Surrogacy can be complicated, costly and is a huge decision for any couple. A surrogate mother or gestational carrier is a woman who carries a child for someone else. There are many ways that different types of families can find their way to surrogacy. For straight couples and lesbians, surrogacy is typically considered if a woman cannot carry a child herself or after a woman has experienced many miscarriages or unsuccessful IVF attempts.
For gay men and couples, surrogacy is a way to conceive a child that is biologically associated to one or both partners through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Some clinics even combine the sperm of each partner with separate batches of the donor eggs. This could result in multiples, each with the same biological mother, but separate fathers. If a single child is born, a DNA test will be needed to determine which donor is the father. Another option is to have one of the partner's female relatives serve as the egg donor while her eggs would then be fertilized by the sperm of the other partner. In this way, the child would be biologically related to both men.
While less common, a lesbian couple may also use a surrogate mother if one or both partners are unable to produce an egg to be fertilized or unable to carry a child to term.
Surrogacy is a good option for many gay men because at least one partner will be biologically connected to the child conceived. If you live in a state that prohibits LGBT adoption, using a surrogate will ensure you will be recognized as the child’s biological parent, and means you will not have to obtain an adoption to gain parental rights (although your partner will). Luckily, Texas has some of the most favorable laws for surrogacy. An experienced surrogacy agency, such as Shared Conception, can help you navigate the entire surrogacy process. Our mission is to give all that want a family, the proper path to achieving one. Give us a call today or check us out on the web at www.sharedconception.com.
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