How to prepare yourself for the surrogacy process? -Tips for surrogate mothers
Surrogacy is a generous and kind act. You have decided to help another parent, who cannot start a family on their own, by agreeing to carry their child in your womb. This selfless act requires a brave heart and determination because surrogacy comes with certain risks and challenges. However, surrogacy professionals can simplify things for you and better prepare you for the surrogacy process.
What is the surrogacy process?
Surrogacy involves certain medical and legal processes. Before you commit to the process, you must discuss with your family and know about all the required processes inside-out. Talk with a surrogacy agency who can provide you screening, matching, counseling, and inform you about the surrogacy risks and compensation. You will also need to equip yourself with the knowledge of surrogacy laws. A surrogacy attorney can help you legally prepare for surrogacy.
Once you have finally made your decision to become a surrogate, you must choose between gestational and traditional surrogacy. While in traditional, you will have a biological link with the child; the gestational surrogacy establishes no biological link between you and the child.
Next, you must decide if you want to work as an independent surrogate or you would like to register yourself with a surrogacy agency.
Either way, you will have to undergo the surrogate screening process, to be able to become a surrogate. Surrogacy agencies conduct extensive medical, physical, and emotional screening of the women who apply to become a gestational carrier.
How to prepare yourself for the surrogacy process?
Here are some tips that will help you prepare for the surrogacy.
- Make good health a priority
Good health is essential for a successful surrogacy. This includes maintaining a good body weight (as per your ideal BMI), abstaining from alcohol and drug consumption, and living an active lifestyle. You should eat plenty of fruits and fiber-rich vegetables and proteins. This should be followed not only during the pregnancy term but before and till a few months after the pregnancy as well.
- Contact the best surrogacy professionals
As a surrogate, you can either work independently or work with an agency. Working with an agency seems like a better decision. The agency can give you complete support before and during the process. Before you choose an agency, inquire about the previous successful cases, their screening process, and other important things.
- Ensure that you meet the surrogate requirements
To ensure a successful surrogacy process, you must meet the essential surrogacy requirements. Your agency will outline the requirements at the time of the application. The requirements generally include the physical requirement, medical requirement (medical history and previous successful pregnancy), and physiological requirements (stable mental state and positive attitude).
- Try to understand the process from another surrogate’s perspective
To know more about the process and the things you may experience during the surrogate pregnancy, get a surrogate’s perspective. Read surrogacy blogs and interviews of surrogate mothers. You can learn about their surrogacy journeys. You can even talk to the surrogates from the agency you are going to work with.
- Establish a relationship with the intended parents
Intended parents are generally eager and excited about the process. They want to know every experience and be with you during every step of the journey. You must try and keep a cordial relationship with the intended parents. Every agency has its rules and policies regarding this.
During the pregnancy also, you must regularly inform the intended parents about the progress. If possible and allowed in the agency norms, you should also talk with the intended parents in person during the pregnancy. It is believed that the child can identify voices even in the womb. This way you can ensure that the child is familiar with the voices of his parents.
- Have complete knowledge of the legal process
Surrogacy has certain legal formalities and documentation required as per the surrogacy law of the state wherein you are going to pursue the surrogacy process. To ensure a safe and legally abiding surrogacy process, you must be aware of the legal arrangement of surrogacy in your state.
Some agencies have in-house surrogacy attorneys who can assist both intended parents and the surrogate in the legal aspect of surrogacy. If not, they can also refer you to some best surrogacy attorneys. The attorney can prepare you for all the legal formalities required to successfully complete the surrogacy process.
- Prepare yourself for the emotional ups and downs
Surrogacy is full of emotional ups and downs for both the parties involved – the surrogate as well as the intended parents. As a surrogate, developing an emotional bond with the child, while it is in your womb, is completely normal and understandable.
Even the child recognizes your voice and aura. So, its attachment to you, once it is born, is also normal. However, this is where you must not let your emotional side dominate. You must prepare yourself for the emotional transfer. You can also prepare the baby for the change in the environment by introducing the baby to the voices of the intended parents.
You must also be ready to take responsibility for the child as well as your own health during the pregnancy. Attend the doctor’s appointments on time and share ultrasound reports with the intended parents as well, so they can also see their baby growing.
- Let go of stress completely
Finally, to ensure a successful surrogacy process, you must remain calm and stress-free. This is important right from the beginning till the end of the surrogacy journey. It is an extremely vital trait that agencies and intended parents look for in a surrogate. The mother’s mental state and thoughts can have a deep impact on the child during the pregnancy term. It also affects the child’s development during the initial years.
Read other surrogates’ journey and testimonials shared by couples who have had a child through surrogacy. We are sure you will find enough motivation to enjoy this beautiful journey and give the gift of life to other parents.