Gestational Surrogacy vs. Adoption
There are many situations where intended parents may have concerns about having children of their own, including for same sex couples, those dealing with infertility, single parents, and more. However, there are numerous different options to help any intended parents achieve their dream of having children. In the modern day, two of the best options to help intended parents experience the joy of children include gestational surrogacy and adoption.
When making the decision between gestational surrogacy vs. adoption as an option to grow your family, there are a few things to consider. Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado is here to outline some of the key differences between gestational surrogacy and adoption, as well as some pros and cons to both.
Gestational Surrogacy vs. Adoption
Although gestational surrogacy and adoption each have their own advantages, one is typically more suitable for different types of intended parent situations. Some of the differences between gestational surrogacy and adoption include:
- Whether or not the child is biologically related to the intended parents
One of the most notable differences between adoption and gestational surrogacy is whether or not the child is biologically linked to the intended parents. With adoption, because you are adopting a child who has separate biological parents, the child will not be biologically related to its adoptive parents. However, the relationship between adoptive parents and their child is often extremely close knit and rewarding.
Gestational surrogacy, on the other hand, allows intended parents the option to maintain a genetic link with their child. Because gestational surrogacy allows the use of intended parents’ sperm and/or eggs in fertilization, intended parents often have more of a decision as to whether or not they want their child to be biologically related to them. This distinction between gestational surrogacy and adoption is one of the most important for parents who strongly desire having children who are related to them.
- The involvement of biological parents vs gestational carriers
Another important factor for many intended parents to consider is the different levels of involvement from biological parents or gestational carriers. For parents who choose to adopt, there is always a possibility that the child may seek out their biological parents or that disruption could occur. However, gestational carriers in gestational surrogacy sign surrogacy contracts that prevent them from being able to “change their mind” and keep the child. Therefore, gestational surrogacy is often a more certain option, as intended parents can help to set boundaries with gestational carriers about their roles in the child’s life.
- Where gestational surrogacy and adoption are legal
Because surrogacy and adoption laws vary largely from state to state, there are some states in the US where only adoption and not gestational surrogacy is legal. For instance, if you live in the states of Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska or New York, gestational surrogacy is not an option, but adoption is.
Another important thing to understand is the distinctions between adoption and surrogacy laws from state to state. In the state of Colorado, Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado can serve as a valuable resource to understanding these laws and helping to plan accordingly.
- The process of matching with a birth mother/gestational carrier
When intended parents are looking to adopt a child, the birth mother of the child is the one who makes the ultimate decision as to which family the child is placed with. However, with gestational surrogacy, there are a few different options to be matched with a gestational carrier.
One of the simplest ways is to seek a surrogacy agency who will match intended parents and gestational carriers who are good fits for one another. Because of this, it’s often easier to find a gestational carrier than it is to find a birth mother who would like her child to be placed with specific intended parents.
- Helping out a child who is in need of a good home
Many times, adoptive mothers are choosing to put their child up for adoption in order to help them find a better home. Thus, with adoption, intended parents are given the opportunity to help an already conceived child have a potentially better life. With gestational surrogacy, the intended parents are specifically choosing to bring a child into their lives and their homes. For intended parents who may want to help a child in need of a home have a better life, adoption could be a more suitable option than gestational surrogacy.
Understanding the differences between adoption and gestational surrogacy is extremely important in deciding which option may be most suited for your family’s needs. While there are advantages and disadvantages to both options, there is no clear answer as to which is overall better. Rather, it’s best to look at each individual intended parent situation separately and assess.
Want to Learn More about Gestational Surrogacy and Adoption?
If you have questions about gestational surrogacy, adoption, or which option may be better suited for your own family’s needs, feel free to reach out to us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado. We are here to help ensure that you have a thorough understanding of both processes and have support all the way. We also have resources to help with adoption and to match gestational carriers with fitting intended parents! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more information or with any questions that you may have.
If you are interested in surrogacy and want to learn more about your options, contact Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Ashley Nies is an undergraduate student at Stanford University who is studying Human Biology and Political Science. Ashley is largely interested in various aspects of health and healthcare, and writes about these topics. She has taken classes on rhetoric, ethics and social media in health, as well as other creative writing classes during her freshman year at Stanford.
Ashley is from Las Vegas, Nevada, and considers herself to be fun-loving and adventurous. She values the importance of combining STEM with liberal arts education and hopes to integrate these in her writing.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!