Couples Turn To Surrogacy Parenthood is inaccessible to some couples. Now the emerging field of surrogate parenting is increasing becoming the answer to many couple’s desire to have a child. After years of infertility treatments, couples can now be paired with carefully screened surrogate mothers, who offer their wombs to nurture an intended couple’s genetic child, through the means of in vitro fertilization (IVF). One out of seven couples struggle with infertility. Infertility is a condition that negatively effects the female and male reproductive systems. Of the couples that seek medical treatment, approximately 50% will successfully conceive. A number of the remaining 50% will seek surrogacy as an options of creating their family. The legal climate in California is the most favorablr in the world for surrogacy. In the past, when infertility treatments failed, couples had the choices of adoption or to remain childless. Today, in ever increasing numbers, couples who want to have a genetically related child are turning to surrogacy. Creating A Miracle The day that Julie and Dan King became parents began with a phone call in the wee hours of the morning and a dash to the maternity ward. The hours following were filled with anticipation and waiting, walking the halls outside the birthing room,

making phone calls to excited family members throughout the country, focusing on breathing and coaching, until finally, just after noon, the king’s held their healthy, beautiful baby girl in their arms for the first time. If their story sounds like a pretty routine delivery, there is one more thing you should know. Julie King wasn’t pregnant and didn’t deliver their daughter.

After 10 years of marriage and several heartbreaking miscarriages, it became clear to the King’s and their doctors, that Julie’s chances of carrying a baby to full term were exceedingly low. Tests by a reproductive endocrinologist confirmed that Julie’s eggs were healthy, but other medical conditions were preventing the continuation of a pregnancy. After researching their options with the doctors, the Kings chose to become parents through surrogacy.

Dan and Julie were referred to a local surrogacy agency through their reproductive endocrinologist’s office. The services provided included educating the intended parents about this awaking avenue for creating their family, coordinating the many steps and procedures necessary for entering into a surrogacy agreement and assisting them in the selection of a surrogate. In the role of facilitator, the agency helps to define the relationship between the intended parents and their surrogate.

The process creates both an emotional and legal relationship, requiring great care and commitment from all involved. On the contracutual side, thew agency works with both parties and their lawyers in negotiating the agreement, providing resourses forpsycholigical evaluations and medical testing. Both the parents and the surrogate undergo psychological testing by a licensed psychologist with expertise in surrogacy and egg donation issues. Both the intended parents and their surrogate are screened for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), additionally, the surrogate will be screened for medical conditions which would preclude of interfere with pregnancy.

Defining the Differences between a traditional surrogacy and a gestational surrogacy: A traditional surrogate uses her own eggs to conceive a child for other parents. In this scenario, she is both the egg donor and the surrogate, being artificially inseminated, usually with sperm of the intended father (although, depending on the circumstances, the
sperm may be donated). A gestational surrogate receives embryos into her uterus through an IVF transfer. The eggs
may come from the intended mother or an egg donor and the semen may come from the intended father or again,
from a sperm donor.

In the case of Julie and Dan, they weren't just at the hospital for their baby's birth, tey served as their
surrogate's coaches, attending child birth classes with her that provided an additional amount of support
during delivery and created a more rewarding experience for both the surrogate and her intended parents.

Dan and Julie's story represents just one of the ways that the surrogacy is changing the odds for
couples who, in earlier times may have remained childless, despite desperately wanting to
be parents.