The Heart of Altruistic Surrogacy: Creating Families Through Selfless Love

Posted on: March 28th, 2024

Altruistic surrogacy is a beautiful arrangement where a compassionate woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another person or couple in need, without receiving any compensation beyond covering necessary expenses. She does this purely out of the goodness of her heart to help someone’s dream of having a family come true.

Defining Altruistic Surrogacy

Altruistic surrogacy is when a woman (the surrogate) agrees to become pregnant and give birth to a child that she will not be raising.

Instead, the baby she carries will become the child of the intended parent or parents once born. The surrogate receives no payment for carrying the child beyond reimbursement of reasonable expenses like medical bills or maternity clothes. She acts as a gestational carrier, motivated by her own desire to be helpful and make a profound difference in someone’s life.

Some key aspects of altruistic surrogacy:

Motivations For Pursuing This Route

There are a few common situations that lead intended parents down the path of altruistic surrogacy:

Infertility Issues

Due to medical reasons like an absent or non-functioning uterus, many women cannot physically carry a pregnancy. Surrogacy allows them to still have a biological child. As of 2018, about 6% of married women in the U.S. aged 15-44 are infertile.

Same-Sex Couples

Male same-sex couples and single men wishing to have a biological child rely on surrogacy and an egg donor to help then start a family.

Altruistic Desire to Help

Some women feel a calling to act as a surrogate out of kindness, Compassion and wanting to give the gift of life. Building families through surrogacy forges a unique lifelong connection.

Biological Connection

Having a biological child gives parents an unparalleled feeling of connection. Altruistic surrogacy arrangements facilitate this genetic bond while allowing someone else to carry the baby.

The Altruistic Surrogacy Journey

The decision to move forward as or with an altruistic surrogate is an important one with medical, emotional and legal considerations. Key steps in the process include:

It is truly an emotional rollercoaster for all. But in the end, the rewards of a precious new life achieved through such an incredible collaboration makes every valley in the journey so worthwhile.

Learn more: Costs of adult adoption

Laws & Regulations Surrounding Altruistic Surrogacy

The complex nature of surrogacy arrangements, even altruistic ones, requires thoughtful regulation. Laws regarding surrogacy (compensated or not) vary significantly by state in the U.S. and from country to country globally. Some key legal considerations include:

While the law provides an essential framework, this profoundly intimate, emotional process requires care and wisdom beyond just technical legal compliance. All parties should thoughtfully reflect, seek counsel, and give utmost priority to human dignity and ethical conduct every step of this monumental journey.

A Calling to Create Families

Building families is one of the most meaningful endeavors any of us undertake in life. For those facing fertility struggles, the grief of that loss cannot be overstated. Yet altruistic surrogacy offers real hope – an opportunity to experience the blessing of children through another’s selflessness.

To act as an altruistic surrogate is to make a remarkable sacrifice; carrying a baby for 9 months is no small task. But being able to give a couple that gift of life leaves an eternal mark on their lives and yours. It is a calling born of compassion. A calling to create families.

If you or someone you love desires to build a family through surrogacy, contact us today to start an informed, caring consultation about this life-changing path.

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