We now live in an age where people can have an active and complicated “digital life” that is, at times far more robust and engaging than the “real one” that we all share. While it’s true that many of us still wake up, eat breakfast, and then go to a place of work, where we talk to and interact with other people face-to-face, many of us supplement—or even replace this—with digital interactions as well.
For many people, this means an ability to reach and talk to others no matter where in the world they are, or what time of day it is. It means companies can have access to global offices and stay in touch on huge projects taking place all over the world. Families separated by oceans can remain in contact through text, audio, and video. Moreover, it means that people can meet like-minded individuals that they otherwise might never have had the opportunity to interact with.
So what does all this have to with the decision to seek a child through surrogate motherhood? For some, it can be an important social lifeline through a surrogacy forum.
The Forum Effect
The digital forum is now considered an “older artifact” of the digital revolution as forums have been with us for decades, though not everyone entrenched in the digital lifestyle necessarily uses them. Don’t be fooled by the age, however; a forum can still be very useful.
Forums are simply websites that feature an area where people can type out extended text of any length, asking questions, providing insight, and generally interacting with each other, though not in real time. They are an evolution of the BBS, or “bulletin board system” as they were once known. People would type out their thoughts or messages; others would read the text, and respond, all these responses would be collected and maintained, for sustained, ongoing, online discussions that were text-based and preserved.
However, the real value of forums comes from the fact that they are often focused on specific topics. People that have an interest in weight-lifting, for example, can go to a weight-lifting forum and ask questions of the people there that come from various stages of experience, from beginners to experienced weightlifters with a lot of valuable information to share. The same is true of other forums with different interests, whether that is cooking, favorite television shows, or hobbies like playing the guitar or writing fiction. Forums are places that people with common interests can go to share, support and learn.
Forums For Surrogacy
So, it should come as no surprise that for a topic as complex, with as much valuable insight to share as surrogacy and surrogate motherhood, surrogacy forums exist as well. Any common interest is ripe for being taken up by a forum, and surrogacy is no exception.
Fortunately, if you’re thinking of pursuing the surrogacy method, it’s not hard to find forums online to do so. A typical Internet search will yield results. But why would you want to go and talk to others about the surrogacy process on surrogacy forums? The first and most obvious benefit would be that you’re speaking with other people that have a similar interest, but beyond just not feeling isolated, there are some real benefits to taking part in a surrogacy forum, such as:
User Impressions
Any product, service, or business can make a claim, “We are great.” But are they really? And how would you really know, if all they say is that they are good? Even if you can’t trust a business to make accurate claims about its quality, you can definitely trust fellow customers/clients like yourself who have tried out a product or service for themselves.
Talking to people on forums that have had personal experiences with different surrogacy groups in different countries can be incredibly helpful for people just starting this journey. They can quickly find out from honest, unbiased sources who can be trusted to keep their promises, and who don’t.
Learn The Little Things
There’s more to surrogacy than just the financing and surrogate mother, but what else is there? There can be little things, like how to adjust to living temporarily in another country where surrogacy is taking place, what good restaurants there are to eat, what places to visit.
People who’ve “been there and done that,” who visit these forums can be invaluable resources for learning all about all the smaller details that can have a big impact on daily life while undertaking the surrogacy experience. Even little useful bits of information like how to handle the customs experience at the airport when entering or leaving can make a difference.
Do Your Research
Once you talk to others on surrogacy forums, you are far better armed to find out what type of surrogacy you want, and which surrogacy services you’re looking for in a surrogate mother clinic. Also, this information and the friendships you make can improve this experience.