How To Become A Surrogate

What Is A Surrogate?
Surrogate mothers are women who are paid in order to be artificially impregnated and carry someone else's child. While this notion may raise eyebrows, surrogacy is quite beneficial. Some women face complications in their health which affects their ability to conceive a child naturally. Surrogate mothers are able to bridge the gap by allowing such couples the joy of having children. There are two major kinds of surrogacy, traditional and gestational. In the first case, the surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the biological father's sperm. The biological fathers can either be a sperm donor or the father who decides to raise the child, but the surrogate mother is the child's biological mother. Gestational surrogacy is when the egg and sperm of the prospective mother and father are fused together in a test tube and then implanted into the surrogate mother's uterus. Another name for this process is in vitro fertilization. If you are interested in becoming a surrogate, you should continue reading our guide to help you find the criteria involved in evaluating your application, and the pros and cons with this important decision.

The Straight Facts About Becoming A Surrogate
Not every woman can become a surrogate on a whim. There is an intense screening process involved, which considers all aspect of the applicant's life and lifestyle before qualifying her for surrogacy. Different states follow different standards, but surrogates must have prior experience with childbirth and be of childbearing age, among other requirements. All applicants are scrutinized psychologically to ensure that they are stable and will see their pregnancy through to the end.

It is often recommended that you enter into a legally binding agreement with the biological parents regarding the surrogacy. By law, you will be mandated to attend all meetings with gynecologists and update the biological parents of the baby's health. Additionally, you are required to take care of your own health to protect the baby. Once you agree in becoming a surrogate for a friend, family member, or stranger, you cannot back out of the deal without their express permission. You are also forbidden from changing your mind and refusing to return the baby upon childbirth. In order to avoid any potential conflicts which may arise later, hiring a lawyer is a good idea.

The process of childbearing is quite stressful for the mother, both emotionally and physically. While many women offer to become surrogates because they derive joy from providing other couples a child, they are largely expected to handle the pregnancy themselves. Having a strong support group is, therefore, absolutely necessary for surrogates. It is also important that you consider the impact of your pregnancy on your own children. Those women who practice surrogacy frequently may neglect their own child while taking care of the newborn, leading to developmental complications in their own child.

Those who practice surrogacy are highly courageous, generous individuals who take massive amounts of physical and emotional pain upon themselves for the joy of others. If you feel you can do this, surrogacy may be a good idea for you.