Becoming a Single Parent Through Surrogacy

Can Single Parents Pursue Surrogacy?

Yes, surrogacy is certainly possible for a single parents. However, there are some very important things to understand before moving forward.

Non-traditional families have become increasingly common nowadays, and more individuals are choosing to become single parents. Every year thousands of single men and women are adding to their family. Many of them are doing it through surrogacy.

Single Intended Parents go through the same process of surrogacy like any other couple. They also get to enjoy the same benefits, and face the same challenges, with a few exceptions.

Let’s have a closer look at the single parent surrogacy process and their experience.

Single Parent Surrogacy Process

Generally, the surrogacy process is the same for a single parent as for any other Intended Parents.   In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) helps in the creation of an embryo. The surrogate mother then carries the same to term

For single men and women, there are two surrogacy options – Traditional and Gestational.

In traditional surrogacy, an individual could hire a surrogate mother. The surrogate’s own eggs would be used to create the embryo and she would carry the pregnancy. However, most Intended Parents prefer gestational surrogacy, in which the surrogate is by no means genetically related to the baby. Couples proceeding with surrogacy can use the intended mother’s egg and intended father’s sperm.  A single Intended Parent will have to use an egg or sperm donor in gestational surrogacy. This is the main difference between surrogacy for couples and surrogacy for single parents.

Coastal Fertility Medical Center will help you to find a suitable egg donor and a surrogate concurrently. We can also refer you to a sperm bank. Single intended parents also have the option to work with a known donor, such as a close friend or a family member. Upon identifying a suitable donor, the surrogacy process will continue as it would have for any other Intended Parent.

Single Parent Surrogacy Laws

In the United States, surrogacy laws are almost identical for single parents and couples. However, the legal surrogacy process is very different and far from simple. Rules and regulations vary from state to state. It is noteworthy that single parent surrogacy is a relatively new method of building a family. This is why many of these laws are vague and can vary in application.

If you are a single individual who is considering surrogacy as an option to grow your family, it would be helpful to consult an experienced surrogacy attorney to better understand surrogacy laws for your circumstances and state.

Pros and Cons of Surrogacy for Single Parents

Hopeful single Intended Parents have many options when it comes to starting a family. They should consider all the benefits as well as challenges of surrogacy before committing themselves to the process. Here is a list of some of the major advantages and disadvantages of single parent surrogacy.

Pros

• Even without a partner, single individuals can fulfill the dream of attaining parenthood through surrogacy.
• Single Intended Parents also have an amazing opportunity to maintain biological ties with their child.
• Surrogacy can help create meaningful and long-term relationships between families and surrogates.
• Single parent surrogacy is much easier than adoption because birth mothers may choose a two-parent home.

Cons

• Surrogacy is an expensive process, being a single parent, it may be challenging to budget with one income.
• The cost of surrogacy in the U.S. is a little high for a single parent. Because of this some single Intended Parents prefer to work with a surrogate overseas. However, there are international surrogacy laws placed which may prevent Intended Parents from working with surrogates in some countries.
• It is possible that single Intended Parents may face a stigma throughout the process. Also, following the birth of the surrogate baby, parents can have trouble managing time and resources as being a single parent can be challenging.

It’s up to the prospective Intended Parents to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing surrogacy in their current situation and circumstances.

Single-Parent Surrogacy vs. Single-Parent Adoption

For every single individual who is hoping to expand their family, the choice comes down to only two options: surrogacy and adoption. Both are equally fulfilling means of achieving parenthood. But there are a few differences that should be considered while deciding which method is right for you.

Surrogacy and adoption each have their own complex processes and issues. They also have their own set of laws and variations. Prospective single parents can expect surrogacy and adoption to differ in the following ways.

Genetics

Surrogacy allows the Intended Parents to be genetically related to his or her child. Whereas adoption there’s a transfer of legal rights from the child’s biological parents to the adoptive parents. It may not seem much, but it is big enough to create significant differences in the legal process. In the process of adoption, the biological parent’s rights must be terminated before the child can be adopted by a new family. In surrogacy, the Intended Parent is legally recognized as the child’s parent even before the birth.  The surrogate has no parental rights that need to be terminated.

Cost

Surrogacy and adoption both involve a variety of expenses. These include agency fees, matching service charges, legal attorney costs and more. In addition, surrogates receive compensation throughout their pregnancy, which makes surrogacy significantly more expensive than adoption. Also, grants, loans, and tax credits are more available to adoptive families than to the Intended Parents.

Wait

To adopt a child, one might have to wait months or even years to find a pregnant woman considering adoption. On the contrary, there are many surrogates waiting to be matched with Intended Parents, often making the matching process much shorter.

Control

Prospective parents have more control over the surrogacy process compared to the adoption process. During surrogacy, it is up to you to choose the egg donor and the surrogate. But, in adoption the birth mother has the choice to select the adoptive family. With surrogacy, the Intended Parent has legal custody of his or her child. To make sure of it, contracts are signed ahead of pregnancy with the surrogate. Hence, Intended Parents do not have to worry about disruption and can ensure that the surrogate is receiving proper prenatal care throughout pregnancy.

Final Thoughts

Surrogacy can be a long and emotionally challenging process for any Intended Parent. But it can be an incredible rewarding path to parenthood regardless of your marital status or sexual orientation. Surrogacy provides a unique way for single intended parents to have a biological child without a partner. The joys of single-parenting are well worth the challenges.

If this interests anyone in learning more about surrogacy or starting the process, then visit us at coastalfertility.com or call us at 949-726-0600.