Finding a Surrogate Mother in Nairobi: What to Expect

Surrogacy can be defined as a type of fertility intervention or treatment where a third party assists in getting pregnant and having a baby. The third party is referred to as the surrogate, while the couple or the individual who will assume parenthood after the delivery are referred to as the intended parents or parent. Surrogacy is a complicated, expensive and time-intensive process which requires a lot of effort from all the parties involved. This is why it is crucial for the intended parents to adequately plan and prepare for the process. They will require legal advice, financial responsibility, counselling and physical, psychological and mental assessments before engaging in the process. when finding a surrogate mother in Nairobi Kenya, there are a few things on what to expect.

What are the types of surrogacy done in Kenya?

There are two main types of surrogacy agreements; they are the traditional and the gestational surrogacy. Their definitions are:

• Traditional surrogacy – In this type of surrogacy, the surrogate gets pregnant using her eggs through artificial insemination, using the sperm from the intended parent. It can also be through intrauterine sperm injection where the sperm is directly injected into her uterus. There is a genetic relationship between the surrogate and the baby in this type of surrogacy. It is not a popular form of surrogacy due to that genetic relationship as it could lead to legal complications in the instance that the surrogate changes her mind after the delivery of the baby about giving up parenthood to the baby. This form of surrogacy is cheaper, as well as the less complicated form of surrogacy.
• Gestational surrogacy – In this type of surrogacy, the intended parents donate the egg and sperm that will be used in the embryo creation. The embryo is then created in vitro and grown for some days in the laboratory. Some tests may be carried out to ensure the viability of the embryo. The embryo is then transferred to the uterus of the surrogate who then carries it to term and delivers. There is no genetic relationship between the embryo and the surrogate, and hence, she cannot have a legal claim to the infant after delivery. This type of surrogacy is the more popular form, the more expensive as well as the more complicated form of surrogacy.

How to find the best surrogate mother in Kenya

This is an important step in the surrogacy journey for any intended couple. In some cases, the fertility agency that will be handling the surrogacy provides a list from a database to the intended parents for them to choose. In other cases, the intended parents advertise and choose the surrogate themselves. Some tips to help in the selection include:

• The surrogate should be in her best fertile health at the time of the surrogacy.
• The surrogate should have a medical check to ensure that there is no present illness that will interfere with the surrogacy process.
• The surrogate’s medical history should also be checked.
• The surrogate must have had a successful pregnancy and a child before the surrogacy treatment.
• The surrogate must be between 22-39 years of age.
• The surrogate should not have any harmful addictions like smoking, drinking or taking hard drugs.
• The surrogate should be attractive and pleasing to the eye, with a good personality.
• The surrogate’s BMI should not be more than 28

Surrogacy practice and laws in Kenya

Kenya is a very popular surrogacy destination in Africa. This is largely due to the vagueness of the surrogacy laws in the country, which makes the strict regulation of the practice difficult. This also contributes to the abuse that is seen in areas with loose surrogacy regulations. The country is a popular option that is provided by international travel health agencies to international intended parents who are seeking affordable countries for surrogacy. 

Kenya also ensures that any woman that is opting to be a surrogate undergoes various tests like HIV, hepatitis B and C tests and others. The country also mandates that women be married with children, or if they are not married, they must have already had a child. The rights of the surrogates in Kenya have not been fully defined, and there are no established guidelines for the surrogates. The law that has been present since 2008 for surrogates states that any woman who opts to be a surrogate will receive money for any pregnancy that she bears for another person. The law also says that there must be a relationship between the intended parents and the surrogate mother before the child can be conceived and delivered.

What is the cost of surrogacy in Kenya?

The surrogacy costs in Kenya are comparatively cheaper because Kenya is a developing country. Kenya is also one of the few countries globally that accepts gestational surrogacy for same-sex couples and international intended parents. There is also an abundant supply of surrogates because there are no jobs, and the country has a poor financial condition. The cost of living in Kenya is also a contributing factor in the cost, as compensation for the surrogate is relatively cheaper when compared to other countries. 

The total cost of surrogacy in Kenya may hover in the range of 30 thousand to 40 thousand dollars. The cost is usually impacted by the additional services that may be required in the surrogacy process. The practice of some of the fertility agencies that offer surrogacy packages to intended parents is to offer suitable packages that are intended to help reduce the cost of the service. Depending on the package, some of the services that will be covered include:

• The screening of the surrogates
• The testing of the surrogate
• Ovulation induction medication and injections
• Egg retrieval and sperm collection
• IVF process
• Storage of embryo, sperm and eggs
• Embryo transfer into the surrogate’s uterus
• Expenses incurred during the pregnancy
• Delivery of the child
• Legal work and requirements of the surrogacy process

What are some of the benefits of surrogacy in Kenya?

There are a lot of benefits to having a surrogacy procedure in Kenya, one of them being the cost-effectiveness of the procedure. Some of the other benefits include:

• High surrogacy success rates
• Social acceptance and legal protection for the surrogate
• Acceptance of gay couples that seek surrogacy
• Easy accessibility of international surrogacy by international intended parents