Surrogacy—an act of love

Surrogates take special care of their bodies to ensure that the babies they carry develop healthily. Enduring a pregnancy for someone else is an act of love. It’s also a great responsibility. Surrogates are chosen because they are prepared mentally, emotionally, and physically to carry a child. If the surrogacy pregnancy displays any sign that a surrogate would consider unnormal, she would have cause to worry. One situation that may cause concern for a surrogate, especially during the first trimester of the pregnancy, is spotting.

Spotting

According to Healthline, spotting is defined as light vaginal bleeding that happens outside of your regular periods. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), about 15 to 25% of women will experience spotting during the first trimester.

There are many reasons spotting can occur. Three of the most common non-pregnancy-threatening reasons that come up in surrogacy are:

Body is responding to hormones: Surrogates must undergo the in vitro fertilization process. IVF doctors may prescribe birth control to regulate the surrogate’s menstrual cycle. The hormonal impact of birth control may cause spotting.

The embryo has implanted in the uterine lining: Implantation bleeding: Bleeding may occur when the embryo implants into the uterine lining. The bleeding does not mean that the surrogate is having a miscarriage; on the contrary, it means that the embryo is attaching and it’s likely that a successful pregnancy will follow. The placenta forming can cause spotting.

Pregnancy through IVF: Spotting can happen spontaneously as the body adjusts to the invasive IVF. During an IVF pregnancy, a sub cumulus hemorrhage can occur. Simply put, a “wet bruise” is formed within the uterus, outside of the sack, and the body discards it through spotting.

Spotting at the beginning of the pregnancy is less worrisome than further along. Nevertheless, none of the aforementioned reasons are causes for alarm; but if they were to occur, these are the recommendations for the surrogate:

What to do if spotting occurs

1- Get off her feet. She can lie down on her bed or on a sofa, somewhere she can put her feet up and rest.

2- Look at and describe the spotting.COLOR: is the spotting bright red, pink, or brown? Each of these colors means something different. The color of the spotting will also determine how it will be treated.WHEN did it occur? Did it occur after walking or cleaning the house; did it happen at night while sleeping? What was happening when the surrogate realized she was spotting? Has this happened in previous pregnancies? Has this happened in previous IVF-related pregnancies?HOW much spotting is there? Enough to fill a pad and how often?

3- Immediately Call the IVF doctor and the Surrogate Support Team contact and let them know.

Understanding spotting in surrogacy

For many surrogates, this will be the first time that they have not become pregnant through sexual intercourse. In surrogacy, they will need medical assistance, provided by an in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic to become pregnant with the intended parents’ child. The IVF doctor prescribes medication to prepare her body to receive the intended parents’ embryo. Once her body is ready, a surrogate undergoes a simple procedure called Embryo Transfer (ET) in hopes of becoming pregnant. Although embryo transfer is a simple procedure, it is invasive. Invasive procedures can lead to spotting.

Spotting does not mean the pregnancy is in trouble

Jumping to conclusions can do more harm than good. Spotting does happen, and for some women, it happens often. As a surrogate, it is natural that spotting causes concern. So, if spotting were to occur, she can follow the steps Omega Family Global recommends. There are many reasons for spotting and not all of them lead to an unhappy ending.