How much does surrogacy cost in India?
“That she bears children is not a woman’s significance. But that she bear herself, that is her supreme and risky fate” – D.H Lawrence
A woman is one of the most blessed human beings on earth because she can give birth to a baby, but even if she can’t she is still the best because she always is the care giver in a family (most of the times). It is always seen that a woman is always expected to be able to bear child and give an heir to the family she is married into. But what if she is unable to bear a child? Then are you going to throw her away or get married a second time? Well, these were the available options earlier but with changing times and development of technology, the alternatives for natural birth are also increasing. Now we have options like adoption, surrogacy, IVF, Test Tube babies, so on and so forth.
And in today’s article we are going to have a detailed look at what is surrogacy, what is a test tube baby and the differences between the two.
What is Surrogacy?
Surrogate Pregnancy involves a woman agreeing to bear someone else's child. After the birth of a child, the birth mother gains the right to live and care for the intended parent or parents. Surrogacy has complex legal and medical measures to be met. It is important to monitor the process, seek professional advice and build support networks.
Well, it does not just here, as there are many different types of Surrogacy as well.
· Altruistic (non-commercial) surrogacy: The birth mother does not receive payment. Although some states allow reasonable reimbursement of medical expenses for the mother of the respondent.
· Traditional Surrogacy: The surrogate mother donates her egg, which is fertilized by the sperm of the father. Since the baby is naturally the surrogate mother's child, there may be future issues related to the child's future right to information about his or her identity. Thus Traditional Surrogacy may be banned in most states and territories. Therefore, it is also possible to practice traditional surrogacy through an overseas clinic.
· Commercial Surrogacy: This includes the birth mother who receives payment or material gain in favour of giving birth. It is illegal to pay a third party company to arrange for acquisition and advertising to the adoptive parent or the authorized parent is usually not permitted.
While we are talking about Surrogacy it is also extremely important to talk about Gestational Surrogacy which is also called as IVF (In Vitro Fertilization).
Gestational Surrogacy- The procedure called “In Vitro Fertilization” (IVF) now makes it possible to collect eggs from the mother (or donor egg), fertilized by sperm from the father (or donor sperm), and implant the foetus in her mother's womb. The surrogate mother then carries the baby until it is born.
They have no genetics in the baby because it was not their egg that was used. The Gestational surrogates are called as "birth mother" but logically the birth mother is still the woman whose egg was fertilized for the process.
In the U.S., Gestational surrogacy is not so legal. That is because both target parents have genetic responsibilities toward the child. As a result, pregnancy is more common than the traditional healer. And about 750 babies are born each year through the process of Gestational Surrogacy.
Let’s also have a quick look at the different procedures used in Gestational Surrogacy:
· The embryo is produced from the sperm of the would be father and egg of the would be mother;
· The embryo is produced using the sperm of the would be father and a donor egg;
· The embryo is produced using would be mother's egg and a donor sperm;
· The donating embryo is passed on to the other person. Such an embryo may be acquired when others undergo IVF and have embryos implanted in others. The resulting child is not genetically related to the target parent(s).
This also bring us to view why women opt for Surrogate Pregnancy and there can many reasons for one to do so, but some of the most common ones are:
· Medical problems with one's uterus.
· One had a hysterectomy that removed their uterus.
· Circumstances that make pregnancy impossible or dangerous for the woman, such as severe heart disease.
While we all get to know what is Surrogacy, Reasons why one opts for Surrogacy, what are the different types of Surrogacy available for parents according to their convenience, it is also important to know are there some risks associated with it, and we shall look into some of them right away;
Embryos implanted in pregnancy are at the same risk as anyone using IVF. Risks of prenatal implantation include unintended epigenetic effects, the influence of the media on which the embryo is enlarged, and the adverse effects of foetal malnutrition. Usually, more embryos are transferred to increase the chance of implantation, and when multiple pregnancies occur, both the embryo and the foetus face greater risk of complications.
Pregnant parents are less likely to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy compared to pregnant mothers with oocyte donations. This may be because pregnancy carriers tend to be healthier and more fertile than women who use an oocyte donation. Pregnancy carriers also have lower rates of placenta Previa / placenta abruptions (1.1-7.9%). Babies born with singleton IVF surrogacy have been shown to have less physical or mental trauma compared to those babies born with natural pregnancy. However, babies born with multiple pregnancies often lead to premature labour and childbirth, leading to premature growth and physical and / or mental disorders.
Surrogacy costs in India range from Rs 15, 00,000 to Rs 20, 00,000. depending on Surrogacy physician experience, success rates, and Surrogacy clinic site including IVF Drugs, Consultation, Investigation, Ultrasounds, Oocyte Pick Up, IVF Lab, and Embryology, Transmission embryo, Sperm Freezing 1 year + Compensation of the Egg Donor for IVF doctor. Gestational surrogacy is one of the most effective treatments and is preferred over other methods of diagnosis. Without an IVF procedure, pregnancy is incomplete. During pregnancy, eggs and sperm are collected from the female and male partners, mixing everything to form naturally. total cost can be between Rs.10,000,00 to Rs. Rs.17,000,00 if a couple can donate their own eggs or frozen embryos. These include agency payments, pregnancy carrier, attorney, and social worker, as well as legal and medical expenses and coverage for a pharmacist's wardrobe and expenses incurred. Includes the cost of harvesting an egg or embryo.
Thus, one see the rates are quite high in India for Surrogacy, thus not everyone can afford it. But in today’s time there are many other options available instead of Surrogacy for couples or women who can’t conceive their own child. They can go for IVF, Test Tube Baby or even adoption, obviously depending on one’s social, economical background and many other things that needs to be taken care of when one decides to have a baby through a way which is not exactly natural.
But one thing that these various child bearing techniques have done is that they have proved to be a blessing for couples and women who can’t have their own children.
Ref: Surrogacy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby (pregnancybirthbaby.org.au)
Surrogate Mothers: What It Is and How Does Surrogacy Work (webmd.com)