Surrogacy is not a well-known subject to the general public so, understandably, people have a lot of questions about the genetics involved in a surrogate relationship. One of the most common questions people have involves how the surrogate mother is genetically related to the baby she carries.
There is not a straight and simple answer because there are different types of surrogacy. Ultimately, the biological relation really depends on the egg used in the fertilization process. In gestational surrogacy, a woman carries an embryo created through IVF. This embryo is not created with the egg of the surrogate but from the egg and sperm of the intended parents. Biologically, and legally, the child that she is carrying is not her child.
Gestational surrogacy is less complicated and is the preferred method of surrogacy. To learn more about gestational surrogacy, contact Genesis Rising in Nevada.
Traditional surrogacy is less common and in this method of surrogacy, the sperm of a donor (or intended parent) is combined with the egg of the surrogate - which biologically does make the baby related to the surrogate mother. It may seem complicated, but ultimately, the child biologically belongs to the donor of the sperm ad the egg.
Genetics is often misunderstood and in surrogacy, genetics are the primary factor. That is why so many questions arise regarding the DNA, physical appearances, and biological connection of the baby to the surrogate mother.
Physical Appearance
The physical features of a baby born from surrogacy depend on the DNA of the sperm donor and the egg donor. In gestational surrogacy, both donors are usually the intended parents, so the baby will carry the DNA of the donors. Even in traditional pregnancies, babies don't always look like one or the other parent. But, if a baby is to resemble anyone in surrogacy, it would be the donors of the egg and sperm.
Shared Blood And DNA
Genetics can be confusing, and many people are not familiar with how DNA inheritance works. Consider the uterus a bubble for an embryo to grow in - which it quite literally is. That bubble is a safe home to an embryo, filled with the DNA present when the sperm and egg were joined. At this point, the DNA makeup has already been determined and will not be altered by the space it grows in. The DNA of the surrogate does not pass through or affect the DNA structure of the embryo.
This is also true for blood. People often believe that a pregnant woman shares blood with the embryo or fetus she is carrying. But during pregnancy, the gestational carrier is only sharing oxygen and nutrients. Blood relationships are created when the embryo and sperm join. That means if the surrogate carrier was not the provider of the egg, her blood is completely different and will not be shared with the baby she carries.
Nevada Surrogacy Center And Education
Genesis Rising is committed to helping men and women understand how traditional and gestational surrogacy differ from one another, especially in regards to genetics. Because this subject is not common, many people misunderstand it. Education is important when making profound life choices like becoming parents through surrogacy or fulfilling a family's dream by being a gestational carrier. These decisions often come down to the attachment that the carrier does or does not have, biologically, with the child she carries.
If you are curious about the surrogacy process and want to learn more, please contact our gestational specialists at Genesis Rising in Nevada today. Communication and love are two doors that make families grow - that is no different with surrogacy. Call us today!