Surrogacy twins babies with different fathers are possible with the same egg donor and 2 different surrogate mothers.
Surrogacy is a remarkable process that has brought hope and joy to countless couples struggling with infertility. It allows intended parents to have a child genetically related to them when traditional conception is not an option. The IVF data across the world show that out of 5 confirmed pregnancies achieved via IVF, one is twin pregnancy. In the case of egg donor surrogacy, this number can be more as younger and healthier candidates are used for third-party surrogacy services. Having surrogacy twins and babies with different fathers can be seen in gay couples’ surrogacy. Having said that, a surrogate twin pregnancy is risky for both surrogate mothers and babies.
Gestational Surrogacy is bliss for couples who are struggling with infertility. Surrogacy is possible in two ways – traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy. Traditional surrogacy involves the egg of the surrogate and fertilizes it with the sperm of the intended father.
In gestational surrogacy, the egg of the intended mother or from the egg donor is fused with the sperm of the intended father or from a sperm donor to create an embryo which is then transferred to the surrogate.
In the case of gay couples, they prefer to have surrogate twin babies using the shared egg donor, most of the time.
Fraternal twin is a popular term for same-sex couples. In the process, two sets of embryos are created using the sperm from each of the two fathers but the egg donor can be the same or different woman. The result is that the babies are genetically related to both the fathers and the egg donor (in case the same egg donor is used).
Since the fraternal twin is a common concept among same-sex couples, it is not easy to share the same surrogate to conceive twins.
It is illegal and unethical in some countries to implant two embryos in the same surrogate resulting in surrogacy twin babies with two different men.
In fact, the only country that allows it is the USA. This is probably because the surrogate compensation is too high and it is almost impossible for most of the couples to hire two surrogates. Matter of fact, hiring one surrogate is itself a scary prospect for many couples.
Sharing the surrogate is possible in the USA but most of the clinics will avoid the situation where two embryos are implanted in the single surrogate to conceive surrogacy twin babies. This is due to the ASRM guidelines which prohibit the IVF clinic not to do this kind of act.
Why surrogate twins’ pregnancy is risky?
Having twins through surrogacy is quite common.
No matter whether you are using single-father surrogacy twins or 2 father twins, having twin surrogate babies has serious risks. Surrogate twin pregnancy should be avoided by transferring a single good-grade blastocyst.
- One, the baby is delivered prematurely. Almost 65% of surrogate twin babies end up being born prematurely.
- Higher risks of physical and cognitive developmental problems in twin babies.
- Financial risks with the complicated twins’ surrogacy with high NICU costs.
The process of having fraternal twins is similar to the fact of having two individual procedures with the same egg donor. The egg donation is split between two fathers where half of the egg is fertilized by one and a half by the other.
Then there is the need for two surrogates who will carry the child until birth. The embryos from each father are planted to each woman. Once they are pregnant, prenatal care goes the same as in the case of the normal surrogacy procedure.
Cost of having surrogate twins
Cost of having surrogate twinsThe cost of creating embryos for two fathers’ sperms is almost the same as the cost of doing 2 individual IVF cycles. The only things that you have to pay once are the agency fees and the egg donor compensation.
So, the medical cost of IVF might double along with other expenses that come with twins’ surrogacy baby like –extra compensation to the surrogate mother for carrying twins and extra miscellaneous costs during pregnancy.
Even though sharing a surrogate may seem to be less expensive, it is not generally a wise thing to do. The intended parents should know that sometimes hiring two surrogates (one for each partner) is much a better option than having just one surrogate due to many unseen complications and costs.
Read more topics about surrogacy costs related to surrogacy twins babies with different fathers:
Guaranteed surrogacy baby program
What are the Risks of a Surrogate with Twins?
What do You Need to Know About the Costs of Surrogacy with Twins?
On a more serious note, if you use embryos from both parents in one surrogate mother, you may not know which embryos of the parent resulted in pregnancy — so that couples may end up with two children linked to one parent, and that too you need to do a DNA test to confirm who is the father.
Having said that, it is not a good option ethically to transfer 2 different male embryos. On top of that, it is confusing for a long time to figure out which embryos going to implant and grow.
In surrogacy countries outside the USA, where surrogate mother compensation is much lower, having two surrogates for gay couples is a much more viable option. It not only reduces the cost but gives much-needed peace of mind to the parents and they find themselves well sorted out right from the beginning.
We do have 2 parental surrogacy programs with guaranteed babies for both in our Colombia clinic to assist our same-sex couples who wish to become parents.
Understanding Shared Egg Donor Cycle
Understanding Shared Egg Donor CycleIn our opinion sharing egg donors comes with good prospects for gay couples’ surrogacy. But sometimes it does not work out as planned.
