Childbirth is a beautiful process. However, not every woman gets to experience this bliss. In our modern society, infertility is a rising issue amongst couples. Besides this, some women cannot get pregnant due to medical issues and health concerns. Thankfully, in today’s modern times, women can embrace motherhood even if they cannot get pregnant themselves. The ever-expanding horizons of scientific research have made it possible for a woman to experience the simple joys of being a mother through various processes.

“Bringing another human life into the family of God is an exceptional blessing that won’t ever fade, disappear, or deteriorate. It is an eternal blessing given to us by our own Parent in heaven (Malachi 2:15; Ephesians 3:14-15).”

Children: A Blessing

Apart from pregnancy, surrogacy, IVF and adoption are three other ways through which a couple can welcome a child. It’s a boon in modern times, and even gives hope and optimism to childless couples. Not being able to have your own children can even affect one’s mental health. Therefore, instead of shunning these processes, it’s time we embrace them. Each way of bringing a child into this world is completely normal and beautiful.

However, a lot of people still consider it to be a taboo. The idea of some other woman bearing your child is apparently vague. Not everyone is open to this idea. The taboo surrounding the process of surrogacy and adoption is unconventional and deep rooted in Indian society. This is mainly due to blanket unawareness about various aspects of the subject.

Surrogacy is a concept not just popular in the present society but was also seen in ancient history and Indian mythology. Devki and Vasudev from Mahabharata had their seventh child through a concept similar to surrogacy. Back then, the transfer of an embryo from one womb to the other was unheard of. This was purely done to prevent the baby from being killed by Devki’s brother, Kamsa. If it was appreciated and welcomed back then, why is the concept questioned now?

Surrogacy, IVF & Adoption Defined

While everybody knows what pregnancy is, let’s shed some light on the other ways of childbirth.

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is an arrangement often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to undertake pregnancy, labour and delivery for any other person who is unable to conceive or who does not want to conceive.

The reasons for renting a womb are plenty such as repeated miscarriages, physiological conditions, age factor, ambition, career and homosexuality. Surrogacy has become fairly popular in Bollywood. A lot of actors are taking this route for reasons best known to them. Some of them who come under this bracket are Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, and Ekta Kapoor among others. Surrogacy is not just used by couples of the opposite sex but also the same-sex. Individuals from the LGBTQ community who want to start a beautiful and healthy family often resort to surrogacy. One major reason people choose surrogacy over adoption is because the parent gets to have a genetic link with the child.

IVF

IVF stands for in vitro fertilization. It is a medical procedure whereby an egg is fertilized by a sperm in a test tube or elsewhere outside the body. It is usually done to help with fertility or prevent complications that may occur around childbirth. During IVF, mature eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilised with the sperm in a lab. Then the fertilised egg is transferred to the uterus. It’s a form of assisted reproductive technology. While this is usually done using a couple’s own eggs and sperm, in certain cases an anonymous donor may be hired too. Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas, and Aamir Khan & Kiran Rao are a few celebrities who welcomed their child through IVF. Although it is very expensive, a lot of people take this route too. Good Newwz is one of the few Bollywood films that tackled the concept of IVF in a hilarious manner.

Despite advances in treatment, fertility still remains a taboo. In India, people are expected to have children at some stage of their life. When this doesn’t happen, they seek medical help and fertility treatments. When they do so, they face a sense of embarrassment and humiliation, and there is a huge stigma attached to being childless.

Adoption

Adoption is another concept which everyone is well-versed with. It is a process through which a prospective adoptive parent lawfully assumes the responsibility of a child. It is a legal procedure in which the child is permanently separated from his/her biological parents and is assumed to be the child of the adoptive parents.

A couple usually chooses adoption in order to avoid pregnancy complications or if they have concerns about passing down genetic disorders. Sometimes, people opt for adoption purely for legal reasons or if they want to create a family for an underprivileged child or orphan.

Unfortunately, adoption is still not accepted in India by many people. This is mainly because they believe that only when a child is born through biological processes, he/she is considered legitimate. An adopted one is viewed as a stranger since they don’t have the family genes, and may be of another culture, caste or religion.

Sunny Leone and her husband Daniel Weber adopted a girl Nisha from an orphanage in Latur (Maharashtra) in 2017.

Conclusion

Though these processes might seem a bit messy and complicated, they are beautiful. There is no greater joy than the fact that two individuals who have struggled to have an offspring for years finally get to have one, irrespective of the medium.

Let’s accept it that God designed children to be a very special blessing to parents. Therefore, how they come into this world doesn’t really matter. All that is important is that two individuals are parents to a beautiful child.

Do you have any pregnancy stories to share? We’d love to know your experience in the comments section below.