Becoming a surrogate can be an incredibly rewarding experience. As a surrogate, you have the opportunity to help someone who is struggling with infertility become pregnant. You are also able to provide your own family with additional resources by being compensated for being a surrogate. There are many reasons why becoming a surrogate might interest you, but here are just five of them!
Surrogacy: Is It Right For You?
Before the why, it’s important to know the how. The process of becoming a surrogate is long but worth it. There are three types: traditional surrogacy which means the surrogate is not related to the baby, gestational surrogacy where the surrogate has no biological connection with the baby but carries eggs from another woman that have been fertilized by sperm from the intended father, and lastly there’s embryo donation in which a third party donates embryos to be implanted into a different person. In this most common practice, surrogate mothers agree to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) with the intended parents. The embryo is placed inside of her uterus and nourished there until full term when it’s delivered by caesarean section or vaginal delivery, depending on what stage she is at during pregnancy.
Now that you have a better understanding of the how, here are some of the whys:
1. You Get To Help Someone Who Can’t Have Children On Their Own
Being a surrogate gives you the opportunity to help someone who is struggling with infertility have children. This in itself makes it an incredibly rewarding experience, but there are many more reasons why this might interest you! If your heart goes out to couples that cannot conceive on their own, then you might want to become a surrogate and give this gift of parenthood. You get to carry and deliver a baby for someone who would otherwise not have this opportunity.
Though you will be compensated in many regards, it is a selfless act that can greatly change the lives of someone else. Surrogacy allows those who cannot conceive on their own to experience in as natural a way as possible the joy, challenges, and rewards of pregnancy and childbirth. While adoption is viable in many cases, the parents often turn to surrogate options whenever possible.
2. You Get Paid For Your Time And Effort
Becoming a surrogate also gives you the opportunity to be compensated for your time and effort. You’ll get paid well, for the miracle you’ll be giving to the intended family. Medical needs will be covered and the family along with doctors work together to make sure that the surrogate mother and child remain safe and healthy throughout the process.
Surrogates will experience morning sickness, back pain, and other common pregnancy discomforts which means that parents will want to compensate you for these things as well. You should also know that there are additional financial benefits beyond just getting paid money for carrying a baby.
Many surrogates are able to get insurance and maternity clothes from their intended parents, as well as other benefits. The total compensation for being a surrogate can range anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000 on average. However, there have been cases where surrogates receive up to $60,000 depending on the number of babies they are carrying, whether or not they have to go through a C-section, and other medical procedures that may be required. It is important to work out a contract for surrogates and intended parents.
3. The Process Is Safe, Legal, And Medically Supervised
The medical professionals are there with the surrogate mothers at all times for safety, legal compliance and to ensure that they give birth successfully. All of this is done under the guidance of experienced physicians who specialize in reproductive endocrinology & infertility (REI). These physicians will help you through every stage of your surrogacy process from beginning to end. They will be there for you, and the surrogate family every step of the way.
This is especially important when it comes to egg retrieval which can happen as early as 32 days after your embryo transfer or 14 days later if frozen embryos were used. The eggs are then fertilized using IVF (in vitro fertilization), before being implanted back in the surrogate’s uterus.
A doctor who specializes in high-risk pregnancies, reproductive surgery, and infertility, places the embryos in her womb. The process is done under anesthesia so that you don’t have to be awake for it or feel any pain at all! You can just lay back on your bed while doctors perform this procedure, which usually takes less than 15 minutes.
4. You’ll Get To Experience The Joys Of Pregnancy
Being a surrogate mother gives you the opportunity to experience what it’s like to be pregnant and go through all of the joys that come with it. You’ll get pampered, taken care of, and treated like royalty (sometimes) by your intended parents!
You will also get an incredible amount of belly rubs from friends and family, and you’ll get to experience the joy of feeling a baby move inside your own body. The love that comes with pregnancy is unparalleled, as well as all of those beautiful bumps and bruises!
It will be like living another life for nine months (or more depending on how many babies are involved). Then at the end, you have a beautiful baby in your arms that you get to give away.
5. Experience A Deeper Connection With Parenthood
As a surrogate, you are giving the wonderful gift of parenthood to another family. This can be incredibly fulfilling and connect you even more deeply with the experience of being a parent.
You’ll get to see the parents’ faces when they first hold their baby and know that you played an important role in making that happen. You’ll also be able to follow the baby’s progress via pictures and updates from the parents (as most parents like to have the surrogate involved even if only through photos).
The experience of being a surrogate can be incredibly emotional, bonding you with the parents in ways that you never thought possible. It is an unforgettable experience that will change your life for the better.
There are many reasons why becoming a surrogate might be a great idea for you. You can get paid enough to cover your bills and then some while getting the opportunity to experience pregnancy from the inside out. If that sounds like something you’d love to do, then consider being a surrogate and start this amazing journey that can change lives.