A woman who has a child by artificial insemination for a woman who cannot become pregnant, with the sintention of handing the child over to her when it is born.
A person who takes the place of a natural mother for someone.
Woman who, usually (but not always) by formal contract and for a stipulated sum of money, bears a child for a couple characterized by a wife who either is infertile or has an illness that would be exacerbated by pregnancy. The surrogate is artificially inseminated with the husband’s semen, carries the fetus to term, and is expected to turn the baby over at birth to the natural father and his wife. In some cases, however, the natural mother has refused to surrender the baby or has sought visitation rights; as a result of ensuing litigation some states are considering legislation that would declare surrogate motherhood contracts to be void and unenforceable.
A fertile woman who agrees to bear a child for an infertile couple, conceiving the child after artificial insemination by the sperm of the husband of an infertile woman, and then (presumably) turning the child over to the infertile couple after it is born. The famous “Baby M” legal case involved a surrogate arrangement where the surrogate mother changed her mind after the child was born and decided to keep her. A very unusual custody battle followed; custody was eventually awarded to the biological father. Many legal and ethical issues have been raised relating to surrogate motherhood. A number of states have outlawed surrogacy for hire.
A woman who, through in vitro fertilization, gives birth to a child to which she may not have a genetic relationship.