Children born by surrogate mothers. Expert advices to parents.

More and more often mass media writes about yet another celebrity used services of surrogate mother and became happy parents. Number of ordinary people whose lives are not covered in press but who became parents with the help of modern reproductive technologies is also rather high. According to medical statistics, more than 300,000 registered children in the world were born by surrogate mothers. The real figure is five times higher. It’s practically impossible to count the number of children born with the help of surrogate mothers because many women who shoot Niagara usually do not disclose their secret and feign own pregnancy. The reason for this is that this procedure is banned at the state level in most European countries. For example, in Austria, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland, France and some U.S. states this service is prohibited.

But, that is the moment you have overcome all own fears and prejudices of society and are looking forward to the birth of your baby, who will be borne by a woman agreed to be a surrogate mother. A logical question arises - does surrogacy influence the child and family relationships in future? Perinatal psychologist shared her knowledge in this matter.

Correspondent: one woman carries a child and after his birth another one raises him. Does this factor effect on future relations between child and mother?

Psychologist: First of all it affects mother who is expecting but not carries a child. Because during pregnancy period a great relationship and connection between child and mother appears. Woman who carries a child goes through certain stages of maternal role; she produced some competence, understanding of child, and the so-called "parent intuition". Mom, who does not carry a baby, is deprived of this experience. So, it will be more difficult to adapt and get adjusted to the new role of mother for woman who didn’t carry her child. She has less body experience; she would have to rely only on the recognition of the fact that now she is a mother.

How does process of delivery from one mother to another affect a baby?

It is not so significant for a child. His psychological comfort in this case is much more dependent on how quickly the "new" mother will take maternal position. This process will be almost painless if a "new" mother will be well prepared - for example, she must take relevant courses and work with a psychologist. There is a certain problem in this phase. Parents who decided to use surrogacy are so focused on how to achieve this goal, they spent time, efforts and money and at some point they begin to feel that they have already paid in full for all and now they surely will be good parents. But it is not so. It is needed to learn to be good parents and to do all things correctly.

What exactly do you advice in order to be good parents?

All parents, regardless of the fact how their child drew the first breath must attend training courses and consultation of psychologist. During special courses you will be able to receive important and needed information concerning newborn, all development peculiarities and how to make contact with him. One day you will have on hand helpless baby actually left without a mother (those who carried him), without breastfeeding. Parents whose child will be borne by surrogate mother force on different issues especially those ones concerning mainly the legislative issue during the pregnancy period. Usually they do not have time to think about the psychological aspects of communication with the future baby. During pregnancy women usually go through the restructure stage, it becomes clear that future mother must change the way of life and behavior. But when it is a surrogacy, parents force just at their aim to have a baby: "I want to have a baby; I do not have children, our family must be aged with children". So families who use surrogate mother services should prepare for the birth of the child, as well as the woman who gives birth.

Can it be said that families with a child who was borne by surrogate mother fall harder than ordinary families?

Yes, there are a certain difficulties in this situation. Often parents of children who were borne by surrogate mothers try to present themselves as a "real parents". Therefore many of them simulate pregnancy to hide the truth from colleagues, friends, and most importantly - from the child. Sometimes the question arises whether to tell your child about how he was born. This is a personal matter for each family to tell or not all the details of child’s birth, but in any case, he has a right to know the truth. Some difficulties may arise due to the fact that mother was not pregnant with the baby during 9 months and didn’t gave birth to him. Therefore she cannot feel the emotions and feelings that often have mothers. But these difficulties are solved with the help of specialists, psychologists, special classes, and, of course, own positive attitude.

People have different attitude to surrogacy, but it seems that today more and more families use this method.

When pregnancy cannot be reached naturally doctors suggest alternative ways of giving birth from egg donor insemination and IVF (in vitro fertilization) to surrogacy. Seven years ago, IVF seemed like something out of science fiction but now it is simple procedure that is rather popular all over the world. For example, in 2011 with the help of IVF 6 million children were borne. There is a certain split in the society: some people say that children must be born only in a natural way, others are sure that it is stupid not to use achievements of modern science if you need it. We cannot stop the progress. I think soon surrogacy will become a commonplace procedure; it's just a matter of time.

