Surrogacy
At Genesis we are pleased to help who require surrogacy to have children. There are two types of surrogacy:
Traditional surrogacy is when a woman (called a surrogate mother) carries and delivers a pregnancy conceived with her eggs for a couple. After the birth she gives the child to the intended parents with whom she has a contract.
Gestational carrier surrogacy is when a woman (called a gestational carrier) becomes pregnant after an embryo is transferred into her uterus. The embryo was created from another woman’s eggs, and so the gestational carrier is not genetically related to the child. After birth, she may relinquish the child to the biological mother or father to raise, or to a parent who is also unrelated to the child (for example, because the child was conceived using a donor egg or is a result of a donated embryo).
Under the Assisted Human Reproduction Technology Act passed in 2004, a surrogate mother may be reimbursed for expenses such as prenatal vitamins and costs of traveling to the doctor. However, she cannot receive any sort of wage for carrying the child. This form of surrogacy is often called “altruistic surrogacy.”
Commercial surrogacy is a form of surrogacy in which a surrogate or gestational carrier is paid. This procedure is legal in several countries, but not in Canada. Commercial surrogacy is illegal in Canada.
Genesis is pleased to help couples requiring surrogacy and has been doing so for the past 7 years.
Traditional Surrogacy
Traditional surrogacy is an option for a woman who does not have functioning ovaries nor a functioning uterus.
- Absent ovaries and uterus (e.g. after hysterectomy )
- Previous radiation or other treatment that has damaged the uterus and ovaries
- Medical disease that precludes the use of
We refer to the woman and her partner as “intended parents.” The intended mother will not be genetically related to the child as the surrogate’s egg is used with the intended father’s sperm to create the child. The surrogate carries and delivers the child, giving the child to the intended parents after the birth.
At Genesis, we cannot put couples needing surrogacy in contact with potential surrogates; rather, the couple must recruit a potential surrogate themselves.
This potential surrogate must be healthy, have a BMI less than 38 kg/m2), be under age 45 and have had at least one healthy pregnancy.
We pride ourselves in providing a thorough screening process, commitment to safety, and full disclosure of the risks and successes of surrogacy. Intended parents require a legal contract between themselves and the potential surrogate. This is arranged privately.
Once the medical, psychological and legal components are in place, the surrogate mother undergoes intrauterine insemination (IUI) with sperm from the intended father. After birth, the surrogate then gives the child to the intended parents.
If a pregnancy is not achieved after 4-6 months of inseminations, fertility treatments may be considered.
Gestational Carrier Surrogacy
A woman who does not have healthy ovaries and who cannot carry a pregnancy for one of the following reasons would require a gestational carrier:
- Absent uterus (e.g. after hysterectomy)
- Uterine abnormalities (e.g. severe scarring)
- Medical reasons that make pregnancy unsafe
We refer to the woman and her partner as “intended parents.” At Genesis, we cannot put couples needing a gestational carrier surrogacy in contact with potential carriers; rather, the couple must recruit a potential carrier themselves.
This potential carrier must be healthy, have a BMI less than 38 kg/m2), be under age 45 and have had at least one healthy pregnancy.
We pride ourselves in providing a thorough screening process, commitment to safety, and full disclosure of the risks and successes of surrogacy. Intended parents require a legal contract between themselves and the potential surrogate. This is arranged privately.
Once the medical, psychological and legal components are in place, the intended parents under go in vitro fertilization and the resulting embryo(s) are transferred into the carrier’s uterus. After birth, the surrogate then gives the child to the intended parents.
Useful links
All About Surrogacy.com
ANU Fertility Consultants
Surrogacy in Canada Online
Surrogate Mothers Online
Please note: Genesis Fertility Centre is not affiliated with any of the above links, nor it is responsible for the content of these linked pages.