Mothers for life? Exploring emotional vulnerability of Indian commercial surrogate mothers

ABSTRACT In this article, we look at the predicament of Indian commercial surrogates and how they cope with the knowledge that the child they are carrying must be relinquished by them soon after delivery. How can a surrogate distance herself emotionally from the baby she is carrying? And to what extent is she supported by other surrogates, her family members and the social environment? Much has been written about the economic and social vulnerability of Indian surrogates. We would like to focus in particular on their emotional vulnerability. Following Rogers et al. (2012a), we ask what are the sources of these women’s vulnerability? How do they handle it? Our observations are based on literature review, and empirical research, the latter conducted by the second author in a clinic in South India. To conclude we suggest that the regulation in the making on surrogacy needs to be context and individual sensitive in order to address this aspect of their vulnerability.