Traditional vs. gestational surrogacy, compensated vs. altruistic surrogacy, and independent vs. agency-assisted surrogacy: What are the differences? Whether you’re a woman interested in becoming an egg donor or surrogate, or an intended parent hoping to have a baby through surrogacy, it’s important to understand the different terms.
Types of surrogacy depend on a few factors. Let’s start with the way the baby is conceived, which brings us to traditional vs. gestational surrogacy.
Gestational vs.Traditional Surrogates
The baby’s genetics are the primary distinction between a gestational carrier and a traditional surrogate.
Traditional surrogates share genetic material with the fetus. That means the child is biologically connected to the surrogate and was conceived using the surrogate’s egg. A gestational carrier, also known as a gestational surrogate, is not related to the child genetically. In other words, the egg didn’t come from the surrogate; it was either donated or came from the intended mother of the child.
Because there is no biological connection between the gestational carrier and the child, gestational surrogacy is more popular. The gestational surrogate cannot keep the child because she is not the biological mother and the two do not share any DNA.
Another reason gestational surrogacy is more common is because of potential legal complications resulting from traditional surrogacy. For this reason, only intended parents who use the eggs of the intended mother or an egg donor are accepted as clients at The Fertility Agency.
Compensated vs. Altruistic Surrogacy
In exchange for their extraordinary role in carrying a baby for the intended parent(s), most surrogates receive financial compensation. This is called compensated surrogacy. The intended parent(s) are responsible for paying all medical bills and other pregnancy-related expenses throughout the entire pregnancy.
An altruistic surrogacy involves no financial compensation. This type of surrogacy is more common among surrogates and intended parent(s) who already know each other — the surrogate is carrying the baby solely out of the kindness of her heart. This can help lower the cost of surrogacy for the intended parent(s).
Independent or Agency-Assisted Surrogacy
Some intended parent(s) choose to pursue surrogacy by finding a surrogate, handling the compensation, and finalizing the legalities on their own. This is called independent surrogacy. Maybe the intended parent(s) know the surrogate and don’t need help locating a qualified egg donor or woman to carry their baby. Or maybe the intended parent(s) don’t have the necessary funds to hire an agency.
That leads us to the next type of surrogacy — agency-assisted surrogacy. This is the type offered here at The Fertility Agency. What makes agency-assisted surrogacy different is the level of services provided. We handle:
- Finding qualified egg donors
- Finding qualified surrogates and conducting background checks
- Matching surrogates to intended parent(s)
- Connecting intended parent(s) with experienced professionals including attorneys, fertility clinics, psychologists and insurance specialists.
- Assisting surrogates and intended parent(s) throughout the entire pregnancy
Although the idea of surrogacy is somewhat straightforward, the actual process can be intimidating or overwhelming for some people. That’s why we recommend partnering with a compassionate and knowledgeable agency that has a track record of success.
While we can’t speak for every agency, we can say that agency-assisted surrogacy through The Fertility Agency takes much of the stress and unknowns out of the process. Our entire staff works to make the experience as smooth and seamless as possible.
Surrogacy and Egg Donor Services
Since 2004, The Fertility Agency has helped bring over 1100+ babies into the world. We work with all intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors no matter their sexual preference, relationship status, ethnicity, location, etc. Our personal experiences and years of expertise provide us with the perfect balance of business and passion. Contact us for more information.
