In 2018, over 100 children were born in Boise, Idaho, through surrogacy. The story behind this unique baby boom is explored in the Independent Lens documentary Made in Boise, an intimate look at how surrogates and parents are coming together to create new bonds and unique families.
Surrogacy is widely misunderstood and stigmatized by myths, so here are a few of the facts to address questions you may have after watching the film.
Types of Surrogacy
There are two types of surrogacy that represent the genetic relationship between the surrogate and the child.
Gestational surrogacy: A woman carries a pregnancy that was created with another woman’s egg and the intended father or donor’s sperm. The surrogate shares no genetic material with the baby. All of the women Made in Boise were gestational surrogates.
*A gestational surrogate is not “giving away their baby.” So Nicole didn’t give her baby away to Shannon, Nicole was carrying Shannon’s baby.
Traditional surrogacy: The surrogate’s egg is used to create the embryo she is carrying. A traditional surrogate is the biological mother of the baby. There are no traditional surrogates in the film.
In a traditional or a gestational surrogacy, the sperm can come from any male, donor, or intended parent.
There are also two types of payment situations for surrogates.
