by Michele
(Guilderland, NY, USA)
Hi Rayven! I’m so glad you have this sight. I have a lot of questions for you! Here goes:
I am thinking of using a gestational surrogate if I ever want to get pregnant.
I don’t like the thought of giving birth and I was recently diagnosed with Factor 5 Leyden (blood disease) that ups my risk of miscarrying.
My friend, Kristin said she would be my surrogate if I needed one. So…
#1. How could I tell if the baby was really mine and she and her husband didn’t accidentally impregnate themselves or my boyfriend’s (will be my husband when we do this) sperm didn’t actually impregnate her egg? She will only have our kids as long as they are ours, not hers.
#2. What are the odds/chances of multiple births?
#3. Who is considered the mother on the birth certificate, me (biological mom) or her (gestational surrogate)?
#4. Will doctors even let me do this? Having Factor 5, I could still have a baby (my sister-in-law has this from her family and mine and she is currently 4 months along) but it just ups my chance of miscarriage and I’d be a high risk pregnancy, but my main reason is I don’t really wanna have the baby physically. Is that good enough for a doctor?
#5. Can I do egg extraction with my tubes sterilized?
Thanks so much!
Michele
Reply by Rayven
Michele,
1. A DNA test would be done at the child’s birth to confirm that you were indeed the biological mother of the child. Many states require this for the legal procedures, and many insurance companies as well. It’s pretty standard.
2. The odds of multiples are strong in IVF, especially with a surrogate mother. The more embryos you transfer, the more likely they are to stick. If you only want one baby, only transfer one embryo at a time. Seriously. Or you may find yourself faced with making a horrible decision later.
3. The birth mother will vary depending on what state you live in. Consult your attorney. Irregardless, it is just a formality and will all be corrected on a birth certificate later. If your friend is originally named the birth mother, this will be expunged in court completely.
4. (Answered this above)
5. Yes, it is possible, but you will need to consult your doctor for your specific situation. You can even do a retrieval without a uterus. It’s amazing what science can do these days!
I hope this all helps, Michele. I wish you the best.