Who needs Surrogacy?

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At CRGH, everything we do is underpinned by our founding principle that everyone should have the opportunity to start a family of their own, without exception. Delivering on that promise requires unique, tailored treatment plans for each and every person we work with. In order to do so, CRGH stays at the very forefront of all clinical, as well as legal, developments; ensuring our patients are given the absolute best treatment options available. One area which has progressed quickly in the last 10 years is Surrogacy treatment. We wanted to spend some time talking about who needs surrogacy, and how CRGH ensures they receive the very best service.

Who needs surrogacy?

There are a wide range of reasons why a person or couple might need the help of a surrogate in order to start or grow a family of their own. However, each country has slightly different rules around who is allowed to use a surrogate. In the UK, there are three main reasons why a person or couple are able to pursue surrogacy:

• Medical grounds which would make it dangerous or impossible for someone to carry a pregnancy themselves. Medical grounds include repeated pregnancy loss, implantation failure or an absence or malformation of the womb.
• LGBTQ+ people, particularly male same-sex couples. By using a surrogate, male-same sex couples can start a family of their own.
• Single Dads. Thanks to a change in the UK law in 2019, single dads can now use a surrogate to start a family of their own.

How does surrogacy usually work?

Surrogacy can sometimes seem like a complicated or daunting process. Thankfully, there are organisations such as My Surrogacy Journey who partner with clinics such as CRGH in order to make the process as smooth and simple as possible. That said, starting a family via surrogacy is still a process that involves lots of different individuals, as well as legal considerations. At CRGH we have a team of dedicated surrogacy nurses and co-ordinators who are responsible for ensuring all of our intended parents and surrogates are supported every step of the way.

Surrogacy treatment usually starts with a consultation for the intended parents, as well as a consultation for the surrogate. Some intended parents also require donated eggs as part of their journey to parenthood. Clinics such as CRGH have in-house egg donation programs, ensuring everything can happen in one place, and cut down on some of the complexity that people sometimes associate with surrogacy.

At its most basic level, surrogacy works by combining eggs and sperm in a laboratory to create an embryo which is then transferred to a third party to carry until birth. This “third party” is known as a surrogate. CRGH and Surrogacy If you are considering starting or growing your family via surrogacy we would love to tell you more about how our clinic is set up to provide the best possible care for intended parents and surrogates. We offer free mini consultations with one of our consultants, providing free, expert