The History and Future of the Surrogacy Process in Nevada

While it has gained in popularity in recent years to build a family, the surrogacy process in Nevada is far from a new idea. Infertility issues have plagued people as long as people have been trying to have babies. Traditional surrogacy, in which the surrogate is also the child’s biological mother, was an early solution. Historically, maidservants and younger relatives often became surrogates to help a family produce heirs when the wife struggled with infertility. Even the Bible makes references to surrogacy as a legitimate means to building a family through the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah.

Today, most surrogacy agencies, including Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Nevada, avoid the legal and emotional complications that come with traditional surrogacy and only facilitate gestational surrogacy. In fact, like many other states, traditional surrogacy is now illegal in Nevada. With gestational surrogacy, the surrogate shares no biological connection with the baby, and through pre-birth orders, the intended parents are listed on the birth certificate as the legal parents immediately after birth. 

Important Events in Modern Surrogacy 

While people have been using surrogates in their own way since the dawn of human history, modern surrogacy began its sometimes-dubious journey to legitimacy in the mid-1880’smid-1880’s. Here’sHere’s a brief timeline of important dates in modern surrogacy. 

• 1884 — The first successful, documented artificial insemination occurred — though not without some significant ethical questions.
• 1975 – The first successful ethical embryo transfer occurred, via IVF (in vitro fertilization), truly paving the way for modern gestational surrogacy.
• 1976 – The first legal surrogacy agreement was brokered by a lawyer named Noel Keane, who ultimately ended up playing a key role in the history of surrogacy in America. In this first case, Keane set up an agreement for traditional surrogacy, in which the surrogate did not receive any compensation for the pregnancy. This is very different from the way. Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Nevada does things today! Still, it was a significant beginning. Keane used this experience as a springboard to establishing the Infertility Center, which ultimately arranged hundreds of surrogate pregnancies per year.
• 1978 – The first baby was born after being conceived through IVF
• 1980 – The first compensated surrogacy agreement was made. Again this was a traditional surrogacy agreement. Ultimately the surrogate regretted her decision. Her $10,000 compensation did not make up for the emotional trauma she experienced by giving up a child with whom she shared a genetic connection. 
• 1982 – The first live birth of a baby conceived from a donated egg occurred.
• 1984 — “Baby M” was born to a traditional surrogate who then refused to relinquish her parental rights. For two years, the surrogate fought the intended parents in court for the right to keep the child. Custody was ultimately awarded to the biological father with visitation rights granted to the surrogate/birth mother in 1986.
• 1985 — While the “Baby M” case raged on in the courts, the first successful gestational surrogacy occurred, paving the way for today’s surrogacy methods and a means of avoiding the heartbreak and trauma created by situations such as the “Baby M” case. This was a monumental advancement leading to today’s method of building families through gestational surrogacy. 

What’sWhat’s Happened to Surrogacy in Nevada since the 1980’s1980’s? 

Since the “Baby M” case concluded in 1986, the concept of the surrogacy process in Nevada has undergone a lot of changes. At first, as other states continued to place restrictions on traditional surrogacies and, unfortunately, surrogacy in general, so did Nevada. Later, as Nevada state legislators developed more ways for intended parents to protect their parental rights in surrogacy (for example, pre-birth orders), surrogacy began to grow in popularity again. Agencies such as Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Nevada became more prominent, making it easier for both hopeful parents and prospective surrogates to become better informed and, ultimately, to safely participate in the process of gestational surrogacy. 

Nevada is considered a very surrogacy-friendly state with some of the most detailed surrogacy laws in the United States. Instead of making it more difficult, the precision with which Nevada legislators have crafted these laws helps both the surrogates and intended parents navigate their surrogacy journey more safely and smoothly. 

Today, Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Nevada provides expert, professional guidance for both intended parents and potential surrogates. We perform careful background checks, medical checks, and comprehensive evaluations to match a hopeful parent or parents with just the right surrogate for them. We make sure our surrogate mothers receive fair surrogacy compensation as well as coordination of all of her legal and medical services. 

What does the Future Hold for Surrogacy in Nevada? 

Estimates are that between 1,000-1,500 babies are born each year via gestational surrogacy in America. With our surrogacy-friendly laws and experienced surrogate agencies, Nevada is leading the way to building families for more and more hopeful parents through gestational surrogacy. Whether you’re struggling with infertility, single and wanting to parent a child, in a same-sex relationship, or considering gestational surrogacy for another reason, the surrogacy professionals at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Nevada can help. 

If you’re considering becoming a surrogate mother and want to know more about the qualifications and requirements of becoming a surrogate, contact Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Nevada today. 

Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Nevada has been providing adoption and surrogacy services across Nevada since 2012. You can also call us to speak to someone now. Contact Us 24/7: 855-940-4673 (Toll-Free) | 702-474-4673 (Las Vegas) | 775-825-4673 (Reno) | 775-738-4673 (Elko) | 775-884-4673 (Carson City).

Meet the Author: After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Education, majoring in English and Social Sciences, Brianne Davis has spent her adult life as an educator; first in the public schools, later through martial arts. Her ability to convey difficult concepts, navigate varied learning styles, and always keep it interesting defined her reputation as an impactful instructor. Many of her early published blogs centered on the goal of helping other instructors effectively teach children for whom learning is a struggle. Once an empty nester, she committed to sitting in traffic less and writing more. With those goals in mind, she, along with her husband and dogs, packed up, sold their family home and moved to the banks of the Columbia River in Central Washington’s wine country, where the pace of life is slower and the sun shines brighter. Realizing in our modern age, more of us turn to the internet for information than ever before, Brianne, now dedicates her time to educating others through blog writing.

As a life-long information junkie, Brianne enjoys taking deep dives into new topics, then condensing them in an interesting way to convey valuable information in a relatively short amount of space. Once her career, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts remain hobbies, along with boating, reading, and traveling.