Surrogacy - implications of surrogacy

The Private Healthcare UK guide to infertility treatment contains articles on infertility and IVF treatment which are aimed at improving your knowledge of treatments for infertility, their benefits and potential risks.

The guide is sponsored by The London Women's Clinic, leading fertility specialists who have been involved in fertility management since 1984.

The London Women's Clinic (LWC) provides IVF and fertility treatments to assist couples and individuals overcome their difficulties in conception and pregnancy.

With over 20 years’ experience in the treatment of fertility problems, their team delivers a full range of diagnostic and treatment programmes for fertility disorders. Their clinics based in London, the North of England and Wales operate one of the most successful IVF programmes in the world.

The LWC in Harley Street is rated in the top three amongst all UK licensed centres for women aged up to 35 and the HFEA has published the centre specific IVF success rates for the period 1st January – 30th June 2007 showing verified results of 55.7% success.

The LWC have also championed the practice of egg-sharing, and their egg donation programme provides hope to many women, who previously believed they could not have children. The assisted reproduction services are complemented by gynaecology services such as a pre-conception and Well Woman check-ups.

For more information about The London Women’s Clinic:

The London Women's Clinic London

113 - 115 Harley Street

London W1G 6AP UK

Tel:         +44 (0) 20 7487 5050         (main switchboard)

Tel:         +44 (0) 20 7563 4309         (appointments & enquiries)

Fax:         +44 (0) 20 7487 5850

Email: info@londonwomensclinic.com  

In this section

Implications for the intended parents

Couples contemplating surrogacy may be concerned about the uncertainty of the adoption or parental orders process.  They might worry about their reaction to the child being born handicapped; and with partial surrogacy, they need to consider the implications of donor eggs or sperm or both.  They may even come to regard the child not as a release from childlessness, but a continuing reminder of their inability to produce a child without help.  Some may be concerned that they will not be able to accept the child as their own

Implications for the surrogate mother’s family

It is important that the surrogate mother’s partner is able to give his full support for the woman’s decision.  The couple needs to refrain from unprotected intercourse, which could strain their relationship.

In the event of the surrogate mother deciding to keep the baby, although she may experience guilt and other emotions associated with failure to keep to her agreement, she will clearly want the baby.  However, her partner may find it difficult to accept the child.  Also, by law, the partner is the legal father unless he can show that he did not consent to treatment.  Therefore, there may be some risk of psychological problems for the partner.

Other children of the surrogate mother need to be informed of what is happening; otherwise they may be disturbed by the disappearance of the baby after birth.

The surrogate mother’s parents may experience difficulty in understanding their daughter’s decision, and find it hard to relinquish a relationship with a baby who might otherwise have been their grandchild.

Implications for the child

Commissioning parents need to consider whether or not to tell the child of his or her origins.  Research shows that most couples that have children conceived by surrogacy decide to explain the circumstances to the child.  If they decide not to tell, they face a number of difficulties.  Surrogacy is difficult to conceal from others and if other people know about the arrangement there is the risk that the child may find out from them.  The experience of learning this way, and the discovery of deception by his or her parents, may be very disturbing for a child.  At the age of 18 the child will have the legal right to discover the identity of his or her surrogate mother.

It is important therefore, for the surrogate mother and the intended parents to agree on a level of contact which they feel is appropriate for them.

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