Low-tech surrogacy is when a woman (the surrogate) carries a child for someone else (the intended parents or intended parent). This might be because someone is unable to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term.
In low-tech surrogacy, the egg comes from the surrogate. The surrogate is therefore also a genetic parent. Fertilisation occurs after (self-)insemination with the intended parent's sperm. After the birth, the intended parents take over caring for the child.
Low-tech surrogacy is also known as:
To find out more about surrogacy, go to What is surrogacy? (in Dutch)
When the surrogate gets pregnant using her own egg, there's often no need to go to a fertility clinic. The surrogate can get pregnant through self-insemination.
You should prepare carefully for surrogacy. This requires a great deal of effort on the part of the intended parents and the surrogate. The child's interests should always be paramount. This is true for all forms of surrogacy. It is wise to talk to a counsellor experienced in surrogacy. They'll be able to help you prepare properly.
For more information about preparation, please see:
Consult a lawyer specialised in surrogacy during these preparations. Do this before (devloping embryo's) getting pregnant. Make sure that everyone is properly informed and understands what's entailed in transferring legal parenthood to the intended parent(s). It's important that everyone knows their rights and responsibilities.
The intended parents, the surrogate and the donor, if there is one, each need to have their own lawyer. These lawyers help you lay down every detail in a clearly written surrogacy agreement. You should only try to get pregnant once everyone has signed the surrogacy agreement.
The journey doesn't end once a child is born with a surrogate's assistance and parenthood has been transferred to the intended parent(s). The surrogate and her family are all part of your child's origins. As such, they are also part of your family.
You need to think about how the child can shape its bond with the surrogate and her family.
For further information about the importance of good attachment for the child, please see:
Another form of surrogacy is high-tech surrogacy or IVF surrogacy. Either the intended mother's egg or that of a donor is used for the pregnancy. These eggs are retrieved as part of IVF treatment. If fertilisation provides a good embryo, it is transferred to the surrogate's uterus. The surrogate is not genetically related to the child.
The preparation for both low-tech and high-tech surrogacy is the same.
The medical risks associated with pregnancy and birth are different for low-tech and high-tech surrogacy.
you can find stories about the experiences with low-tech surrogacy of intended parents, surrogates and children in our knowledge bank.
Watch the experience videos (all in Dutch)
Read the stories of (all in Dutch)
Or read articles from our knowledge bank (all in Dutch)
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