To make it successful, they really need an egg donor who has an exceptionally good number of eggs and fertility. Finding such an egg donor will give them better chances of what they are expecting in two parents’ shared egg donor program.
For example, just take an example if an egg donor got 20 mature eggs (which is a good number by all means). We might get around 5 fertilized embryos for each (tentatively if we think the fertilization rate is 50%, which is on the higher side).
Out of these 5, there will be one 2-3 good quality embryos (A-grade embryos of blastocyst stage) to transfer. So, in both parents, the existing embryos will be exhausted in the first transfer and might not have any good embryos for the next attempt, if needed.
So, they need to do IVF again (pay the same IVF fee again) with an egg donor (pay the egg donor fee again).
Doing shared egg donor IVF for 2 parents paying double the IVF fee and creating less number of embryos does not make sense as there is more chance that both parents left with no embryos or fewer embryos for freezing. So, again need to repeat the process again.
Legal and Ethical Aspects
The idea of surrogacy with twins from different fathers might raise ethical and legal questions. That is why we only use 2 different surrogate mothers for each partner in case of gay couple wishes to have a genetically related baby. We do not recommend and support transfer of 2 embryos from different father in one surrogate mother due to ethical and legal issues as below:
Each case may vary depending on the country and the specific circumstances, but here are some aspects to consider:
- Parental Rights: Determining parental rights for each child can be complex, especially if they have different fathers. Legal agreements are crucial in such cases.
- Consent: All parties involved, including the surrogate mother, should be fully informed and provide informed consent for such arrangements.
- Genetic Testing: In some cases, DNA testing may be needed to establish the biological parentage of each child, which can be vital for legal documentation.
- Surrogacy Laws: The legality of such arrangements may vary by location, and it’s essential to consult with legal experts well-versed in surrogacy laws.
Conclusion
Opting for a single IVF with an egg donor or using a shared egg donor IVF, is a very personal individual choice for parents. But they should know the pros and cons of shared egg donor cycle surrogacy.
With a shared cycle, patients can match the donor more rapidly as each donor is matched to two recipients. So, it saves time to search for another donor.
In addition, the associated IVF egg donor process cost for shared cycles is usually smaller.
On the other side, a single-cycle with an egg donor will typically have more eggs available for fertilization with an enhanced possibility of feasible embryos being accessible for future transfers. This would be useful for patients who choose to have another baby through a frozen embryo transfer.
No matter whether you choose a single donor IVF cycle or shared egg donor IVF cycles for both partners. However, choosing 2 recipient surrogate mothers is encouraged. Surrogating twins with different fathers in one surrogate can be ethically disturbing.
We do have surrogacy twins babies with different fathers guaranteed baby plans with surrogacy in Colombia and will be happy to share the details for your review.
If you’d like to learn more about IVF, Egg Donation, or surrogacy services globally, check out the rest of our website at IVF Conceptions. We offer legally secure and affordable surrogacy services to build families with love.
FAQ Surrogacy twins babies with different fathers
What is surrogacy?
Surrogacy is a reproductive arrangement in which a woman carries a pregnancy and gives birth to a child on behalf of another person or couple. The intended parents may be unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy themselves due to various reasons such as infertility, medical conditions, or same-sex couples seeking to become parents.
How does surrogacy work?
Surrogacy involves a legal agreement between the intended parents and the surrogate mother. There are two main types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate’s own eggs are fertilized with the intended father’s sperm or donor sperm through artificial insemination.
The surrogate is genetically related to the child in this case. In gestational surrogacy, an embryo created using the intended parents’ eggs and sperm or donor gametes is transferred to the surrogate’s uterus through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The surrogate has no genetic relationship with the child in gestational surrogacy.
What is the process of surrogacy with multiple fathers?
Surrogacy with multiple fathers, also known as multi-parent surrogacy or multi-father surrogacy, involves a surrogacy arrangement where more than one individual or couple contributes their genetic material to create embryos that are then transferred to two different surrogate mothers. This can occur when intended fathers or couples decide to use their sperm or a combination of their sperm and donor sperm to fertilize separate eggs, which are then implanted into the surrogate’s uterus. Each intended father or couple will have a genetic relationship with their respective child.
Is it possible for twins to have different biological fathers in surrogacy?
Yes, it is possible for twins to have different biological fathers in surrogacy. In cases where multiple embryos are transferred to the surrogate’s uterus, each embryo can have a different genetic father if the eggs used for fertilization were obtained from different individuals or couples. If you wish to have twins surrogate, it is good to discuss with your fertility expert.
Reference used:
Dual Embryo Transfer in Surrogacy
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Surrogacy
