Perhaps one of the heaviest topics every surrogate and IP will need to address when considering surrogacy is how they feel about termination and selective reduction in pregnancy. Although an unpleasant discussion to have, termination in the case of genetic or medical defects is a topic in which most IPs and surrogates are at least familiar. Selective reduction, however, may be a foreign term for those new to the world of gestational surrogacy, only adding to the discussion’s utmost importance.

Generally speaking, surrogates are much more likely to carry twins, or even triplets, than women experiencing traditional pregnancies. This is due in part to the glowing health a surrogate must exhibit. The other part of the equation is the number of embryos that will be transferred into the surrogate’s womb. To increase the odds of a successful embryo transfer, IPs are typically encouraged to transfer two embryos into their surrogate per transfer. Although not guaranteed, every embryo transferred does have the potential to develop into a baby; if the surrogate and embryos are both healthy, this could result in twins, triplets, or more babies and many times, it does just that.

In any multiple-baby pregnancy, odds increase for premature delivery and health issues; as the number of babies increases, so do the risks. Some IPs and surrogates are not willing to take these risks, and would instead prefer the option of selective reduction to decrease the number of babies carried at one time. The hope in selective reduction is that it will increase the likelihood that just the one or two babies will be carried to term and delivered happy and healthy.

Even when multiple babies do not come into play, IPs and surrogates will still need to discuss their stance on pregnancy termination. As IMs age and use their own eggs, the possibility of medical defects in the baby increases. No matter how uncomfortable the thought may be, IPs absolutely must consider and come to terms with what they would do if their baby were diagnosed with a major genetic or medical defect during the pregnancy.

No matter what an individual’s views are on pregnancy termination and/or selective reduction, both the IPs and surrogate must share the same views before being matched.  Surrogate Solutions devotes tireless time and attention to truly get to know each and every surrogate and IP before recommending a match and is always available to answer any question, no matter how difficult. If you are looking for additional surrogacy resources or would like to speak confidentially with an experienced representative, do not hesitate to contact Surrogate Solutions today!