[Meg] Watwood is part of America\u2019s rapidly growing surrogacy movement. The number of babies born through surrogacy in the United States, though still relatively small, has quadrupled in just over a decade. And despite ethical questions surrounding the practice, demand isn\u2019t slowing.<\/p>\n
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, surrogates gave birth to 2,807 babies in 2015, up from 738 in 2004. Nearly all were conceived by IVF and carried by women with no genetic connection, a process called \u201cgestational surrogacy.\u201d (In \u201ctraditional surrogacy,\u201d the only option prior to IVF but one rarely used today, the carrier would also be the genetic mother of the baby.)<\/p>\n
IVF and surrogacy are becoming more normalized in the US just as other countries have shut down foreign surrogacy enterprises, dual trends that have made the US a top surrogacy destination. High demand for surrogates, who typically earn more than $20,000 per birth, has attracted many evangelical women, who often fit the profile of the \u201cideal\u201d surrogate and are drawn to the idea of using their fertility to bless others.<\/p>\n
But laws and ethical discussions surrounding surrogacy haven\u2019t kept up with the industry\u2019s growth, and pastors and churches appear largely ill-equipped to guide women and couples through the high-stakes decisions involved in third-party reproduction.<\/p>\n