All clinics will require potential gestational surrogate mothers to undergo extensive physical and psychological testing prior to becoming approved as an acceptable carrier. Part of this testing is complete STD panels for both the surrogate and her partner.
Some clinics and intended parents will automatically disqualify any woman as a surrogate who has Herpes, but this is not a hard and fast rule. With proper arrangements, Herpes can become a non-issue.
The main problem with the Herpes virus is that it can be transmitted to the baby at birth. The simple solution for this is that the surrogate mother delivers the baby via c-section instead of vaginally.
The risk to the infant is only if there is an active Herpes infection present during delivery, though intended parents might ask for a mandatory c-section with a surrogate who carries the STD to be on the safe side.
The most important thing for you to do as a potential surrogate mother who has Herpes is to disclose this information during the matching process to the set of potential intended parents that you are interviewing with. You will also need to disclose this to the clinic before they have done any testing on you.
This way, if there is a problem, any relationship can be ended immediately, which will save everyone valuable time and money. Plus, this shows that you are honest and forthright with information, even derogatory information, which is vital in a surrogacy arrangement.
If you do not disclose this information in advance of testing, and it is found later, it could be a very large black spot on your relationship with both the clinic and the intended parents. STDs are not something to be taken lightly. They can have permanent and damaging effects on any unborn child.
It is important to note that Herpes is usually the only exception when it comes to carrying any sort of STD and still qualifying to become a surrogate mother. Because Herpes is only contagious when the baby passes through the birth canal, as opposed to being contagious in vetro, and because Herpes is so common in America, clinics and intended parents may turn a blind eye towards it.
Do not get offended if a clinic or intended parents reject you based on your Herpes status. These parents undergo a very expensive and emotional journey trying to become parents. They are usually extra cautious and extra sensitive to such issues.
But for every set of intended parents who may reject a Herpes carrier, there is another set of intended parents who simply do not care, so long as the proper safety precautions are taken. Good luck in your surrogacy journey!
Every woman who is being considered as a surrogate mother must have had at least one healthy live birth. This rule is extremely important, and a childless woman will not be considered for surrogacy. There are three main reasons for this.
1.Proven pregnancies Surrogacy is extremely expensive for the intended parents. They must pay for all of the expenses of the pregnancy in addition to the fertility treatments, lawyers fees, agencies, and surrogate's fees. These fees can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, if not more.
A woman who has not previously given birth is an unknown risk. She could have infertility problems of her own that she has not realized yet. She could have trouble carrying the child. Because of this expense and the fact that nothing is known about this woman's ability to carry and deliver children, no intended parent, surrogacy agency, or IVF clinic is willing to take that chance.
2.Unsure emotions A woman who has not previously given birth may find herself dealing with unexpected emotions when it comes time to deliver and relinquish the surrogate baby. These emotions may happen even with a self-confident woman who has no desire to parent a child anytime soon.
That is not to say that the woman would have any legal ability to keep the child, but it could prove to be a very upsetting situation for both the surrogate mother and her intended parents. Women who already have their own children are able to go home to those children.
Sometimes surrogates are upset, unexpectedly, when it comes time for the birth of the baby. But those with children of their own are able to receive comfort with this fact.
3.Anything can happen Not only does a woman who is considering becoming a surrogate mother need to have her own children, she also needs to be completely done with her family. She should not desire to have any more children in the future.
A surrogate pregnancy is just like any other pregnancy. Occasionally, something may happen that will cause the surrogate mother to be unable to ever carry another child.
This is a sad situation when it happens to a surrogate mother who has completed her family. It is horribly tragic if it happens to one who is not finished having her own children. It has happened more than once that a surrogate mother has turned into an intended mother, needing the help of another surrogate to complete her family at a later date.
For a woman who has never given birth before, to be unable to ever carry your own children due to the fact that you decided to help another family first, this can be devastating. Even if the woman is not planning ever to have her own children, time has a way of changing one's mind.
Though wanting to become a surrogate mother for another couple is a noble and generous thing to do, a woman must have her own children first. It is simply a bad idea to do otherwise.
Rayven Perkins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Herpes Cure, Surrogacy and Pregnancy and Family Planning. Rayven Perkins is an author and two-time surrogate mother. To find out how to become a gestational surrogate mother, or more information on gestational surrogacy, please see her site. Rayven Perkins's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.