Almost everyone was taken by surprise when Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao made an announcement about their son, Azad Rao Khan’s birth on December 5, 2011. Kiran had not been seen with any telltale signs of a pregnancy (i.e.a blown belly). Then where did the child come from, the star-struck country wondered?

Aamir came forward and clarified that Kiran and he had conceived a baby through IVF surrogacy. And once he did, questions poured in from hundreds of couples who wanted to know about this procedure. Thanks to Aamir and Kiran, surrogacy was no longer a taboo in the society. Let’s look at a few surrogacy lessons you can learn from this Bollywood couple.

Lesson 1: Openness about surrogacy

So far, IVF and surrogacy have been words that were used behind closed doors of doctors’ clinics. Earlier, not many couples came forward to express their gratitude towards medical science for having kids.

One of the most respected and celebrated Bollywood stars, Aamir Khan came forward with the news of his son being born through IVF surrogacy. Aamir said:

“Due to medical complications, we were advised to have a baby through IVF-surrogacy, and we feel very grateful to the Almighty that all has gone well. We are humbled by the greatness of god and the miracles of science.’

Aamir and Kiran opened the doors of IVF for many Indian families. Couples could now explore this option openly and proudly. Dr Indira Hinduja, who is credited with the birth of India’s first test tube baby, said:

‘It’s nice of Aamir Khan to talk about it. He is a top star and people may now no longer mind undergoing a surrogacy treatment and talking about it.’

Lesson 2: Your wife’s health comes first

In India, if a woman is unable to conceive, she is looked down upon with great disdain. Husbands often pressurise their wives to conceive, even at the cost of their health. Kiran was facing a number of health complications, which did not allow her to have a baby. After multiple miscarriages, the couple went for this procedure. Aamir can be quoted as saying:

“We are very proud of the whole thing. She had a number of miscarriages. We realised that her uterus lining is very thin for her to carry the baby for nine months. Which is why we opted for this method.”

Your wife does not have to go through the physical and emotional pain of miscarriages if she cannot give birth naturally. Medical science can help you conceive a baby, which is biologically yours.

Lesson 3: Give respect to the surrogate mother

Surrogate mothers are not respected because the typical notion is that they ‘sell’ their womb in exchange for money. But, what people do not realise is that through surrogacy, they not only empower themselves financially but help someone build a new family as well.

Lesson 4: It is biologically ‘your’ child, don’t be ashamed

Many couples are ashamed to admit that their baby is not conceived naturally. But, they fail to realise that a baby born through IVF surrogacy, will share both their biological characteristics. The surrogate is only a carrier for the child. Even Aamir Khan in his press statement said:

‘Biologically, the baby is ours.’

Dr Firuza Parikh, the couple’s doctor once said:

‘Aamir and Kiran are the biological and genetic parents of the baby.’

Even though born through someone else’s womb, the child is biologically and genetically yours only. So, count your blessings.