Quotes--6

Paraphrases--10

Emma Burk

EN 101

Argument Essay

14 December 2020

What Nobody Thinks About With Surrogacy

Her skin was cold with chills as tears streamed down her face during what felt like a

neverending car ride home from the hospital. The deadly silence had persisted for the last hour of

the drive; she had just lost the baby. As she stared out of the window, thoughts of how she was

going to tell the family flooded her mind. What was even worse, however, was that she would

never be able to get pregnant again. What started out as a way to help an infertile mother had

turned into her worst nightmare. While surrogacy is a way for infertile or same-sex couples to

have a child of their own, several complications and issues are likely to arise that make

surrogacy more harmful than beneficial. Surrogacy should be illegal in all 50 states in the United

States because surrogates may encounter pregnancy complications, surrogacy is considered

morally wrong in certain religions, and parents have additional options if they want children;

however, surrogacy is a way for couples to experience parenthood when women’s bodies do not

allow them to do so.

As in any other pregnancy, a surrogate mother may still experience pregnancy

complications that could affect her as well as the baby. In the eBook ​Surrogacy Issues​, author

and editor Justin Healey explains negative effects that a surrogate could encounter. Healy starts

by detailing the in-vitro fertilization process that surrogates undergo to become pregnant. He

then says, ​“IVF [in-vitro fertilization] treatment has a greater chance of producing multiple

1 Quote
births, which increases the chance of a premature birth and a baby that is below the normal

weight” (2).​ Though pregnancy will physically exhaust a surrogate’s body, carrying another

person’s child is also mentally taxing. Surrogate mothers bear a heavy weight knowing that they

are carrying someone else’s child and have to be extra cautious when caring for their body.

Surrogacy has the potential to cause harm to not only the surrogate, but the baby and the egg

donor as well.​ ​Fertility drugs can have a negative impact on the egg provider by causing hot

flashes, depression, restlessness, hand eadaches(Healey 2). There is also a chance of developing

Ovarian Hyper-Stimulation Syndrome, OHHS, which can lead to nausea, vomiting, stomach

pains, and shortness of breath (Healey 2). ​Some may have to wonder if taking the chance is

really worth it.

Furthermore, there are not only complications that could take place, but surrogacy is not

accepted in some religions. ​According to the American Surrogacy Blog, views on surrogacy will

vary between religions such as Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism (par.

5).​ For example, ​“Paragraph 2376 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:

‘Techniques that entail the dissociation of husband and wife, by the intrusion of a person other

than the couple, are gravely immoral’” (qtd. in Healey 6).​ ​While this may sound confusing, the

Catholic view is that while undergoing the process of fertilizing eggs, doctors will choose the

eggs most fit to survive and leave the other eggs to die. In addition, doctors routinely fertilize

approximately five embryos and afterward, abort the fetuses that are numbered more than two

(Hochschild 426). ​One of the Ten Commandments, by which Catholics live, is “Thou shalt not

kill.” If someone were to choose surrogacy and this way of it, one would be allowing the process
of life to be ended, and as such, would be going against the beliefs of the church by breaking one

of the Commandments.

Even though surrogacy may be morally wrong for some, there are other, seemingly better

options, that are in high demand and are viewed positively in society if a couple wants a child;

among these include adopting a child in foster care. ​“About 1.2 million women are infertile and

7.1 percent of married couples, or 2.1 million” (Bartholet 47).​ Bartholet goes on to explain how

many of these infertile women or couples are ​“a significant resource for children in need of

homes” (47).​ The Children’s Bureau states, ​“On September 30, 2018, there were an estimated

437,283 children in foster care. . .” (Foster Care Statistics 2018 3).​ This not only shows how

many couples are affected by infertility, but it also shows that there is a perfect place for these

couples to explore. This system is a great resource for couples who desperately dream of

building a family because these children are also seeking their forever homes. Couples who take

the chance of fostering children are not only fulfilling their personal dream of having children

but, in addition, are making a difference in the lives of these children.

