Adoption vs. Surrogacy Compared: Which Is The Best

If you are looking to add to your family, you may find yourself turning between adoption vs. surrogacy. You are not alone. Many people are faced with these tough decisions too. In this post, I will break down the core disparity between the two options so you can make your best choice without stress.

Before we delve into the core differences between adoption vs. surrogacy, let us take a moment to get acquainted with what surrogacy and adoption mean, then we will check the pros and cons as well.

What Is Adoption?

Adoption is a way an individual or couple can become parents or assume responsibility for taking care of a child without being the biological parent. This is a legal process, and it creates a permanent relationship between another parent and the child they adopted.

Through adoption, a child finally gets a stable home. After the adoption process, the adoptive parents will start providing support, love, and care to the child, just as if he or she is the biological child.

As we compare adoption vs. surrogacy, understand that adoption is all about legally taking a child that is not yours home as your own child. Surrogacy is about having a child through a surrogate who carries a baby to term for the intended parents.

While both adoption and surrogacy involve making someone a parent, adoption provides the opportunity for children waiting for families to finally have a home.

Types of Adoption:

It is important you know the types of adoption we have, as it will also help you better compare adoption vs. surrogacy. Adoption is of different forms, and each of them is unique. The most common types are domestic adoption, foster care adoption, domestic adoption, and private adoption.

In domestic adoption, you are not going out of your country to do that; it is exactly as the name implies. International adoption is when you choose to bring a child from another country into your home.

Foster care adoption creates a wide opportunity for children in need to have a family they can call their own. Finally is the private adoption, which involves adoptive parents adopting a child directly from the birth family. I have described these types of adoption in details, so check them here.

General Procedure:

 

Adoption vs. Surrogacy: Again, both processes start with finding an agency or attorney. Secondly, it involves a home study wherein social workers examine the suitability of the adopting family towards adoption.

Once the home study is cleared, the probable parents shall be matched with either a birth mother or child. Of course, legal placement and finalization via the court might take many months and even years eventually.

Surrogacy entails choosing a surrogate mother, then signing legal contracts and going through medical procedures like in vitro fertilization before carrying the baby.

What is surrogacy?

Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman, the surrogate, carries and delivers a child for another individual or couple. It mostly comes into effect when intended parents could not conceive or carry a pregnancy because of one or many medical reasons that might include, but are not limited to, issues regarding infertility or health risks related to pregnancy. Surrogacy is a method by which people can become parents who otherwise would not have been able to.

Surrogacy can be ‘altruistic’-no more than medical expenses compensation is given to the surrogate mother-or ‘commercial’ when some payment for the surrogacy is made to the surrogate mother. Each country and area has its own legislation and practice in those particularities.

Types of Surrogacy: Traditional vs Gestative Surrogacy

In fact, there are two types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational.

1. Traditional Surrogacy:

In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is the child’s biological mother because her egg is usually fertilized by the intended father or a donor using artificial insemination.

She, therefore, has a genetic relationship with the child since she provides the egg.
The latter is less common due to emotional and sometimes even legal issues involved due to the surrogate’s genetic linkage with the child.

2. Gestational Surrogacy:

That would include gestational surrogacy, whereby the surrogate is not biologically related to the conceived child. This process involves transferring an embryo prepared through in vitro fertilization with one or both of the intended parents’ or donors’ gametes into the womb of the surrogate.

The demand for this type of surrogacy is higher because, through it, intended parents can be biological parents of the child; it usually has fewer legal and emotional problems since the surrogate does not have biological links.

The Core Differences Between Adoption and Surrogacy:

Biological Connection:

One major difference between these two procedures is one of biology: in surrogacy, either or both of the intended parents have some biological linkage in relationship to the child, while surrogates carry an embryo made from the genetic material of the parents or otherwise donated; while in adoption, there is no biological linkage at all between the adoptive parents and the child.

This difference in core biology can make a difference in decisions based on the desires of the parents for a biological relationship.

Time needed:

Surrogacy differs from adoption in many ways; most of the differences emanate from the time it will take. Surrogacy normally takes between one and two years, depending on the building of the embryo, selection of the surrogate mother, and pregnancy.

Adoption may take longer than other international or foster care adoptions, ranging from months to years, due to legal procedures and child availability. This may affect the parents in making decisions as far as urgency or timelines may be concerned.

Costs:

The cost difference between adoption and surrogacy has many differences. Surrogacy costs a bit higher: from $100,000 to $150,000, these cover medical treatment, legal processing, and surrogate compensation.

Adoption is less costly, with domestic adoptions ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, while international adoptions can be over $40,000. That is a question of financial investment, and parents should be clear about which direction they choose will go in tune with their financial situation and considerations for the future.

