Parenthood after donor conception: birth mothers

Under UK law, a child's legal mother is the woman who carries and gives birth. Even if she is not the biological mother, the birth mother will have the same status as any other mother including:

• the right to be recorded as the mother on her child's birth certificate
• parental responsibility - the legal right to make and be involved in decisions about her child's care, including giving medical consent, and making decisions about education, religion etc
• financial responsibility - the duty to provide for her child, including paying child maintenance if she does not live with her child
• status rights - having a mother-child connection for the purposes of things like British nationality and inheritance and pension rights.