Traditional Surrogacy vs. Gestational Surrogacy

There are two types of surrogacy, traditional and gestational. Each type encompasses different emotional aspects, medical procedures, costs, and legal procedures. If you are researching to become a traditional or gestational carrier or an intended parent exploring using a carrier, it is important to understand the definition of each.

Traditional surrogacy occurs when a woman carries a child conceived from her own egg with the intention of granting parental rights over the child to another party following birth. Donor sperm may be used; however the surrogate mother in a traditional surrogacy arrangement is genetically related to the child.

In gestational surrogacy, a woman carries a child conceived from an egg that is not her own. A gestational surrogate, commonly referred to as a surrogate mother, has no genetic relationship to the child she carries. Eggs are extracted from the intended mother or egg donor and mixed with sperm from the intended father or sperm donor. The embryos are then transferred into the uterus of the surrogate mother.

The Surrogacy Experience only handles gestational surrogacy arrangements. Advantages of gestational surrogacy often include at least one genetic relationship to the child and a more streamlined process in establishing parental rights, depending on the state. However, the medical process and as a result the costs involved in gestational surrogacy can be more involved than traditional surrogacy. If you are considering gestational surrogacy, please contact The Surrogacy Experience for more information about the important considerations involved in a gestational surrogacy arrangement.