Elective C Section and Scheduled Induction – Planning Delivery in Surrogacy

Elective C Section plans and scheduled inductions are very common in commercial surrogacy.

These surrogacy issues should be discussed in advance of the surrogate pregnancy, while in the contract stage.

Please note: This site is not intended to be legal council.

No portion of the ideas and concepts represented on this website should be used as a substitute for your surrogacy attorney’s advice.

Make sure you consult your lawyer on all issues regarding surrogacy.

In many surrogacy contracts, the surrogate delivery will be planned in advance.

Basically, what this means, is that the intended parents, doctor, and surrogate mother plan to have the surrogate go through elective c section or planned induction on a certain date, to make things easier on all parties involved.

Why Schedule Delivery?

The main reason that surrogate pregnancies are often elective c sections or planned inductions is the sheer amount of people involved in such an arrangement. In a typical surrogacy, you may have the following people involved at the birth:

  • The Surrogate Mother
  • The Surrogate Mother’s Spouse
  • The Surrogate Mother’s Children
  • The Caregiver of the Surrogate Mother’s Children
  • The Intended Parents
  • The Other Children of the Intended Parents
  • The Caregiver of the Intended Parent’s Children
  • The Delivering Doctor
  • The Intended Parent’s Lawyer
  • The DNA Specialist

In most situations, it is simply easier scheduling induction or an elective c section, whenever possible, in advance. With so many people needing to schedule time off, arrange for child care, and even arrange court hearings, when possible, it becomes a logistical nightmare.

Planning delivery is just an easier way of handling things.

Do All Surrogacy Arrangements Plan Delivery?

Not all surrogate mothers and intended parents plan delivery with an elective c section or scheduled induction. Many wish for things to progress as naturally as possible, and want to wait for birth to happen.

This is fine. It is also important to note that even when a birth is scheduled, the baby may decide to come early.

A Surrogate’s Words:

“Even when you plan a delivery, things can go wrong. All my pregnancies have always been induced. I was even able to carry twins to 38 weeks 2 days and was induced. So when my international intended parents and I were planning the delivery of child #5, it was reasonable to assume that I would go to term.

Word to the wise: never assume anything when it comes to pregnancy and delivery!

My intended parents planned to fly into America at 39 weeks, hoping to induce right on my due date. The baby, however, decided to come at 38 weeks. A full week before they were scheduled to arrive, my water broke. Ironically, I didn’t go into labor, and still needed to be induced.

At the time, I was able to get a hold of my intended parents, and tell them what had happened. But they were each on a different continent, and flight schedules put them to the hospital almost 72 hours after the birth of their son. He was born perfectly healthy, and big at more than 7 1/2 lbs. But his parents totally missed his birth.

You see, we never came up with a Plan B. Make sure that even if you are scheduling delivery, you have a plan in place as to what should happen if the baby decides to make an early appearance. And then, expect him to!”

 

Whatever is decided, it may be something that the intended parents or surrogate mother wish to include in the commercial surrogacy contract.

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