 (Based on Psychology magazine sources)

Ukraine is a good choice for surrogacy

If you’ve been reading newspapers or watching TV, you know that surrogacy abroad is a hot topic. Of course, most of the American media has been focusing on India but there are other countries that should be getting as much attention and just aren’t. The good news is that the global world of surrogacy is constantly changing… particularly when it comes to countries passing legislation.  While many states in the US have had laws and legislation in place for years, it can still be cost-prohibitive for Intended Parents – even its own citizens.  So it comes as no surprise that people are constantly looking globally for more cost-efficient choices. With increased need, comes increased options, but also increased misinformation, scare tactics, etc… and if you’re looking to go abroad to have your baby via surrogacy, it can be a very frightening world indeed.  However, that shouldn’t stop you…what you need to do is try and see through the hype and hysteria and educate yourself  - the more you know, the better able you will be to make sound fertility decisions (including weighing any potential risks).

There is a general consensus that doing surrogacy outside of the U.S. is never considered quite as ‘safe’ as doing it within the U.S. – particularly from a legal standpoint.  But the times they are a changin’…. case in point – Ukraine – where according to Ukrainian law, surrogacy is legal. In brief, according to the Family Code of Ukraine and other regulatory acts, the parents of a child carried by a surrogate are considered the biological parents.  And as long as one Intended Parent has a genetic tie to the child (for example, the Intended Father provides sperm and the eggs are provided by an ovum donor), the other spouse automatically receives parental rights. Having parental rights means is that the names of both Intended Parents will appear on the birth certificate and are the legal parents as soon as the umbilical chord is cut.  To add assurances for the IP’s, once the surrogacy contract is signed with the surrogate, it is illegal for a surrogate to refuse to relinquish a child.  If she attempts to do so, the surrogate can lose her right for compensation and would pay penalties.

Ukraine is flexible in regards to who can do surrogacy and what fertility options are available. Remember, don’t jump in without doing your research first.  We know how anxious most Intended Parents are to get started on their surrogacy journey, but international surrogacy is truly an area where you want to do your homework.  Do the research — talk to experts, talk to clinics, agencies, doctors, and most importantly talk to former Intended Parents (more than one set) who have worked with the agency or clinic you are thinking of using.  And don’t be too shy to ask the tough questions like: What types of problems can come up?  And if they did, how were they handled? How much did it really cost? Are there unlisted fees you should expect? What are the clinic’s statistics? What were the biggest hurdles? Were the clinic and agency responsive, good communicators?  Also, if you are from a country where surrogacy is not legal you may very likely run into problems getting citizenship for your child. So check with a local family attorney in your home before you move forward in this process. Don’t just take the opinion of someone from the country where you are doing a surrogacy – they may not know what it will entail to legally bring your child home!

With all that said, you can see why Ukraine is a great option for many and definitely worth exploring. Most importantly, don’t forget that if you keep opening doors and don’t give up – eventually you will find your way to your baby.

Ukraine is one of a few countries in the world where surrogacy is absolutely legal. In this sphere Ukrainian legislators have proven to be more progressive than many of their European colleagues.

Legal aspects of surrogacy in Ukraine are regulated by Article 123 of The Family code of Ukraine (as amended from December 22, 2006 No. 524-V) which regulates affiliation of the child, born in case of assisted reproductive technologies (ART):

Item:  If an ovum conceived by the spouses is implanted to another woman, the spouses shall be the parents of the child.

Additional items that apply to surrogacy include:

Item 7.4. A healthy woman of full age, who gave birth to a healthy child upon her written free consent and absence of medical contra-indications, is entitled to perform surrogacy.

Item 7.10. If parents of a child born by a Surrogate are foreign citizens they shall inform the address of their residence before processing of documents and departure from country for patronage by specialists-pediatrics and for supervision.

Item 7.11. Registration of a child born through ART by means of surrogacy is conducted according to the order set by the current legislation of Ukraine at the presence of a certificate of genetic relationship of parents (mother or father) with a child.

Global IVF.com

Ukraine one of the world’s most surrogacy friendly countries

In the sphere of surrogacy, Ukrainian legislators have proven to be far more progressive than many of their European colleagues. Today, Ukraine is one of the very few surrogacy friendly countries in Europe. Unlike other nations that limit or even ban surrogacy, in Ukraine the intended parents of child are considered to be biological parents from the moment of conception, and they are specifically named as biological parents in the birth certificate without any mention of the surrogate mother.

Importantly, the surrogate cannot legally keep the child after the birth. On the contrary: the child is considered to legally belong to the prospective parents from the very moment of conception. In fact, in the legal history of Ukraine, there has not been a single reported case of a disputed custody claim arising over a surrogate parenting arrangement or the validity of a surrogacy agreement. In sharp contrast, the laws in several U.S. states (and the Russian Federation) allow a surrogate mother to keep the child after its birth, regardless of the agreements between the intended parents and surrogate mother.

