Surrogate (or Surrogate Mother)
What is a surrogate mother?
A surrogate mother — is more commonly referred to as a gestational carrier or simply a “surrogate” in the 21st century. A surrogate is a woman who carries and delivers a child for intended parents (IPs) through gestational surrogacy. Unlike traditional surrogacy, she has no genetic link to the child, as the embryo is created via in vitro fertilization (IVF) using the IPs’ or donors’ eggs and sperm, ensuring clear legal and emotional boundaries.
How does a surrogate work?
A surrogate applies through a surrogacy agency or independently, undergoing medical, psychological, and background screenings to confirm eligibility — typically requiring prior healthy pregnancies and good health. After matching with IPs, she signs a gestational carrier agreement, outlining compensation, expenses, and medical decisions. She undergoes IVF embryo transfer, carries the pregnancy with prenatal care funded by IPs, and delivers the baby, transferring custody to IPs via pre-birth or post-birth orders. Costs are paid via escrow account, with agencies or consultants ensuring support.
What’s her role in surrogacy?
The surrogate is the heart of gestational surrogacy, providing the physical and emotional commitment to carry a non-genetically related child for IPs. Her role enables parenthood for those unable to carry — due to infertility, medical risks, or family structure — while adhering to legal frameworks like GCAs that protect her rights and clarify custody. Supported by medical, legal, and agency teams, she transforms IPs’ dreams into reality, making her contribution central to the surrogacy journey’s success.
What is the history of surrogates?
Surrogates became prominent in the 1980s with gestational surrogacy’s rise, enabled by IVF after the 1978 birth of Louise Brown in Oldham, England. The first gestational surrogacy in 1985 in Los Angeles, California, defined the modern surrogate’s non-genetic role, distinct from traditional surrogacy post the 1986 Baby M case in New Jersey. Agencies in San Diego, California, formalized surrogate support by the 1990s, while Canada’s Toronto regulated altruistic roles in the 2000s. Ukraine’s Kyiv utilized surrogates for global clients until recent restrictions, shaping today’s structured, ethical model.
