Surrogacy process in India: Types of surrogacy and its implementation

Within the past few years, surrogacy has really become popular amidst the growing infertility issues around with the couples and this is where most of them have opted to become parents whilst using a surrogacy arrangement.

One of the many reasons why Surrogacy is preferred over other options like adoption is that long process that a person needs to go through whilst going for the adoption process.

Talking about Surrogacy, it can be classified as Natural surrogacy or Gestational surrogacy.

Gestational surrogacy (IVF surrogacy / Full surrogacy / Host Surrogacy)

Here the surrogate mother will be carrying a child where the embryo has been formed after getting the sperm and eggs from the intended parents and mixing it in the lab dish. The embryo is then transferred into the surrogate mother’s womb and she won’t be genetically connected to the child.

Natural surrogacy (Traditional surrogacy / Straight surrogacy)

In this kind of surrogacy arrangement, the surrogate mother is inseminated with the sperm of the male partner of an infertile couple. Thus, the child will be genetically connected to the surrogate mother and the intended father.

IVF surrogacy procedure in India

If we talk about the surrogacy process in India, it is largely been done by matching the cycles of the both genetic mother and the surrogate whilst adjusting their menstruation dates with the help of certain oral contraceptive pills. 

Once the IVF cycle starts, the surrogate mother is been out on estrogen tablets to prime the uterus. On the other side, the protocol used here for the genetic mother is day 2 protocol or day 21 protocol, which would all be depending on the age of the genetic mother and the other test results. If we talk about the day 2 protocol, called the antagon protocol, there will be certain oral contraceptive pills which would be given in the previous month. Right then on the second day of the periods, gonadotropin injections are then been started whilst going ahead with the USG Monitoring on a daily basis.

Once the size of the follicle reaches 14 mm, the genetic mother is then been injected with a antagon injection in order to prevent the jump in the number of endogenous hormones. If we talk about the day 21 protocol, also known as the long protocol, GnRH analogues gets started right on the day 21 of the previous cycle. 

Once the genetic mother gets her periods, gonadotropin injections are started. In both the protocols, the patient is monitored on a daily basis. Right when the follicle reaches 18 mm size, the HCG injection is been given. The surrogate mother is then been put on certain progesterone tablets on the day when the HCG injection is been given to the intended mother. On the other side, the Oocyte retrieval process is taken through 36 hours later, which is more or less, the day 12 or 13 of the cycle.

The semen sample is been taken from the genetic father on the same day. This is when the eggs of the genetic mother get fertilized with the sperms of the genetic father in a lab dish via IVF / ICSI procedure. The embryo developed here will then be transferred into the womb of the surrogate under ultrasound guidance. The surrogate mother is then been put on a luteal support with progesterone tablets / injections, and further tests gets performed to confirm pregnancy 15 days later.