Today’s Telegraph includes a feature about surrogacy in the UK entitled ‘How to have a baby by surrogate in the UK’ following an interview with Natalie to answer various questions, including:
Is surrogacy right for you?
There are lots of reasons why a couple would use a surrogate, says Gamble. “They might be a heterosexual couple who have had failed fertility treatments, or had repeated miscarriages,” she says. “The woman might have had a hysterectomy, have been born without a womb, or cannot carry a pregnancy for other reasons, such as a heart condition. Obviously gay dads and single dads need a surrogate as well. Surrogacy covers the whole spectrum of people.”
How does the law come into surrogacy?
“In the UK, it’s all done on trust and you have to sort out the legal issues after the baby’s been born, which in our view is all far too late,” says Gamble. “We’re keen to see a law which pulls all of that legal process forward so there’s a contract and the right people are recognised as the legal parents immediately from birth.”
How much does surrogacy cost?
According to Gamble, the idea that paying surrogates is illegal in the UK is a misconception: “Profit-making agencies cannot be involved, but unless it’s a friend or a family member most surrogates are paid; £15,000 is the going rate. It’s not illegal to pay a surrogate in the UK and it won’t impact on getting a parental order, other than making the process more complicated. During the application to become the legal parent, the court has to consider whether you’ve paid more than reasonable expenses; if you have the court has to decide whether to authorise the payment.”
How should you go about finding a surrogate?
As Gamble says, “It’s always good to find a clinic that has dealt with surrogacy previously and understands the dynamic involved. “The process is one that takes commitment on all sides. Whoever it is, whether it’s a family member or a stranger, the important thing is that everybody is completely informed about all the issues. They need to have talked about everything in advance – like what might happen if things go wrong – and be clear about the boundaries. That’s the strongest foundation for a surrogacy arrangement.”
You can read the full Telegraph piece here.
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