If you are struggling to add to your family, you may have many questions about your family-building options — especially when it comes to surrogacy. Just what is surrogacy, and how does it work in North Carolina? And most importantly, could surrogacy be right for your family?
What is Gestational Surrogacy?
In gestational surrogacy, sometimes also called “full surrogacy” or “host surrogacy,” a fertilized embryo is transferred into the uterus of a surrogate or gestational carrier, who carries the child to term. The embryo is created using in vitro fertilization (IVF) with sperm and eggs from either the intended parents or anonymous donors. The surrogate herself has no genetic or biological relationship with the child — she simply acts as an incubator.
Who are the parties involved in a Surrogacy Pregnancy?
For the legal process of surrogacy, there are several parties involved:
- Intended Parents – the individual or couple who have contracted with a surrogate to carry a baby for them. In most cases, the baby carried by the surrogate is genetically related to one or both of the intended parents.
- Surrogate – the woman who carries the child for the intended parents; in addition to “surrogate,” she may be known as the “gestational carrier,” the “gestational mother” or the “gestational surrogate.”
- Fertility Doctor – the physician who guides the intended parents through the process of IVF. While the fertility doctor will handle the implanting of the embryos into the surrogate, she will typically see her own OB/GYN for prenatal care.
An assisted reproduction attorney is another important part of every North Carolina surrogacy arrangement. Your attorney will guide you through the entire legal process of gestational surrogacy to ensure your child is protected and your parental rights are properly established.
The experienced attorneys of Parker Herring Law Group, PLLC have successfully completed many surrogacies in North Carolina. To learn more about our surrogacy program and your surrogacy options, contact us today.
A little history about Surrogacy…
Louise Brown
On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown became the first child born following in vitro fertilization (IVF). Louise’s parents spent nearly a decade trying to have a child to no avail due to her mother, Lesley Brown’s, blocked fallopian tubes. Having exhausted all options, the Browns met with Patrick Steptoe and his partner, Robert Edwards, two British physiologists who had devoted over ten years to creating a “test-tube baby.”
In November 1977, Edwards and Steptoe surgically extracted eggs from Lesley Brown’s uterus. They fertilized the eggs with sperm provided by her husband, John Brown, and successfully created embryos outside the human body. The embryos were then implanted in Lesley’s uterus and a month later, Drs. Edwards and Steptoe confirmed Lesley’s pregnancy. History was made.
35 years later…
Louise Brown’s birth marked a milestone in human reproductive technology and put in vitro fertilization (IVF) on the map. In the decades that followed, the number of couples using IVF to become pregnant has seen explosive growth. According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies, about 61,000 IVF babies were born in the U.S. in 2012 — 1.5 percent of all births.
Experienced North Carolina Surrogacy Attorneys
Parker Herring Law Group, PLLC has provided many individuals and couples with the legal representation necessary during assisted reproduction. Our experienced attorneys can assist you with your surrogacy agreement (also known as a Gestational Carrier Agreement), egg donor agreement, sperm donation, and in obtaining a pre-birth order.
You can find additional information about the legal process of surrogacy here. We encourage you to review this information and to schedule a consultation with our attorneys to learn how it all pertains to you. Contact us at 919 821-1860 to schedule an appointment for a consultation or for answers to general questions about surrogacy in North Carolina.