogacy because it’s less emotionally draining. Finding a surrogate mother for gestational surrogacy is less. The surrogacy agencies prefer to participate only in the gestational surrogate mother process.
In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is the biological mother of the kid she carries, which may make it, even more, difficult to give up the baby. Sometimes she can find it emotionally challenging to relinquish her right over the baby as she has a more emotional connection with the baby.
Intended parents who opt for traditional surrogacy might need more time to find a surrogate mother who is ready to be a traditional surrogate.
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Legal Process:
Surrogacy laws are complex regardless of what type of surrogacy a family selects. There are a lot of states that allow gestational surrogacy but don’t permit traditional surrogacy. Similar to most of the countries where surrogacy is permitted, it is only gestational surrogacy allowed.
The traditional surrogacy process involves additional legal work. That is due to a surrogate mother ( birth mother) who is also the genetic mother of the baby. So, to give up her parental rights, further proceeding is needed. These vary from state to state. IT is good to hire an experienced family attorney who can help with your specific case.
The risk for intended parents:
While it’s rare for any gestational surrogate mother to battle to keep the baby. In the counseling and surrogacy agreement, it is made clear to her that she is just a carrier of the baby. As gestational surrogacy is a more straightforward arrangement, so there is less risk involved.
On the other hand, traditional surrogacy does pose a higher risk for intended parents.
In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is the biological mother of the child, meaning that when she bonds with the infant, she could change her mind and decide she needs to be the parent of the baby when it’s born. The intended parents would then need to attempt to win custody in court, which might lead to a legal battle.
More resources:
What is the legal process of surrogacy?
Surrogacy Vs Adoptions- Pros and cons
What are the pros and cons of surrogacy?
Top 12 surrogate mother requirements that parents should know?
Considerations for Intended Parents while opting for traditional vs gestational surrogacy.
Some questions that intended parents must answer before opting for any form of surrogacy arrangements.
The intended parents select which kind of surrogacy will best meet their needs and help them achieve their goals.
1. Do you wish to use your eggs or an egg donor?
If the intended mother, has good fertile eggs and also wants to be related to your kid, gestational surrogacy could be a better option for you.
Even if you wish to use an egg donor- you can decide what works best for you a gestational surrogate or a traditional surrogate who is also half biologically linked with the baby.
We have seen most of hetero couples opt for gestational surrogacy even if they are using an egg donor. They do not wish to remain in fear of their future baby it to a legal battle for parental rights. Single male or gay couples are more prone to use a traditional surrogate mother.
2. What Financial constraints do you have, and if gestational surrogacy or traditional surrogacy better match your budget?
Any form of surrogacy you chose, be ready to spend a considerable amount of money on it. For gestational surrogacy, you might need many rounds of IVF or egg donations to be successful.
If you have no financial burden and can pay for the thousands of dollars, then you can opt for gestational surrogacy. If you are pinching for money, they may be traditional surrogacy can be better. You need to discuss your specific need with your service provider or surrogacy agency so that they can advise what best option you have within reach.
3. Do You feel comfortable with the legal and emotional risks involved with traditional surrogacy?
Remember your surrogate’s genetic link to your baby can complicate the traditional surrogacy procedure. You need to be open to the idea that the surrogate mother can opt to keep the baby or share the baby’s responsibilities with you.
4. What is a traditional surrogate mother?
A traditional surrogate is a woman who carries and delivers the baby for another couple. She is artificially inseminated with the intended father’s sperm and is half genetically linked with the baby. That means the traditional surrogacy mother is the biological mother of the child as well.
5. What does gestational surrogacy or gestational carrier mean?
As discussed above, gestational surrogacy is a process where a lady carries and delivers a baby for hetero couples or a single male. A medical procedure like IVF is done to create the embryos and then implant in a surrogate mother. She is not genetically linked with the baby.
6. Is traditional surrogacy legal?
Traditional surrogacy is not typical and is not supported by most states and countries. Although some US states and most surrogacy countries permit gestational surrogacy, for traditional surrogacy there are no clear laws. So, it is advised to take consultation with the family attorney for your specific case.
Conclusion for traditional Vs gestational surrogacy
The main difference between traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy is that in traditional surrogacy baby is biologically connected with the surrogate mother and in gestational surrogacy baby is not biologically related to the surrogate mother but with the intended parents.
Intended parents ought to consider the pros and cons of all types of surrogacy. Anyone can be the best option for you depending on your specific case.
Traditional or gestational surrogacy, both types of surrogacy give a ray of hope to the intended parents to complete their families.
If you’d like to learn more about IVF, Egg Donation, or surrogacy services globally, check out the rest of our website: IVF Conceptions. We offer legally secure and affordable surrogacy consulting services for FREE.
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