Applicable Ukrainian law

In general, applicable Ukrainian legislation lacks almost all prohibitions that are commonly found in other European countries, and offers the following advantages:

• No limits on surrogacy related payments
• No additional legal procedures to obtain court order
• No adoption of your own child is required
• Ukrainian law allows to issue birth certificate to intended parents' names regardless of their genetic links to the child
• Donor or a surrogate mother has no parental rights over the child, who is legally the child of the prospective parents from the moment of conception

Legal aspects of surrogacy in Ukraine are regulated by Article 123 of The Ukrainian Family Code (amended December 22, 2006, No. 524-V). A couple can choose between gestational surrogacy, egg/sperm donation, special embryo adoption programs, or their combinations. No specific permission from any regulatory body is required. All that’s required is a written informed consent of all parties (intended parents and surrogate) participating in the surrogacy program and related agreements, confirming the arrangement.

Surrogacy is also regulated by Order 24 and Order 771 of the Health Ministry of Ukraine that deals with medical procedure of artificial insemination and embryo implantation. Importantly, this Order requires that artificial insemination must be carried out only in specially accredited medical institutions in accordance with the methods approved by the Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine. It also provides a checklist of information that must be provided to the couple seeking medical assistance, namely: the details of the medical procedure, the results of medical examination of the future surrogate mother and medical and legal aspects of the consequences, etc. A written informed consent of intended and surrogate parents participating in the program is mandatory.

Required agreements

Various agreements have to be signed between the parties, including contracts with (a) the medical institution responsible for insemination and further medical surveillance, (b) the surrogate mother and (c) surrogacy center (if any).

The surrogacy agreement must be in writing and signed before a notary prior to the embryo transfer. At a bare minimum, the following issues should be addressed: surrogate mother's health status; conditions that surrogate mother should observe; medical institution where the procedure will be performed; surrogate mother's remuneration, additional expenses, timing of payment(s); expenses connected with impregnation, pregnancy, act of delivery and registration of child; procedure of child transfer and registration; any force majeure provisions, including the delivery of handicapped child, delivery of more than one child, delivery of dead child, delivery complications resulting in surrogate mother's future infertility; confidentiality provisions and non-disclosure of information to the child or any third party, etc.

An agreement with the medical institution deals primarily with the medical institution's services, including responsibility for choice of surrogate mother (if applicable) and her full medical examination, obligation to carry out all procedures in accordance with the methods approved by the Health Ministry of Ukraine and intended (genetic) parents' requirements, the terms and conditions of medical observation during the pregnancy, payment structure, confidentiality and non-disclosure of information to the child or any third party, among others. Some medical institutions request that intended parents “shall not to submit any legal claims against the institution for any reason,” which clearly contradicts Article 3 of the Civil Procedural Code of Ukraine, namely, the individual’s right to defend his or her interests in court.

Since the Ukrainian Family Code presumes that genetic parents of the child born by a surrogacy will be a married couple, a Ukrainian notary will need to see a marriage certificate of the genetic parents, notarized and apostilled (in the USA at your home state department), translated and translation must be notarized.

Birth certificate for child from surrogacy

Pursuant to the Ukrainian Rules for Statistic Registration, dated 10/18/2000, foreign citizens may apply for a birth registration to the Ukrainian Vital Statistics Office. They have to submit a medical certificate that proves their genetic relationship to a child and the surrogate’s written consent to record their names on the birth certificate of the child she delivered. The names of the intended (genetic) parents are written in the birth certificate upon the child’s birth. There is no need to get any special permits from any committee, court or other institution. No adoption procedure is required.  However, it is often more convenient to approach the Consular Office of the parents’ home country and obtain the child’s passport. It is usually possible when the surrogacy is legal in the own country and the parents can prove they are genetically related to the child.

In conclusion, as with the medical procedures, it is equally necessary to understand the legal landscape upon which a family will be built, as well as any restrictions concerning surrogacy in your country of origin. Before embarking on your surrogacy journey you should retain qualified Ukrainian legal counsel that is experienced in working with international clients. And remember that surrogacy is prohibited or restricted in many European countries. Depending on your specific circumstances and citizenship you may require legal representation both in Ukraine and in your home country.

 Lawyer Anna Lelyuk 

Ukraine Becomes European Surrogacy Centre

Ukraine is becoming the most popular destination for Western couples seeking to have children through surrogacy due to low costs and relatively favorable legislation. It seems that women in some parts of Ukraine charge far less for the service than in Europe, and another big bonus for couples seeking surrogacy is that Ukrainian legislation recognizes the couples who hire surrogates as the only lawful parents.

