Traditional
Surrogacy
When a surrogate uses her own egg to conceive your child it is called traditional surrogacy. This means that your child will be genetically related to both you and the surrogate and it is possible for them to grow up knowing their egg donor.
Straight Surrogacy
Traditional surrogacy is often called straight surrogacy. Conception occurs using artificial insemination which typically occurs at a location where the surrogate feels comfortable and involves the use of home insemination kits. Conception can also be achieved through intrauterine insemination (IUI) at a fertility clinic where your semen is injected into the uterus of the surrogate when she is ovulating.
"It never bothered me as I was one-and-done with my own son, so my eggs were simply going to waste each month. Throughout the pregnancy I never felt a maternal connection to the baby, as even though it was 'mine', it also wasn't if that makes sense?! The baby was always intended for her original parents, and I was simply the (awesome) person to make that dream come true for them! Shes now 2 months old, and I simply think of her like a niece. I can't wait to watch her grow up and explore the world, with her two daddies by her side."
Emma, Traditional Surrogate
achieving pregnancy
Home insemination will mean that you do not need to create embryos by paying expensive IVF clinics fees. Some surrogates also do not want to take some of the strong medication that is involved in IVF.
You may have to try many times before you conceive, usually with inseminations two or three times a month every month. This will involve driving to a place where the surrogate feels comfortable to do the insemination. This is usually at the surrogate's house but not always. Some teams are lucky and conceive on their first try. Other teams can take up to a year of trying. The key is patience and a team ethos of trust and understanding.
The biological connection?
Some men are initially worried about the biological connection between baby and surrogate. These thoughts are normal when starting to consider which type of surrogacy works for you, but traditional (straight) surrogates are fully aware that their desire to help others is not bound up in a need to become a mother to the baby. Traditional surrogates explain by saying that that there are no maternal connections, that their eggs are only cells and that they are simply donating that which would go unused to people who want children.. Sharing DNA makes no difference.
Key points
GENETICS
The surrogate is genetically related to yor child. In this way, she is both a surrogate and a known egg donor.
TIME
Once you start home inseminations, conception may happen straight away. However some teams can spend up to a year trying.
COST
Straight surrogacy avoids clinic fees. Costs will mainly be for the surrogates expenses (between £4K-21K) plus contingency.
