A young woman who has completed several rounds of unsuccessful in vitro fertilization is considering another option, in which an acquaintance from work has agreed to carry a pregnancy to term for her. If this takes place, what is the term for this volunteer?

A. Adopted mother: Adoption occurs after a child is born and legally placed with parents who did not carry the pregnancy. The woman carrying the pregnancy in this scenario is not adopting the child. B. Surrogate mother: A surrogate mother is a woman who agrees to carry and deliver a baby for another person or couple, often when infertility treatments such as IVF have been unsuccessful. This term accurately describes the volunteer in this situation. C. Genetic mother: The genetic mother is the woman who provides the ovum. In many surrogacy arrangements, the surrogate does not contribute genetic material and therefore is not the genetic mother. D. Stepmother: A stepmother is married to a child’s parent but is not biologically related to the child. This term does not apply to pregnancy or childbirth arrangements.