Why Surrogacy Is Becoming Accepted Into The Mainstream
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is the controversial technique of paying another woman to be the mother of the child you cannot conceive. In many territories of the world, this practice is not even legal, and even in many of those where it is legal it is considered to be undesirable and underhanded. Only now has serious research began which will hope to end these myths for good. The Internet has the ability to spread factual information far more quickly than has been possible in the past, and this represents the best hope of this phenomenon being understood.
There is no doubt that surrogate motherhood is controversial, and no doubt also that it raises important legal questions. These include the issues of what should happen if the natural biological mother decides not to relinquish the child after it is born, as well as what should happen if the child is stillborn or if the mother should die during childbirth. Many cases of surrogate motherhood have ended up in court after something unexpected happened. Legalizing surrogate motherhood allows all of its aspects to be regulated in a sensible way.
Asking someone to be a surrogate is a huge step, and this should not be taken without a lot of care and consideration of the alternatives. Remaining childless is, of course, an alternative, and it is one which can be considered if you can find other ways to satisfy your needs. The main alternative is to apply to an agency to adopt a child, but this involves going through a lengthy period of analysis and qualification with no guarantee of success. Being a foster parent does not offer the same degree of intimacy with the child, and the success rate of foster care is abysmal.
The experiences of those who have gone through surrogate motherhood should be the best guide as to whether or not the technique has any place in our society. The first widely reported experience is that surrogate mothers do not experience any undue feelings of wanting to keep the child. Many even deliberately try to foster a relationship between the unborn child and the intended mother. The majority of surrogate mothers also report no ill feelings for years after the event, proving that surrogacy is a technique which can be used to the satisfaction of all parties.
The proponents of surrogacy still have a lot to do to convince the traditionalists that the technique can be a valid way of solving real life problems, but the experiences of those who have used it cannot be ignored. Eventually, the truth will be spread through the power of the Internet, and more people will be advocating its acceptance into mainstream society. When this happens, many more mothers will know that they can solve their problems through the innovative technique of surrogacy.