This, in turn, means that legal fees tend to be much lower than in Western European countries as legislation in Europe varies quite drastically from country to country, and there are many instances where a surrogate can legally challenge the rights of the parents. Some countries have a total ban on surrogacy.
Parents having a child through surrogacy in Ukraine will currently pay somewhere between $30,000 and $45,000 with between $10,000 and $15,000 going to the surrogate. Comparing this to prices in the States than can vary between $80,000 and $120,000, it’s clear why Ukraine is seen as a favorable option.
It’s estimated that around 120 official surrogate pregnancies took place in Ukraine last year, and that the actual number could be 30% higher as many families use private agencies that are not required to report their date to the authorities. And the total number is estimated to increase by 20% over the coming year.
Ukraine seems to be a good and affordable option when it comes to surrogacy, but before going down that road, you should thoroughly check the legal position back home or you could end up in trouble.

What’s On Magazine 

Preliminary results from a pioneering study at Cambridge University paint a positive picture of the relationships formed between surrogates and the families they help to create.

When a woman becomes a surrogate to enable others to have a baby, new relationships are formed. Research carried out by the Centre of Family Research, University of Cambridge, suggests that many of these relationships flourish.  The research was presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) conference in London.

Surrogacy, the process whereby a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for an infertile couple, has become a more widely-accepted way of building a family, helped in part by media coverage of its use by high-profile celebrities. Commercially arranged surrogacy is illegal in the UK and many surrogates, most of whom have children of their own, are motivated by the desire to help others have a family.

To date there has been limited research into the long-term impact of surrogacy on the adults and children involved in the process, but now a study at the Centre for Family Research is looking at whether, and how, surrogacy affects family relationships.

Dr Vasanti Jadva and PhD candidate Susan Imrie of the Centre for Family Research presented findings from a two-year ESRC-funded research project which looks at the experiences of surrogacy from a range of perspectives including that of the partners and children of surrogates as well as surrogates themselves.

The research is based on in-depth interviews with 34 surrogates, 36 children of surrogates and 11 partners of surrogates. Twenty of the surrogates had been interviewed by Dr Jadva more than ten years ago in a previous project which looked at the psychological wellbeing and experiences of surrogates one year after the birth of the surrogacy child.  The participation of these women allowed the researchers to track relationships over time, adding a valuable dimension to the study.

The findings paint a largely positive picture of the relationships between the surrogate and her own family, and between these individuals and the families created through surrogacy.

“Our research shows that in the majority of cases, relationships formed as a result of surrogacy are valued and enjoyed by surrogates and sustained over time,” said Dr Jadva.  The study found that surrogates stayed in touch with the majority of the surrogacy children (77 per cent) and with most of the parents (85 per cent of mothers, 76 per cent of fathers). Of the surrogates who had chosen to maintain contact with the surrogacy families, most would meet in person once or twice a year.

Most of the surrogates’ own children (86 per cent) had a positive view of their mothers’ involvement in surrogacy. Almost half (47 per cent) were in contact with the surrogacy child all of whom reported a good relationship with him or her. A significant number of surrogates’ children referred to the child as a sibling or a half sibling.

Interestingly, the type of surrogacy did not affect how the surrogacy child was viewed by the surrogates’ own children and did not appear to have a bearing on whether the experience was seen as positive or negative by those involved.

Susan Imrie said: “It is clear that the children of surrogate mothers do not experience any negative consequences as a result of their mother’s decision to be a surrogate and that this was irrespective of whether or not the surrogate used her own egg.  In fact, most of the children we spoke to were supportive of their mother being a surrogate and were proud of what she’d achieved.” Surrogacy offers a means of having children to a growing number of couples experiencing fertility problems or unable to conceive.  

Winter pregnancy

Many people think that it is difficult and inconvenient to be pregnant during winter period. Dear women and future moms, we hasten to dissuade you! Being pregnant in winter is no worse than during any other season. Icy air will become an excellent occasion for useful promenade on crunchy snow. In addition, peculiarities of thermoregulation of pregnant woman will not let them feel as cold as ice. It is known that metabolic processes of women who are in a delicate condition are 20 percent accelerated so that future mothers practically don’t feel cold in winter. Also calm winter weather will harmoniously complement the quiet mood of a pregnant woman. But you will ask and what about the common winter colds and virus diseases? Because such illnesses as flu, sore throat or a simple acute respiratory viral infection can be especially dangerous for both mother’s and baby’s health. The well-known fact that majority of winter diseases are aerosol-transmitted diseases thus a good advice for woman in an interesting condition is to avoid crowded places and exclude communication with out of health people. It will be good to plan your schedule so to stand aback peak hours, crowded places and public transport. But if circumstances are not in your favor and you just need to rise from the ranks you can use a gauze bandage, in the case when there is an epidemic of acute respiratory infections. And after returning home can treat yourself with a cup of natural, herbal tea (lime, raspberry, currant, wild rose, peppermint, chamomile, red ash). Such drink will become a great benefit for your health and support of immunity system. A natural honey will be an excellent substitute for sugar that is not so useful for people especially for pregnant women.

