What is the main difference between a surrogate and a gestational carrier?

The main difference between a surrogate and a gestational carrier hinges on the genetic relationship to the child they carry. A surrogate is traditionally someone who becomes pregnant with her own egg, often through artificial insemination, and therefore is the biological mother of the baby she carries. This arrangement means the surrogate has a genetic link to the child, as the child is conceived using the surrogate's ovum.

On the other hand, a gestational carrier has no genetic connection to the child she carries. In this arrangement, embryos are created using the eggs and sperm of the intended parents or donors through in vitro fertilization, and then these embryos are implanted into the gestational carrier. Thus, while the gestational carrier carries the baby to term, she is not genetically related to the child.

This distinction is crucial in understanding the different roles and biological relationships involved in the surrogacy process. The roles of surrogates and gestational carriers are legally and ethically significant in the context of family planning and reproductive technology.