Even though surrogacy should be illegal in all 50 states, those who believe surrogacy has

a positive implement have something else to say. According to the article “51-Year Old Mom

Who Carried Daughter's Baby as Surrogate Delivers Healthy Girl,” written by Caitlin O’Kane, a

Chicago mother, Julie Love, gave birth to her granddaughter. ​Breanna Lockwood and her

husband had been trying to conceive a child of their own for many years. Lockwood had

undergone multiple IVF treatments, but no matter how hard she tried, she was not able to get

pregnant with a baby. The family considered several different options until her doctor suggested

that the couple consider surrogacy. After Love found out this, her mother eagerly offered to be a

3 Quotes
1 Paraphrase
surrogate for her daughter even at her age of 51. Lockwood was skeptical putting her mom in

this position for many reasons​. She stated, ​“I just kept telling her no and I kept turning her down

pretty frequently, only because I didn’t think it was a possibility with my mom’s age, and my

mom was actually menopausal. . .” (qtd. in O’Kane par. 4).​ After numerous talks, the couple

finally decided to give it a try. After her daughter and husband's fertilized eggs were implanted in

Julie Love, she became pregnant with her granddaughter. Nine months later, she gave birth to a

healthy baby girl (par. 1-12).

As heartfelt as this story may be, it cannot take away from the many reasons surrogacy

should be taken out of the equation. With surrogacy, numerous complications are likely to arise.

For example, a surrogate mother who becomes pregnant through the IVF treatment could have

multiple pregnancies. The doctor will start out by fertilizing at least five eggs so he can later on

choose which ones are best fit for implantation. After the eggs are implanted in the surrogate’s

uterus, usually one will not survive; occasionally, however, both eggs survive. The couple then

has to make a choice as to whether or not they want to keep both fetuses. If they do not want to

have twins, the surrogate will have to go to the doctor to have one fetus aborted. This can be

traumatizing for the surrogate, especially if she is pro-life.

With all of the possibilities that could arise out of the pregnancy, surrogacy causes stress

on the surrogate. It can also potentially lead to complications within the pregnancy and even

afterwards, especially if the baby is born prematurely. Conceiving a child, or adopting if

conception is not possible, should only involve the couple; a stranger the couple met online

should not be stuck in the middle. Surrogacy is a medical procedure that should be illegal in all
50 states. There is a better option, adoption, rather than surrogacy. Nobody thinks about all the

possibilities involved with surrogacy, but after taking a deeper look maybe they will now.

Works Cited

American Surrogacy Blog. "What Does Religion Say about the Morality of Surrogacy?"

American Surrogacy Blog, 11 Dec. 2017,

www.americansurrogacy.com/blog/what-does-religion-say-about-the-morality-of-surroga

cy/.

Bartholet, Elizabeth. "Adoption Should Be Encouraged." Edited by Auriana Ojeda. Gale in

Context: Opposing Viewpoints, Greenhaven Press, 2003. Accessed 11 Dec. 2020.

"Foster Care Statistics 2018." Children's Bureau, May 2020, www.childwelfare.gov/

pubPDFs/foster.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2020.

Healey, Justin. ​Surrogacy Issues​. Spinney Press, 2015. ​EBSCOhost​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1022391&site=ehost-live

&scope=site.

Hochschild, Arlie. “Our Baby, Her Womb.” ​Acting Out Culture: Reading for Critical Inquiry, ​by

James S. Miller, 3rd ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015, pp. 418-28.

O'Kane, Caitlin. "51-Year-Old Mom Who Carried Daughter's Baby as Surrogate Delivers

Healthy Girl." CBS News, CBS, 10 Nov. 2020,

www.cbsnews.com/news/julie-loving-brianna-lockwood-51-year-old-mother-carries-dau

ghter-baby/#:~:text=A%2051%2Dyear%2Dold%20mother,Lockwood's%20daughter%20

into%20the%20world.

3 Quotes
1 Paraphrase