Difference Between Surrogacy And Test Tube Baby: Which Is Better Option?

Infertility is more common in India than people think. But there are solutions like surrogacy and test-tube baby that can help infertile couples. Know which is better for you.

In the 21st century, couples facing infertility are rapidly increasing, over 50 million couples experience this worldwide. Such a condition hails due to numerous reasons and the problem might be with either male or female. Under the before-mentioned circumstances, one would automatically resort to some kind of medical help. IVF is generally known as the test-tube baby method and is considered to be popular. Whereas surrogacy is useful in case the female is not able to carry her child due to problems with her womb or medical conditions preventing her from pregnancy. Both the procedures are highly effective to many infertile couples to achieve parenthood as these are the Assisted Reproductive Technologies.

The first and foremost difficult and common question faced by couples with infertility or who can't conceive naturally is to choose what method to proceed with. Before choosing the best alternative option, one must know about all the available options in a comprehensive manner for a safer understanding. Gathering information can be easy but choose wisely, choose the one that meets all your requirements, and more importantly, you need to be comfortable with the options you prefer.

Surrogacy

This assisted reproductive technology process involves a surrogate or a surrogate mother, who is willing to carry a baby in her womb and after delivery, she agrees to give the baby back to the couple (intended parents). The egg's from the original mother are removed at the right time and fertilized with sperm taken from the father. In cases where the man may be infertile or might have a genetic abnormality, a sperm donor can be used. Similarly, if the mother doesn't have enough eggs or has a genetic condition that can affect the child, a donor egg with the husband's sperm can be used to make an embryo which can be transferred to the surrogate mother. The surrogate mother is required to go through routine checkups before the procedure. The couples should take care of the surrogate mother until she delivers their baby.

Before selecting a surrogate mother, look into the pre-requisites such as,

• The age should be between 25-35 years.
• The surrogate mother should not have a commercial motive but be willing to volunteer for the couple.
• The chosen surrogate mother should be married with one child.
• Above all, she should be healthy, medically fit and free from infectious diseases.

This alternative method for infertility, surrogacy has complex ethical and legal issues involved. Recently in February 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the Surrogacy Bill in India. The following are the important features:

1. Bill allows any willing woman to be a surrogate.
2. Widows and divorced women can also opt for surrogate mothers.
3. Any kind of commercial surrogacy is banned. Only altruistic surrogacy is permissible.
4. The couples are required to be Indians to opt for this provision.
5. The insurance cover has been increased from 16 to 36 months for the surrogate mother. 6. Couples must have a medical certificate stating that either or both partners are infertile.

IVF or Test Tube Baby

IVF or the test tube baby is a procedure of fusing egg and sperm outside the woman's body. Once the egg is fertile enough, it will be implanted in the uterus.

The Process

A woman is kept under medication to retrieve mature eggs. These eggs are taken from the woman's ovaries by a very simple procedure. Later it is allowed to be fertilized by prewashed partner's or donor's sperm in the specialized embryology lab to form embryos. Usually, the doctor takes one or two good embryos and places them back into the womb after preparing the inner lining of the womb by hormone replacement therapy to attain pregnancy.

This step-by-step procedure generally takes 1-3 months to complete. Considering everything IVF is an excellent method to increase the chance of getting pregnant.

Either of the procedures comes with its set of risks and complications but being treated at the right time will bring joy into your life. Every couple is looking for their ray of sunshine and wants to live the dream of holding their own. Times have changed and well, thanks to technology and education more people are aware of this subject and are willing to come forward and explore the multiple options to get treated with infertility. Don't lose hope because you're not alone in this battle.

(Inputs by Dr Durga Rao, Co-Founder and Medical Director, Oasis Fertility)