Surrogacy in Depth: Ethics, Testimonials and the Future

Testimonials from parents.

1 Elena and Victor - Zaragoza (Ukraine, 2023).

"We started the process before the war and, despite everything, we managed to bring our daughter home in March 2023. Gestlife relocated the delivery to Lviv and hired private escort for the trip. Final cost: 63,000 USD. An intense, but unforgettable experience."

2 Nina and Alvaro - Malaga (Greece, 2023).
"We were worried about the emotional bond: would I feel like a mother if another woman gestated our baby? But the psychologist at Gestlife prepared us to live each stage from the point of view of affection and presence. We received audios from our surrogate describing the little kicks. On the day of delivery we all cried. Now, our son grows up knowing that he was loved from the first embryo."

3 Maria- Lisbon (Greece, 2024)

"We had a hard time finding a country that would accept a single woman, like me. In the end, I did it as a single woman in Greece, because doing it in the USA was out of my budget.... Gestlife put together the legal file and it was accepted. Cost: 92,000 EUR. My daughter was born in Thessaloniki in July 2024."

4 Marta and Luis - Madrid (Georgia, 2024).

"Surrogacy was our lifeline after four failed IVFs. Gestlife coordinated lawyers, clinic and surrogate. Final cost: 68,000 USD. We have annual video calls with the surrogate. We would do it again without hesitation."

5 Andrea and Sofia - Valencia (California, 2023-2025)

"We opted for California for LGBT legal certainty. Total cost: $176,000 USD including neonatal insurance. The Gestlife Surrogacy USA blog was essential to make an informed decisions."

6 Carlos - Sevilla (Mexico, 2025)

"As a single I chose Mexico for balance between price and legality. Gestlife handled everything. The process was smooth. Total: 82,000 USD. The adoption in Spain was handled perfectly."

7 Samira and Ahmed - Marseille (Albania, 2025)

"Our surrogate in Albania was an amazing woman, mother of two children, who did it out of conviction. The proximity and quality of the clinic as well as the pregnancy care program was a decisive factor in making the decision. Gestlife covered everything with notarial contracts and a private clinic. Total: 75,000 USD. Our son was born in Tirana healthy and happy."

Ethical and social aspects 

Surrogacy arouses intense debates because it involves life, health, emotions and non-traditional family structures. It is crucial to approach it with rigor, empathy and an ethical approach based on respect, freedom and reproductive justice.

Fundamental ethical principles:

Autonomy: the surrogate has control over her body during pregnancy. She can refuse procedures, choose her diet or birth plan. Her consent must be informed, free and reviewable.

Non-exploitation: in well-structured programs, the surrogate receives compensation proportional to the local standard of living. Women in vulnerable situations are not selected or pressured to sign.

Reciprocal benefit: many surrogate emphasize their pride in helping others to start a family. Some models allow for ongoing relationships, such as annual meetings or video calls.

Family diversity: surrogacy allows parenthood for single people, LGBT+ couples, and women who cannot gestate for medical reasons. It reinforces the right to form families beyond traditional biology.

Current social challenges:

Stigmatization of the child born through surrogacy: although decreasing, it persists in certain conservative school or legal environments.

Commodification of the female body: must be prevented by strict regulations, psychological evaluations and revised contracts.

Legal difficulty for the recognition of filiation in countries such as France, Italy or Spain: it forces adoption or litigation processes that violate the interests of the child.

Conclusion: surrogacy is not a privilege, but a complex path that requires ethical, legal and emotional supervision.

Myths and realities 

"The surrogate can keep the baby".
❌ FALSE.
In countries with a pre-birth order, the baby is legally the child of the intended parents before birth. In addition, the surrogate has no genetic link (in gestational gestation), which reinforces legal clarity.

In countries where there is a surrogacy law, this law prevents the surrogate from keeping the baby (countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia etc.).

"It's cheaper without an agency."
❌ FALSE.
Agencies like Gestlife prevent costly mistakes: poorly drafted clauses, clinics with low success rate, or unfit surrogate. Apparent savings can multiply medical or legal risks.

"Pregnant women are exploited poor women."
❌ UNFAIR GENERALIZATION.
In serious programs, surrogate have economic stability, receive psychological counseling and decide to participate of their own free will. Many repeat the experience for personal satisfaction.

"The child will have psychological problems."
❌ FALSE.
Longitudinal studies (University of Cambridge, 2023) show that children born by surrogacy have emotional development comparable or above average, especially when they know their history from a young age.

"There is no mother-child bond if there is no pregnancy."
❌ FALSE.
Parental attachment is built through contact, presence, affection, and care. Many intentional mothers feel the pregnancy through medical follow-up, ultrasound photos or videos sent by the surrogate.