The woman, a Georgia resident, lost custody of the child she had carried. The in vitro fertilization clinic, Coastal Fertility Specialists, apologized for “an embryo transfer mix-up.”

Regardless, Murray resolved to raise the child. But after reporting the mix-up to the fertility clinic, she says, its staff tracked down and notified the baby’s biological parents. They demanded custody, Murray said, and she gave up the 5-month-old boy to avoid a legal fight she couldn’t win.