Legal Complexities:

When weighing up adoption vs. surrogacy, there are legal complications that also chime in with their set of challenges. Surrogacy will involve contracts, parental rights, and the complexity of state- or country-specific surrogacy laws.

The laws of adoption do vary, but many include home studies, the termination of birth parents’ rights, and court approval. Both are intensive legally, but surrogacy perhaps needs more specialized legal knowledge, certainly in countries or states that are not as settled in this respect. 

Emotional Aspects:

Parents experience other emotional processes in regard to both the issues of adoptions and surrogate concepts. Surrogacy concerns carrying by another woman, which is usually higher in anticipation and anxiety for the pregnancy.

It could be some feeling of emotional uncertainty during the time of waiting for a match or potential disruptions in the case of an adoption. Whichever the case may be, prospective parents must be prepared for ups and downs of emotions while building their families through various means.

Pros of Adoption:

Adoption provides a home and a good environment to the child in need; hence, this is a great opportunity for parents to build their family.

It will provide a chance to let childless couples or persons grow a child. Adoption was a humanitarian act since it built lifetime connections. Speaking relatively, if adoption vs. surrogacy is compared, the former is not that expensive and also satisfies the urge of parenting for the child.

Cons of Adoption:

Adoption involves a long wait and involves more complex procedures for approval, which in themselves are psychologically draining on the adopting party. Some medical and genetic backgrounds of the adopted child cannot be traced.

Some legal and emotional problems regarding biological parents might arise.In regard to adoption vs. surrogacy, the problem of not having a biological relationship can also be an issue in some families.

Pros of Surrogacy:

Surrogacy would finally give couples or individuals the biological attachment to their child, which might mean everything to so many families. This allows more control over the pregnancy, from prenatal care to major medical decisions.

In the debate between adoption vs. surrogacy, at times surrogacy has the advantage in that there can be a genetic link between the parents and the child and hence gives emotional satisfaction in carrying the baby right from conception to birth.

Cons of Surrogacy:

It would be much more costly than adoption, in which all the costs involve medical procedures, legal fees, and surrogate compensation. There is a possibility of emotional complications for both the surrogate and the intended parents, too.

Legal complications also depend on the location, making it even more complex. Comparing adoption vs. surrogacy, the risk of emotional and legal complications in surrogacy would be higher because of the nature of the agreement itself.

Several important issues are cardinal to making a decision when considering adoption against surrogacy: all have their relative pros and cons, and weighing these items carefully will surely give you the best fit for the growing family.

Personal Goals:

Among the very first aspects to be decided upon is whether you want to have a biological relationship with the child. If having a genetic relationship is most important, then surrogacy may be considered.

But many adoptive parents have reported that their bonding with the adopted child is nothing less close and satisfying. Considering adoption vs. surrogacy, one has to address goals that are not only personal but far-reaching.

Financial position:

Both adoption and surrogacy are pretty expensive processes, though the total may sometimes be radically different.Usually, one finds that surrogacy is a bit more expensive due to the medical treatment and in vitro fertilization procedures involved, adding the compensation to the surrogate mother.

Adoption is related to the kind of adoption: domestic, international, or foster care.

Assessment of your financial situation can be a huge part of the consideration between adoption and surrogacy. It would be worth learning which one fits within your budget and, therefore, works for your future plans.

Time pressures:

Additionally, consider how quickly you would want to add to your family. Adoption can take upwards of several years on waitlists, processing through the courts, and verifying backgrounds.

Surrogacy, too, can be quite long, especially as some cases require multiple tries at IVF, and other legal complications may arise. To those people whom time means a lot, this might prove a huge factor in deciding between adoption versus surrogacy.

Legal Considerations:

It all depends on where you are, and that may be very different legally in terms of both adoption and surrogacy. Certain countries make adoption very strict, while others restrict or even ban surrogacy. You will need to talk with a legal person who can outline all the laws and other potential risks where you are.

One must seek proper legal advice when he or she must decide between adoption versus surrogacy. Because failing to consider these aspects might cause a lot of complications or delay the procedure. Emotional Preparation: Lastly, you would have to consider your emotional preparation for either of the options.

Adoption and surrogacy bring their emotional baggage along with them, right from the lawyers to building expectations. In general, adoption involves processing grief from birth parents or dealing with challenges in bonding, whereas surrogacy entails emotional fallout through fertility treatments themselves and involving a third party.

Choosing between adoption vs. surrogacy, one has to be emotionally prepared to take what may come next for the sake of the future happiness and well-being of your family. By considering these factors, you’ll be in a stronger position to choose between adoption and surrogacy, ensuring that the decision aligns with your personal values, financial reality, and emotional preparedness.