Gestational surrogacy for lesbian couples in the UK

Hi,

we are a same-sex couple from Edinburgh and are looking forward to have a baby! We’ve thought about surrogacy because neither of us wishes to carry the pregnancy… That’s why we think surrogacy is the most advantageous option for us.

We’ve heard something about surrogacy for lesbian couples in the UK through NHS, but if possible we want to get further info about gestational carriers and all that stuff.

Any help would be very much appreciated,

Regards

Hello irina,

First of all, let me explain you what is the difference between gestational surrogacy or host IVF and traditional surrogacy. In this type of surrogacy, the surrogate carries the intended parent’s genetic child conceived through IVF. To this end, specialist doctors are needed. For this treatment, the infertile woman must have still working ovaries. In this sense, you can find a list of IVF hospitals and clinics within the UK willing to help in this type of surrogacy in the COTS website: IVF Units and Clinics in the UK.

As for surrogacy in the UK, it is a legal practice, as you may know, but with a great number of restrictions, which you can read in the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985. One of them is that no money other than “reasonable expenses” should be given to the gestational carrier. By “reasonable expenses” we mean any costs incurred by the surrogate derived from carrying the pregnancy.

You should also bear in mind that the Surrogacy Arrangements Act does not recognise surrogacy as a binding agreement on either parties. This means that there is a little the intended parents can do to secure their position prior to childbirth. Even in cases of gestational surrogacy, where the baby is related to both parents or at least one of them in the case of lesbian couples, there is a little you can do to make sure the baby will be yours at the end. After six weeks, intended parents can apply for the Parental Order that will give them parental rights over the baby, and the surrogate mother must relinquish all her rights at this stage.

For getting information about other fertility options for gay couples, the following section of the NHS website may be of interest: Gay health: having children.

Hope this helps