Dreaming of starting a family but having no luck conceiving?
These days you are not limited to just one path when building a family. There are so many options available to hopeful parents than ever before. Surrogacy services, adoption, IVF cycles… The list goes on.
But which path is right for you?
Well, that’s the tricky part. Each path comes with different procedures, pricing, and timelines. Once you understand all your options though, the choice becomes much easier.
In this article you’ll learn:
- About all your options for building a modern family
- Everything surrogacy services have to offer
- How adoption works
- The process of IVF
- How to choose which path is right for you
IVF vs Surrogacy vs Adoption: Understanding Your Options
The family-building process is not what it used to be.
Assisted reproductive technology is being used more than ever. According to the CDC, there are over 400,000 fertility treatment cycles happening every year in the United States alone.
And that number continues to rise each year.
If you’re unable to get pregnant, you’re in a same-sex relationship, or know that you simply need a little help conceiving… There is an option for you.
Let’s take a deeper look into each of your options.
IVF vs Surrogacy: All About Surrogacy Services
Did you know that surrogacy is one of the most effective ways to get pregnant?
Here’s how it works. A gestational carrier signs a contract with intended parents to carry a pregnancy for them. An embryo is created using IVF and transferred to the surrogate’s uterus.
The best way to start your journey is by working with a licensed and professional surrogacy agency. They will walk you through every step of the process from start to finish.
From matching you with the perfect surrogate to assisting with legal and medical logistics.
Surrogacy has become such a popular family-building method for many reasons.
One reason? The success rates. A surrogate’s fresh (first time) transfer success rates average around 88%… which is significantly higher than the national average for IVF.
There are two different types of surrogacy:
- Gestational surrogacy – where the surrogate has no genetic relation to the baby
- Traditional surrogacy – where the surrogate uses her own egg to become pregnant
These days, gestational surrogacy is much more common than traditional.
Needless to say, the demand for gestational surrogates has increased in recent years. In fact, between 2004 and 2013 gestational carrier cycles increased by over 300%. Today we see GC cycles making up around 5% of all embryo transfers. Just over 2% in 2011.
Who Turns To Surrogacy Services?
Surrogacy services are not limited to same sex couples.
While homosexuality is a large percent of the surrogacy market, surrogacy helps many individuals and couples achieve their dreams of parenthood.
Intended parents who turn to surrogacy services include:
- Couples that suffer from infertility
- Same sex couples that wish to have a biologically related child
- Single parents ready to start a family
- Individuals who medically can not carry a child full term
Studies show that most women who become surrogates have a medium to high education background and are considered above-average income. Another interesting find? Their main reason for being a surrogate was altruistic.
Women want to help other people achieve the joys of parenthood.
IVF vs Surrogacy: How Adoption Works
Adoption is another great way to start or grow your family.
Fun fact: Approximately 81.5 million Americans have thought about adopting a child in their lifetime. That’s 40% of Americans!
But only 2-4% of people go through with the adoption process.
With several different types of adoption to consider, each with varying wait times. It’s easy to see how you could get overwhelmed when entering the adoption process.
The three main types of adoption are:
- Foster care adoption – when you adopt out of the foster care system. This is typically the least expensive way to adopt a child.
- Private domestic adoption – when you work with an adoption agency or attorney to adopt a newborn baby. Wait times and cost are typically higher with this route.
- International adoption – adopting a child from another country. This process involves working with the country’s foreign regulations and typically takes 2-3 years.
Did you know that…
Nine out of ten adoptive couples say their relationship with their adopted child is “very close.” Adoptive parents who have been married for fewer than 5 years are more likely than those who have been married longer to say the relationship with their adopted child is better than they expected.
Adoption allows children to grow up in a loving and permanent home. Not to mention it allows parents who long to care for children the opportunity to do so.
IVF vs Surrogacy: IVF Explained
In vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, has become a common practice for couples that face infertility.
Let me explain… With IVF, eggs are fertilized by sperm outside the body. Once the eggs become embryos, they are transferred to the uterus.
As with pregnancy in general, age plays a big role in IVF success rates. Women under 35 seeing the highest chance of a live birth per cycle.
Recent studies show that women under 35 have about a 55% chance of a live birth after one IVF cycle. Women between the ages of 35-37 have an approximate 40% chance.
Women over the age of 40 see a steep decrease in success rates. However, with the help of donor eggs you can remove age as a factor all together. With donor eggs, success rates can be between 70-80%.
IVF cycles typically look like this:
- Taking fertility medications to stimulate egg production
- Retrieving said eggs via minor procedure
- Laboratory fertilization
- Embryo transfer
Many patients don’t actually get pregnant after the first IVF cycle. According to SART data only about 26% of all patients conceive on their first transfer.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do IVF! The more IVF cycles you go through, the higher your odds become of conceiving.
IVF vs Surrogacy vs Adoption: Making The Decision
So how do you know which route is best for you?
There are a few things you should take into consideration when deciding your path:
- Your fertility
- Your budget and timeline
- If you’d like a genetic connection
- Your support system
There is nothing wrong with any of your options. They each came here for different reasons.
Surrogacy services allow you to have a high success rate while still having a genetic connection. Adoption opens the door for you to give a child a loving home. IVF allows you to conceive with your own genetic material.
The bottom line is…
There is no right or wrong answer. You just have to choose the path that best suits your situation and needs.
Talk to fertility doctors, egg donors, surrogacy agencies, and adoptive parents. Learn everything you can about each path and then make your decision.
Wrapping It All Up
There are many different ways to build a family these days.
Where once surrogacy services, adoption, and IVF were thought impossible… Now they’re considered normal.
Remember:
- Surrogacy allows you to experience high success rates while working with gestational carriers
- Adoption allows you to provide a home for a child while filling your own dream of parenting
- IVF allows you to conceive with your own genetic material (varies by age)
Now it’s time to take that first step. You can’t build your family without learning about your options.
Reach out to agencies that can help walk you through the process of each path. They will provide you with the knowledge needed to make your decision.
You’ve got this!