Exploring the physical and emotional stress of surrogate pregnancy among transnational Indian surrogates

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore surrogate women’s experiences of stress during the surrogacy process in India. We interviewed 15 women who had been a surrogate for an international couple at least once in their lives. The following themes emerged: stress regarding (1) physical health, (2) psychology well-being, and (3) the well-being of surrogates’ families and children. Transnational surrogates may experience more physical and psychological stress during pregnancy because their children and families continue to depend on them for support. Social workers must minimize the physical and emotional effects of surrogacy through counseling and psychosocial support.

Experiences of surrogates and intended parents of surrogacy arrangements: a systematic review

“…Some surrogates disclosed their decision to become a surrogate to close friends and immediate family members as they required emotional support (Yee et al, 2019b) and help with looking after their own family during the pregnancy (Karandikar et al, 2014;Gupta and Prasad, 2019;Ziff, 2019;Taebi et al, 2020). Many surrogates kept their decision a secret from others (Karandikar et al, 2014;Tehran et al, 2014;Munjal-Shankar, 2015;Karandikar et al, 2017;Gupta and Prasad, 2019;Yee et al, 2019b;Rozee et al, 2020;Taebi et al, 2020) to avoid being perceived negatively as a result of stigma associated with surrogacy (Karandikar et al, 2014;Tehran et al, 2014;Munjal-Shankar, 2015;Gupta and Prasad, 2019;…”

“…In India, surrogates were confined to accommodation provided by the clinic throughout the pregnancy (Saravanan, 2013;Mukherjee and Sekher, 2015;Karandikar et al, 2017). This caused distress as they were separated from their families (Karandikar et al, 2017;Gupta and Prasad, 2019).…”

“…In India, surrogates were confined to accommodation provided by the clinic throughout the pregnancy (Saravanan, 2013;Mukherjee and Sekher, 2015;Karandikar et al, 2017). This caused distress as they were separated from their families (Karandikar et al, 2017;Gupta and Prasad, 2019). For some surrogates, living remotely from their communities was perceived positively (Lamba et al, 2018) as it protected them from stigma (Karandikar et al, 2017).…”

“…This caused distress as they were separated from their families (Karandikar et al, 2017;Gupta and Prasad, 2019). For some surrogates, living remotely from their communities was perceived positively (Lamba et al, 2018) as it protected them from stigma (Karandikar et al, 2017). A quantitative study measuring the psychological wellbeing of surrogates in India reported that surrogates had higher levels of depression than a comparison group of expectant mothers (Lamba et al, 2018).…”

Current perspectives on the ethics of selling international surrogacy support services

“…In many cases, relationships with husbands and children are disrupted when women are housed in hostels or are relocated to other countries. Karandikar et al 48 draw attention to surrogate women's concerns about their physical and mental health and the well-being of their own children. Women are unable to attend to the parenting and development needs of their children (usually young) who experience disrupted attachment.…”