Surrogacy and Age: Myths Busted

Most people interested in surrogacy are couples in their mid-40s or 50s with fertility problems, who for one reason or another were unable to become parents when they were younger. As the biological clock continues to tick, and in the presence of health problems such as endometriosis, low ovarian capacity or a history of multiple miscarriages, surrogacy is seen as the only solution for these patients.

Pregnancy is not easy for many women. Modern life, stress and overwork have led to an increase in infertility around the world, especially in developed countries. The delay and postponement of family building is usually accompanied by the inevitable decline in fertility in the late 30s and early 40s for most women. It is then that many begin a desperate race to complete their families.

For many couples, however, it is already too late. Many realise that something is wrong and they need to see a reproductive specialist after trying to conceive naturally for some time without success.

If they are lucky, an IVF treatment or artificial insemination will suffice. But in a number of cases, IVF is already not a suitable solution. What was possible 5 years ago is now impossible or very difficult. The body is not so young, some pathologies have appeared, in short, infertility has become a reality, a reality that should be easy to accept when you already have your own children because you were able to have them when you were younger and fertile, but that causes unbearable suffering for many couples who want to have children and cannot.

This is when the race to have children begins – one IVF cycle, two, three, 10, 13. Many couples have come to us after 13 failed IVF cycles. They are really brave people who do not give up.

For those couples and women who have not been able to become parents because of work, career or the lack of a suitable partner, time has passed too quickly and it is no longer easy or simple to have children. In such circumstances, surrogacy is the only viable option. Although many women are reluctant at first, they eventually accept the idea because it is the only way out of their infertility.

Surrogacy is not always a straightforward option. Many couples hoping to have a biological child are sometimes reluctant to consider surrogacy, while other women are reluctant to consider egg donation. In many cases, the need to use an egg donor is difficult and painful for intended mothers who apply for a surrogacy programme. But obviously, in most cases for women over 40, egg donation is the only possibility available.

Not only does the body age with time, but the genetic material of the cells also does, in fact, many scientists believe that the degradation of our genetic material is the very cause of ageing. In consequence the oocytes of a 40 year old woman are much less potent than those of a 20 years old one. At age 42-43 and over, the oocytes of a woman are practically unusable in the IVF procedure or the results are very poor and in most cases leading to miscarriage if the pregnancy ever occurs.

That‘s why we recommend using the service of an egg donor if the intended mother is 40 years or older. In such cases when the couple refuse an egg donor, the surrogacy programme may require many attempts and IVF cycles, and at the end, many end up changing to an egg donor anyway after realising that pregnancy with their own genetic material is already out of question. Besides the fact that using your own eggs at an advanced maternal age is little cost effective, it is also emotionally challenging and the multiple hormonal stimulations and disappointments create a difficult psychological state for those couples.

Certainly, there is a difference between using your own eggs and using your own uterus at ages 40 and over. Many women in their 40’s are still able to use their uterus and can have a pregnancy by means of IVF and egg donation. Nevertheless, in many other cases, this is already not possible for the reasons mentioned previously: health conditions have eroded the ability to procreate and it is necessary to find a surrogate mother if the couple still desires to have children.

At the same time, there are cases when the woman is unable to procreate at an early age, mainly due to a congenital disease such as a missing uterus or cancer at an early age, but these cases are in the minority. The absolute majority of our surrogacy cases are couples for whom time has simply run out, leaving them with very few options for the future.

With surrogacy you can overcome the insurmountable, you can put Darwin on the back seat and stop blaming yourself for your wasted time and health problems. Surrogacy is a valid alternative for couples with fertility problems at any age. We encourage those who are looking for solutions to take a step forward.

Yes, surrogacy also means a great deal of responsibility for you and your new children. It is always a good idea to ask yourself how you see the future and how children fit into the bigger picture. Many people do not understand how much life can change after having children.

If you are sure that you want children with all your heart and soul, or if you are in need of children but are unable to have them because of health problems or your age, we recommend that you consider surrogacy as a solution and an alternative.

Infertility does not have to be an insurmountable problem. We at Pons Medical and surrogacybypons are ready to offer you solutions today.