Surrogacy in the UK

Surrogacy involves a woman becoming pregnant and giving birth to a baby for a couple who want to have a child but can’t. The surrogate is the woman who carries and gives birth to the child for the intended parents.

Examples of medical conditions that might make surrogacy necessary include absence or malformation of the womb, recurrent pregnancy loss, or repeated IVF implantation failures.

Surrogacy is also required for same sex male couples who need a surrogate to carry their baby.

It is illegal to pay a surrogate in the UK. The only financial responsibility you have towards the surrogate is reimbursing them for any reasonable expenses which may occur during her pregnancy, such as travel expenses to appointments and any loss of potential earnings.

Although the expenses will vary depending on personal circumstances, it is estimated that the cost of having a baby through surrogacy in the UK is typically around £10,000 – £15,000. If you are considering surrogacy, it is important to keep potential costs in mind and note that extra expenses may apply if your surrogate is having twins.

If you want to know what the two types of surrogacy are and how they work, we have outlined this for you. The types of surrogacy arrangements available to you and what you choose will depend on your personal circumstances. There are two different types of surrogacy that parents-to-be can choose from, these are as follows:

Full Surrogacy: this is also known as gestational surrogacy and is when the mother-to-be uses her own eggs for conception. In cases of full or gestational surrogacy, there is no genetic connection between the baby and the surrogate. This is why many people prefer full surrogacy.

Partial Surrogacy: this is known as straight or traditional surrogacy and involves fertilising the surrogate’s egg with the intended father’s sperm. As a result, the surrogate will be the biological mother of the child. If you choose partial surrogacy as a way to start or grow your family, it is important that all fertility treatment is carried out at a licensed UK fertility clinic.

One of the most common questions we get asked is, is surrogacy legal in the UK? And the answer is yes, surrogacy is legal in the UK. However, it is important to note that if you make a surrogacy agreement it cannot be enforced by law. There can be complicated legal issues involved in any surrogacy agreement. Therefore, we strongly advise that you seek legal advice before seeking a surrogate arrangement.

When the child is born through surrogacy, the surrogate will be the child’s legal parent at birth until this right is transferred to the chosen parents-to-be by parental order or adoption after the child is born.

However, surrogacy law states that in the unlikely event of a disagreement at the child’s birth, as to who the legal parents should be, the courts will decide what is best in the interests of the child.

If you are undergoing treatment for infertility, there are some risks you should be aware of, namely the risk of transferring infectious diseases to the surrogate. At Wessex Fertility, we avoid this problem by carrying out thorough screenings before treatments begin. This provides peace of mind that any infections will not be passed onto the surrogate or the baby at the time of conception or during pregnancy.

Surrogacy is a popular choice for couples or individuals who are unable to conceive naturally. This could be for a number of different reasons, including medical conditions that make it dangerous or impossible to conceive naturally. Surrogacy is for people struggling with the following medical conditions:

• Recurrent pregnancy loss
• Absence or malformation of the womb
• Repeated IVF implantation failures
• Individuals with a genetic defect or health condition that they don’t want to pass onto their child
• Life threatening illness that prevents pregnancy

Male same-sex intended parents use surrogacy in the UK when they are wishing to have families of their own. This would be with the addition of egg donation from either an altruistic or known donor. Surrogacy is also an option for single individuals who cannot conceive naturally, whether due to their gender or a medical reason.

Surrogacy success rates depend on many factors, including:

• The surrogate’s ability to get pregnant
• The quality of the father’s or donor’s sperm
• The success of the IUI, IVF, or ICSI assisted reproduction treatments
• The age of the woman whose eggs are being used

When it comes to fertility success, the age of the egg provider is the most important factor as it greatly affects the chances of successful conception and a successful pregnancy.

Intended parents come from all different backgrounds and experiences. Some are hopeful single parents, others are same-sex couples, while others have struggled with infertility for years. Whatever their background, intended parents all have one desire in common and that is to add to their families. For these people and many more, surrogacy makes those dreams of family a reality. The advantages of surrogacy are numerous:

• Surrogacy allows people to have a family who would otherwise have been unable to.
• Gestational surrogacy allows one or both parents to be genetically related to their child.
• Surrogacy allows intended parents to raise a child from birth.
• Surrogates have usually carried other pregnancies and have a proven uterus, meaning their chances of successfully conceiving and carrying a pregnancy are high.
• Surrogacy gives intended parents the unique opportunity to form a relationship with the surrogate and her family.
• Intended parents are generally involved throughout the pregnancy and are often able to be present for many of the key milestones.

While surrogacy is not without its challenges, it can be the answer for many people struggling to have a family of their own.

Surrogacy can give you the chance to have the family you’ve always dreamed of. There are many decisions to make before pursuing surrogacy and for all of its advantages, it is not right for everyone. We have a team of fertility specialists who are able to talk you through every aspect of your surrogacy journey. So, if you would like to have a surrogacy discussion with us, please do not hesitate to get in touch today. We would be more than happy to discuss your requirements and advise on whether surrogacy is the right decision for you.

It isn’t allowed for couples or individuals to advertise for surrogates, or for surrogates to advertise their services. However, there are introduction agencies who can help with practical advice and support:

TwoDads: www.twodaddies.co.uk

Brilliant beginnings: www.brilliantbeginnings.co.uk

COTS – Surrogacy in the UK: www.surrogacy.org.uk

Surrogacy UK: www.surrogacyuk.org

• Counselling
  Discussions with a counsellor are required for you, your surrogate, and you and your surrogate together. There are lots of emotional and practical issues surrounding surrogacy for all parties, and couples have indicated that counselling is very helpful in identifying potential issues that they hadn’t previously considered. The joint session for you and your surrogate will include discussions around the agreement between the surrogate and intended parents.

• Legal Advice
  It is highly recommended that legal advice is taken by all surrogacy parties to fully explore their individual circumstances and the issues explained above.

• Screening Tests
  All parties have to undergo screening tests. They help to ensure that infection risks are minimised for everyone, and that some common genetic risks are identified, if they’re present. Overall, these tests are undertaken to protect the welfare of everyone involved in the surrogacy arrangements, and importantly any child that may be born. For details of the tests required for surrogacy arrangements, please contact the clinic. An individualised requirement table will be provided at surrogacy consultation appointments.

• Welfare of the child check
  The background and health of the intended parents is considered in an assessment of a future child’s welfare.

• Quarantine of Sperm
  Donor sperm must be quarantined for a minimum of 180 days, after which repeat serological testing is required. If the blood sample taken at the time of donation is additionally tested by the nucleic acid amplification technique (NAT) for HIV, HBV and HCV, the donor sperm must be quarantined for a minimum of three months, after which a further donor blood sample should be taken and subjected to repeat serological and NAT testing.

“Having undergone IVF treatment at other clinics we finally came to the Wessex due to its proximity to our surrogate and we couldn’t have been happier with our treatment there. All of the staff, from the receptionists to the consultants and everyone in between, were friendly, helpful, efficient and professional. We felt very comfortable whenever we were there and found the standard of care far exceeded that which we’d experienced at our other clinics. We will be forever grateful to Sue and her team for helping our dreams come true.” 

“It really felt as though our consultant and fertility nurse were with us every step of the way, supporting us all and sharing the highs and lows of our journey. The care we received was exemplary and we were left feeling that the team was as excited and pleased by the news of our daughter’s birth as we were! Thank you, you made a difficult time of our lives much easier to navigate than we expected.”