A Complete Confinement

For the surrogates of Anand, a nine-month pregnancy is a confinement in the literal sense. For the full term of their pregnancy the clinic houses the women in one of two surrogate homes.

The women come to stay here leaving their families behind and for nine months they are bound to the gated premises with the intermittent doctor’s appointment being the only chance to step out.

The women have no other contact with the outside world save for the weekly visits their families are allowed.

Husbands and children come to visit for a couple of hours and men are strictly forbidden from spending a night with their wives.

Dr Hitesh Patel co-owner of and legal adviser to Akanksha Infertility Clinic says the strict supervision is warranted.

He justifies the surveillance saying: “We want the women to be properly fed, give them medicines on time and make sure that they rest well so that we get better results.

“And moreover, when she is in one of these two houses we know what she is doing.”