A surrogate is a woman who carries a fetus and gives birth to a child for another woman, in many cases the surrogate in California is doing this for a couple who have fertility issues and find that they cannot conceive. Once the child is born, the surrogate mother turns the baby over to the people who paid her for the service. There are a number of forms of surrogacy available.
Traditional surrogacy is a common form; it involves artificially inseminating the surrogate to impregnate her. This is a common technique when a woman cannot bear children herself but the desire to have a child with her partner is strong. In the case of artificial insemination the partner donates his sperm or the sperm can come from a third party if he is also infertile. The surrogate contributes the other half of the necessary genetic material to have a child. This form of surrogacy has been practiced for centuries but has been spoken about quietly as some women were ashamed that they were not able to conceive naturally. This barrier has since been broken down and is no longer an issue for modern couples or singles.
Gestational surrogacy is also used frequently. In this case the couple that wish to use a surrogate in California both donate their genetic material, the egg and the sperm. The egg is fertilized outside the womb and then implanted into the womb of the surrogate. The surrogate acts as little more than the incubator for the woman who cannot.
As surrogacy is a sensitive issue it does raise some ethical and legal issues. Prior to the 1960s surrogacy was usually something that was done by a friend or a female relative as a favor to the couple who wanted a child but were denied it for medical reasons. It was during the late 60s when couples in Europe began contracting with paid surrogates. The first formalized surrogacy in the US was in 1976 and is now a socially acceptable practice.
Today a surrogate in California is expected to enter into a binding contract that spells out in detail what is expected of her during the pregnancy. Surrogates are expected to refrain from smoking, drinking and illegal drugs, in addition she is expected to attend pre-natal classes, observe a good diet and take all the necessary vitamins to ensure that the baby is born healthy.
It is now possible for infertile couples to have a family of their own. There are a number of ways for a surrogate in California to conceive, if you are in this situation where you want a child but cannot then you are invited to discuss all the options with the Center for Surrogate Parenting, Inc.
