Methods of Conception: To Have a Baby, Are We Going Too Far?

"A mother gave birth to eight babies in southern California, Monday, the world's second live-born set of octuplets." This was reported by the Pennsylvania Pocono Record, on January 27, 2009. At this moment it's not known whether the babies were conceived naturally or with assistance from fertility treatments. Fertility treatments are known to increase your chances to have a multiple birth. Are octuplets too many babies to have at one time?

On TLC (The Learning Channel) there's a popular reality show, "17 Kids and Counting." This show centers on the family of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, who believe they're blessed having eighteen biological children. Because of their strong religious beliefs they happily welcome any new baby that comes along. Michelle commented, "Saying there's too many children is like saying there are too many flowers," when she was questioned by NBC's Ann Curry on whether they had more plans for more children. Their answer was yes, they were planning to have more babies. Is this selfishly undertaking a high risk pregnancy for both fetus and mother? Would a physician advise numerous pregnancies so close together?

Science has indeed advanced with progress in defeating infertility. When natural conception methods fail to produce a baby, other methods are desperately sought by would be parents yearning for a family.

Adoption is an alternative solution to having a child besides exploring infertility procedures, because there are so many available children in need of good homes. One of the problems with adoption is the fact most people want newborn Caucasian infants, limiting their chances to succeed at adoption. If you open your home to the possibility of adopting a child out of your race, an older child instead of a baby, or even a baby or child with a disability or impairment, your chances will increase for a successful adoption. Some people even battle red tape to adopt an overseas infant or child. There are financial issues and legal processes that go along with legal adoption. The dangers with adoption occur when you decide to cross legal boundaries and seek a private adoption or illegal adoption. Unfortunately there are too many unscrupulous people waiting to prey on desperate people longing for a baby. There are also infertile parents who can't accept adoption as the answer to their problem, not wanting a non-biological child.

Louise Joy Brown was the first baby conceived via test tube in July of 1978. This out of womb conception, invitro fertilization, brought an ethical uproar concerning the moment of conception. If conception is at the moment of fertilization, producing a viable baby, when fertilized eggs are destroyed, are we destroying a human baby? This discussion continues today, but many have become parents utilizing this method.

Infertility treatments and reproductive surgery can assist with conception, whether you're a male or female having infertility issues. Advances in understanding male and female reproductive systems have resolved some infertility issues. Fertility drugs are available to induce ovulation and produce multiple eggs, with side effects that you have to carefully monitor. These fertility drugs are producing pregnancies with possible multiple embryos, bringing up another ethical question. To assure a healthy viable baby, how many embryos do you decide to save as a medical professional? How many embryos do you save to assure the mother undergoes a safe pregnancy and childbirth? How many embryos is a human meant to carry and bear safely? And who should make the dramatic decision to eliminate an embryo, the parents or the physician?

With new infertility procedures women are able to conceive at a much later age, with many women bearing babies at menopausal ages. Are we risking the physical health of mothers and babies by conceiving later? Do we risk an increase in pregnancy complications, or fetus disorders like Spinal Bifida or Downs Syndrome, by undergoing late age pregnancies? Are we delivering babies to parents who are at risk of serious illnesses because of late parentage, with the risk of leaving young children to be shuffled off to live with relatives after their parent's demise?

Surrogate mothers, once a shuttered secret, are now discussed in the open, being used by many Hollywood stars and regular people. A surrogate mother is a woman who decides to carry a baby for an infertile woman, for a woman who prefers not to get pregnant via natural methods, and for anyone who decides to have a baby but is unable to because of gender, or other reasons. An embryo can be implanted, or the surrogate can undergo artificial insemination with the father's sperm. After the birth the surrogate mother hands over the newborn infant to the parent(s.) Legalities still haven't been ironed out concerning rights pertaining to national surrogacy. Each state individually addresses this issue, with many states declaring surrogacy illegal. Is surrogacy considered buying a baby, or is it considered adoption? Can a mother bear a child for nine months, give birth, and hand over her baby without feeling a sense of responsibility, or emotional attachment to that baby? The answer isn't clear cut, but continues to bring up many ethical questions.

People trying to conceive can also shop at local sperm banks. You can peruse through catalogs listing donors and select your own sperm donor for artificial insemination. Choose a blue eyed lawyer who likes to ski, or a brown eyed construction man who likes to read. You can read sperm donor's health and family history, to the best of knowledge. Sperm is pre-tested for infectious and sexual diseases at legitimate sperm banks. Today it's even possible to buy sperm via the internet. Do sperm donors have legal rights to the conceived child, or can the child locate their biological father in the future? Can you sue the sperm donor or company if the sperm is found to be defective or produces a baby with impairments or genetic disorders?

Ethical issues arise with this subject too. Are sperm consumers pre-screened? With the change in parental make-up, anyone can determine a means to have a baby, especially if you have the financial ability to do so. Surrogate mothers and sperm banks are making the process easier, in the case of single parents or the gay population.

The latest conception experiment being studied is cloning. Cloning is genetically duplicating an animal at this point. It's reproducing without the use of egg or sperm. It has already been achieved with animals. Who knows what kind of experiments are going on behind closed labs with human donors possibly? One day we could see a clone of ourselves in the streets, like a sci-fi movie. Could there be a mass production of brilliant scientists, talented musicians, or great political leaders? How far will we go to repopulate the world, to have a baby?

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