The desire to start a family is a natural one for many people. Of course, this is a major step in life and is far from easy, calling for dramatic changes in lifestyle, a serious financial investment to ensure the well being of a child for decades to come and, last, but not least, a literal lifetime commitment for people with the desire to be good parents, raising a good family.
Unfortunately for some, the major obstacles for starting a family don’t begin once a child is born, some of the biggest hurdles can occur in just trying to have a child. For people with medical or biological reasons for not having natural childbirth as an option, surrogacy is a good alternative. And for some, that means considering worldwide surrogacy options. But why?
Global But Not Equal
Surrogacy is a simple concept in starting a family. It is when a couple, wishing to start a family, but unable to, form an agreement with a woman who is capable of safely undertaking pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby. This concept is so simple that it has been a solution for millennia for many couples, dating as far back as biblical times, with even biblical figures using this method, such as Abraham and Sarah seeking out Hagar to bear a child for them.
Because of the relative simplicity of this method, it has been practiced in different cultures all over the world, whether that was continents like Europe, Africa, or the Americas. However, while worldwide surrogacy is now a common practice, that doesn’t mean it is universally practiced or even legal. There some countries in Europe, for example, France and Germany, where any kind of surrogacy is illegal. This means that for people wanting to start a family in these countries, adoption is the only option because taking the risk of working with a surrogate mother means only the biological birth mother has custody rights, and the intended parents have no legal rights to raise a child.
Exploring Other Options
While worldwide surrogacy may be a good option for people wanting to find a country with better legal clearance, it is far from the only one. With worldwide surrogacy, people who are willing to invest in this venture on a global scale also have more choices to work with, and for some, that’s the most attractive option. One of the most common reasons for going with worldwide surrogacy is going beyond the altruistic surrogacy, and find people interested in a compensated surrogacy instead.
With an altruistic surrogacy, a couple wishing to start a family must find a woman of exceptional generosity and commitment. While the woman’s living and medical expenses might be paid for over the course of pregnancy to ensure the health of the child, she is essentially volunteering her time and her womb to help a couple in need, with no further reward once the child is born.
With a compensated surrogacy, however, there is a financial incentive. This is more like a traditional financial transaction, and a woman is no longer just volunteering her time and her body, her considerable contribution is getting financial recognition, which can sometimes make a profound difference to her life or her family. Because of this, in a place where compensated surrogacy is legal, there is often a much larger pool of available, medically viable candidates to choose from and work with. For a couple hoping to have the greatest range of choice possible, a compensated surrogacy is the better option, and worldwide surrogacy may be the key to that.
The Global Advantage
One of the best ways to ensure a smooth surrogacy experience is to work with a surrogacy agency. These are groups and organizations that specialize in facilitating surrogacy, whether that is only the initial steps, such as “matchmaking,” a couple with a suitable surrogate mother candidate. Other agencies are more comprehensive, providing support to both the surrogate mother and the intended family throughout the course of the pregnancy.
In some cases, these agencies may provide a truly worldwide surrogacy experience, with staff and connections throughout the globe. So whether an intended family wants to invest in surrogacy the most expensive services in the United States, or wants to work in another country with surrogacy laws in place at the Federal level, such as Georgia, in Europe, these agencies can service the needs of their clientele.
The Legal Consideration
It’s important, however, to remember that with the desire to engage in worldwide surrogacy, this brings some extra factors to think about for the legal welfare of the child, especially with regards to citizenship. When undertaking surrogacy on a global basis, some thought has to be given about what the legal status of the child will be upon return to the intended country of residence. Depending on which country the new family will be returning to, there may be some minimal preparation required, or there may be some specific measures that need to be taken; otherwise the child will be declared “stateless” and not granted citizenship. A good worldwide surrogacy agency will help a couple prepare for this.