As your surrogate’s delivery day approaches, the excitement you share with the AtlasCARE team rises. Maybe you have been in frequent contact, sharing updates after doctors’ appointments and discussing signs that labor may be approaching.
But what if the surrogate mother delivers the baby before the due date? What if you and your partner are unable to come to Georgia right after your baby’s birth?
Here you’ll find out what to expect when your baby is born earlier than expected during a gestational surrogacy.
Creating a delivery plan
After we perform egg retrieval from the female patient and/or obtain sperm from the male partner, intended parents return to their home country.
Next, fertilization is performed using the collected eggs/sperm and embryos are transferred to the surrogate mother’s womb on day 3/5. Finally, the surrogate carries the baby for nine months (if everything goes according to plan) and gives birth.
The Surrogate’s pregnancy due date is calculated by counting 40 weeks from the first day of her last menstrual period (LMP). However, gestational careers are also human beings and unexpected things may happen like preterm birth or global virus outbreak.
What are the Covid-19 entry/exit rules for Georgia?
To be able to enter Georgia, on a charter flight, for example, couples from other countries need a special permit from the Foreign Affairs in Tbilisi. Intended parents can try through their country’s embassy — and that takes weeks, partly because of the coronavirus situation.
To get back home, couples need the help of their embassy, because it’s only there that they can obtain the documents needed for the child to depart. We usually obtain a birth certificate within 2-15 days following birth, depending on the workload of the Ministry of Health.
What happens when parents are unable to attend their baby’s birth?
Birth cramps start typically when the surrogate’s membrane will rupture (also known as water breaking). If water breaks before labor starts, it’s called a pre-labor rupture of membrane (PROM), which determines the start of the delivery.
When birth happens early, it may be difficult for intended parents to come on time for the birth of their baby while they are still in their home country. We understand that you want to witness the miracle of your child’s birth, but there’s no need to panic.
The baby will be discharged from the hospital 3-5 days following birth if everything is okay and if the doctor approves discharge from the hospital.
When this happens, we hire a nanny who looks after the baby until you’ll be able to come to Georgia. Our lawyer will also apply for the birth certificate in the meantime so intended parents do not lose time.
If the baby needs to stay in an incubator, we provide parents with information, photos, videos, and other updates on their baby’s progress.
Can the surrogate keep my baby?
No. All our surrogate mothers are caring, fulfilled women who have their own children and are compassionate enough to help you build your own family too. None of our surrogates has ever tried to keep the baby.
According to the laws in Georgia, the intended parents are the baby’s legal parents. When the baby is born, the intended parents are listed as the legal parents on the birth certificate.
Unlike many countries, surrogacy arrangements are enforceable in Georgia. This means a surrogacy agreement is binding on a court.
Who breastfeeds the baby?
Surrogate mothers are not allowed to breastfeed the baby.
Some carriers are okay to provide milk through a pump machine and give it to the intended parents. However, some surrogate mothers have no breast milk after delivery, or for some reason, they are not able to provide it.
Moreover, the medical team does not recommend surrogates to breastfeed babies as the family leaves the country soon after birth.
Start your journey to parenthood with AtlasCARE!
Every surrogacy journey is different, but the AtlasCARE team will make sure your surrogate has as successful a delivery experience as possible — even when there are unexpected developments.
While your baby waits for you to arrive, AtlasCARE will continue to care for him/her until you can get here.
Your surrogacy specialist at AtlasCARE will be there to support you every step of the way. They will be prepared to coordinate with all the necessary medical professionals and insurance providers during this process, allowing you and your gestational carrier to focus on what really matters — giving birth to a healthy baby.
Our surrogacy specialists are always available to answer your questions about the medical process of surrogacy. Call us at +995 557 50 03 96 and talk to an experienced surrogacy professional by video for free!