In a gestational surrogacy process, there are, apart from the people directly involved in the pregnancy (intended parents and surrogate), a group of professionals from the medical and legal environment.
It is very important that the whole multidisciplinary team exert its functions in a coordinate way to ensure that all the proceedings involved in the surrogate pregnancy are fulfilled correctly.
The assisted reproduction clinical specialty, the lawyers, psychologists, gynaecologist, obstetricians, nutritionists, etc, are decisive to avoid problems during the process.
Who intervenes in the surrogacy
Although not all intended parents do it, it is generally recommended that all gestational surrogacy processes count on the cooperation of these five professionals
Fertility Clinic: it will perform the medical treatment, embryo creation and implant to surrogate’s uterus
- Law Firm: it Will provide legal counselling, issue contracts and filiation documents.
- Psychologist: He/ she will provide emotional support to both the surrogate and intended parents.
- Nutritionist: he/ she Will provide nutritional advisory to the surrogate during pregnancy.
- Gynecologist– Obstetrician: he/ she will perform the regular control during pregnancy and birth.
Fertility clinic
It is in charge of making the medical tests to the intended parents to evaluate whether they can provide the genetic material. In case of need of an ovule donor, the fertility clinic will provide it.
It is also in charge of making the medical tests to evaluate the selected woman to surrogate. Apart from deciding if the female donor (if necessary) and the selected surrogate selected by the intended parents are suitable, the professionals of the fertility clinic are responsible for fulfilling all the steps in the assisted reproduction procedures.
- Determine the medication that must be administered both to the surrogate and the donor, or in case of not recurring to donation, medication of the intended mother.
- Medication response follow-up
- Oocyte retrieval, which consists of the extraction of the ovules of the donor
- Semen Obtaining and preparation form the intended father or a donor, who Will also have passed the necessary tests to determine if he is suitable to donate semen
- IVF (In vitro fecundation) through which the ovules are inseminated and embryos of intended parents are created
- Culture and transfer of embryos to the selected surrogate.
Lawyers specialised in surrogacy
It is essential to hire a law firm that legally assists and represents intended parents. Their main duties are:
- To represent the intended parents legally during all the process, from the beginning to the end of the filiation procedures.
- To write the contracts for gestational surrogacy and gamete donation with the surrogate and donors respectively.
- To perform the filiation procedures for the baby so that it is registered in the name of the intended parents (the type of procedure will depend on the country and its laws)
- To write and edit all the necessary legal documents for the process.
- To provide legal counselling and assistance to the parties involved in the treatment (intended parents and surrogate)
Gynaecologist and obstetrician
The obstetrician is a gynaecologist specialised in obstetrics, that is to say, in taking all the medical controls of the woman during pregnancy.
This doctor will prescribe regular check-ups to the surrogate in order to assess the advance and good development of the pregnancy. He Will prescribe blood tests and clinical check-ups, ultrasounds and he will be in control of all the medical issues during the pregnancy of the surrogate mother. The same specialist will usually assist in the birth .
Psychologist
Having the support of a psychologist is not a must, but very recommendable. It is advisable that both intended parents and the surrogate receive emotional support during all the process of gestational surrogacy, pregnancy and postpartum period. This Will contribute to their emotional stability in this particular process.
Nutritionist
As in the previous item, counting on a nutritionist will not be a must in principle, but it is highly recommended. Nutritional assistance for the surrogate will help her to make a plan to keep healthy during all the pregnancy. This will result in good health for the surrogate and consequently, for the baby she is carrying as well.