Overview

Surrogacy involves the establishment and carriage of a pregnancy by a surrogate for a commissioning couple.

Extensive counselling, psychiatric assessment and independent legal advice must be sought for any surrogacy arrangement being provided through “In Vitro” Clinic. This is to minimise the risk of a negative outcome for any of the parties involved.

“In Vitro” Clinic  will only facilitate surrogacy in the following situations:

• A commissioning woman is medically unable to carry a child;

• Where the age of the surrogate is less than the age of the natural menopause (max. 40 years of age);

• Where the surrogate is not using her own eggs;

• Where the surrogate has had a healthy baby previously;

• Where the surrogate does not have a past history of pregnancy exacerbated illnesses, and does not have a current illness that is likely to be exacerbated by pregnancy;

• Where the surrogate has not experienced or has a current psychiatric disorder;

• Where the surrogate has an established relationship with the commissioning parents for a period of no less than 2 years by the time of the embryo transfer.

The process:

A medical consultation with the commissioning couple and the proposed surrogate mother and partner (if any) is the first step. During this consultation, the Assisted Reproductive Technologies and medical treatment required for the particular surrogacy situation will be explained.

Counselling for the commissioning couple and the surrogate and her partner is undertaken where implications regarding their decision and genetic issues will be discussed. 

The commissioning couple and the surrogate and her partner will then undergo a psychiatric consultation.

 
After approval, if the commissioning woman is using her own eggs, she will undergo an IVF treatment cycle whereby her ovaries are stimulated and her eggs are collected in day surgery and fertilised with her partner’s sperm. The embryo created will then be inseminated into the surrogate. 

Once a pregnancy is confirmed, ongoing consultation with the clinic counsellor will take place. This is to ensure that the full implications of the surrogacy, particularly in relation to plans for delivery and handing over the baby, have been discussed.

Under current  legislation, the child is deemed to be that of the birth mother. The commissioning couple of the surrogate arrangement must legally adopt the child.