What is Surrogacy?
Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a surrogate carries a child for another person / couple.
In Australia, altruistic surrogacy is a legal option in every State. Laws relating to a gestational surrogacy arrangements (i.e. the Surrogate has no genetic connection to the baby) and traditional surrogacy arrangements (i.e. the surrogate uses her own egg and sperm from the Intended Father or donor sperm) differ from State to State as does who is eligible for surrogacy.
Surrogacy in Australia is altruistic which means that there can be no financial gain borne of the surrogacy arrangement. A Surrogate is entitled to payment / reimbursement of all reasonable out of pocket expenses relating to the surrogacy arrangement. All costs relating to the arrangement are paid by the Intended Parents.
The Surrogacy Process
Surrogacy is not for everyone! Not only is it emotionally challenging but there are also some criteria that must be met to be eligible to be part of a surrogacy team in Australia
So you’ve decided that you are interested in surrogacy. What is the next step, and how do I meet like-minded people?
I’ve heard that there are legal requirements, as well as counselling to be done. What are the non-negotiable activities?
At the start of all of this, making a baby seemed impossible. Now we’ve passed the point of no return !!
Just like a traditional pregnancy, there are new stresses for both the parents and the surrogate. It’s been a team effort to get this far, and the team doesn’t just end once a baby is born!