Ice slick is a great danger which pregnant must avoid in winter. But course it is impossible to stay at home during all winter period. Therefore pregnant women are strongly recommended to go out with someone who will be able to take the load. In addition, it is necessary to wear comfortable shoes with non-slip soles and without heelpiece. Backpack worn on two shoulders will be a perfect balance to avoid as welcome as snow in harvest fall. But however hard you may try it can happen that pregnant woman falls due to slippery, uncleared roads. In such situation do not panic. Remember that child is protected by caul that softens any abrupt movements and strokes. Therefore standing up after the fall sit down and if the term of your pregnancy is so that you can already feel baby’s wiggling wait until he will push. Also consult your doctor even if you think that's all right with you and your child.

And the most important thing, dear future mothers, do not forget about a good mood. In winter, daylight is short and mood can sometimes worsen. Therefore create pleasant moments for yourself! Good habit for pregnant women is regular walks, during which you can enjoy beautiful views of the snow-covered nature and breathe frosty air and feed birds. Active communication with loved people, colleagues and friends will also have a good effect on your mood. You should avoid unpleasant topics and conflict situations. A good idea is to visit courses of preparation for childbirth. There you will meet with like-minded people and will be able to share experience and useful advices. Such courses will give you a sense of involvement in active life as well as new girlfriends. Special exercises in the morning and trips to the sweeping pool are also extremely useful for pregnant women. In addition physical exercises will give you energy boost for the whole day and help to keep your body in a good condition. Moreover, trips to the sweeping pool are allowed for pregnant women on any stage of pregnancy up to 9^th month. Practice what you like and that brings you positive emotions. Dance, listen to a beautiful music, watch your favorite movies, read interesting books etc.! The main thing is to make you and your baby well!

Ukrainian Revolution Doesn’t Harm BioTexCom Work!

The news about demonstrations in Ukraine quickly went round of the world. It caused some vigilance and fear of foreign citizens to go to Ukraine and especially its capital, Kiev. We hasten to assure you that the situation in Ukrainian cities, in particular in Kiev, is calm and safe for tourists. Ukrainian community organized maidan in order to support Euro integration of Ukraine and peacefully defend its positions. These events are absolutely safe for civilians. Revolutionary meetings take place only in the downtown and are located in one place. Therefore, foreign visitors can be calm and not afraid to come to Kiev.

Functioning of the BioTexCom clinic continues in the customary active conditions. Drivers of the medical center, as always, meet clients at the airport and bring them to the clinic or hotels where they will live. Center of revolutionary events does not intersect with the roads to the airport, clinic, or hotels for patients. You can get the thick of things of Euro maidan only if you special want to go there and see firsthand what is happening there.

Ukrainian Euro maidan was founded and are visited by all those who see Ukrainian state in the European community and manifest the active desire to become a part of Europe entering the European Union. Here one can see people of different ages, Ukrainian musicians who organize concerts to support activists, politicians and representatives of various social organizations. All events that take place on Independence Square are of a peaceful nature and do not affect the operation of capital airports, public transport, supermarkets and cultural institutions. About thirty cities of the world have also expressed their solidarity. Ukrainians who live in Barcelona gathered money for the needs of Kiev Euro maidan and sent them to the capital. Meetings were also held in three largest cities of Portugal - Lisbon, Porto and Faro where people also gathered funds for Kiev activists. More than thousand people came to meeting in Warsaw. They went through the main streets with the slogan "Ukraine is Europe", "We support Ukrainian maidan" and others. Ukrainians also were joined by the Polish politicians and public figures. Ukrainians who live in Italy, London, Dublin, Athens, Berlin, Prague, Paris, U.S.A cities, Moscow, Barcelona, ​​Bologna, Brussels, Budapest, Oslo, Tbilisi, Helsinki and many other cities follow the events in Ukraine and support people who stand on the Kiev Maidan.