The Fascinating History Of Surrogacy
The assistance of a surrogate mother to carry and deliver a baby is requested when a couple are unable to have a child themselves.
It is often the case that the baby can inherit genes from at least one, if not both, of the parents-to-be, hence the child becomes a real biological member of the intended family.
To many of us, this may seem like a new idea, however in reality quite the opposite is the case. Surrogacy dates back at least hundreds, if not thousands, of years, the first known case being the Bible account of Abraham and his first wife Sarah who was unable to conceive.
It was only in the late 70s that surrogacy became an accepted, and more efficiently documented, child-bearing method.
A Guide To Tomorrow’s Surrogacy
In the mid-1970s the very first official legal document for surrogacy came into act and was centred around the child known as Baby M. It was the lawyer responsible for this agreement who went on to become the founder of a surrogacy agency.
It was during the same time in our history that both national and international news featured surrogacy, in particular the story of Louise Joy Brown, the first, ‘test tube baby’, in the world.
Granted this case was not exactly a surrogate situation, however it did lead the way to gestational surrogacy, that being the laboratory process of a sperm and egg being implanted for later placement in the uterus of the surrogate mother.
The first traditional and paid for surrogacy arrangement was in the year 1980. For successfully carrying and delivering a baby boy, the 37-year old surrogate mother was paid a sum of $10,000.
It was this same surrogate mother who later advocated against surrogacy, stating that the procedure had a negative impact on her family life, her own emotions, and her husband’s career.
Hence it becomes clear that, whilst surrogacy can give rewards and satisfaction to both the surrogate mother and the parents-to-be, it is vital that potential surrogate mothers prepare themselves emotionally, and not just physically, for the surrogacy procedure.
After only a short period, in 1983, the first successful egg donation pregnancy was carried out. The woman involved successfully gave birth using, not her own eggs, but the eggs from a donor. It was this specific case that paved the way in the year 1985 for the first gestational surrogacy.
Surrogate History In Recent Times
Compared to several decades ago, surrogacy has gained much popularity in recent times.
Within the past 12 years or so, there have been several history-making moments for surrogacy.
One example of this was in 2001 when a surrogate mother, the oldest at that time, delivered her very own grandchild.
The year 2005 also saw a surrogate mother at the age of 58 deliver her own twin granddaughters.
If you would like more information on becoming a surrogate mother please contact us today.
