Surrogacy is an incredible option for couples who struggle to conceive naturally for any reason. It can be a solution for those dealing with infertility, and it can make parenthood a reality for some couples who may otherwise may never have been able to realize this dream. However, while surrogacy has plenty of pros (that lead so many intended parents to surrogacy in the first place) that doesn’t mean it goes without cons as well.
Getting familiar with the cons of surrogacy allows parents to have a completely transparent and honest experience with their surrogacy journey. They’re better able to make an informed decision, and they’ll know for certain if surrogacy is the right choice for them or not. Some of the cons surrounding surrogacy include:
The Cost Of Surrogacy
Surrogacy cost is not insignificant, however there are ways to make the process more cost-effective for intended parents with differing budgets. Typically, some of the costs involved in a typical surrogacy journey will include:
- Medical costs
- Lodging costs
- Surrogacy agency services
- Legal fees
- Travel costs
- Fertility treatment costs
- Surrogate mother compensation
The costs associated with surrogacy continue throughout the pregnancy process, so it’s not a cost that is completely definitive and upfront much of the time. Cost is one of the leading factors that may cause intended couples to move away from surrogacy after considering it for their own parenthood journey.
There are some ways to mitigate costs for intended parents. First and foremost, opting for international surrogacy is an option that many parents-to-be are opting for in today’s modern times. In countries like Georgia, for instance, costs are much lower when compared to the United States, Cananda, or many western European countries, even with comparable medical care and standards, safe and easy travel, and friendly surrogacy laws. By opting for an international surrogacy journey, the option of surrogacy may open up to couples who initially believed it couldn’t be a pathway to parenthood for them.
Surrogacy Requires Letting Go Of Control
For intended parents, the idea of letting go of control can be a difficult one to digest. In a typical pregnancy, the parents remain close to the physical process of pregnancy for the entire nine months, providing some sense of control over nutrition, medical care, symptoms, and other factors that may pop up during gestation. With a surrogacy journey, parents aren’t necessarily as involved in the process in such a direct way.
While intended parents may not have the same type of control in a surrogacy journey, that doesn’t mean they’ll be left “out of the loop”. By selecting an experienced and reputable surrogacy agency, they’ll be kept involved and informed throughout the entire surrogacy process. Once intended parents grow accustomed to the situation, and build genuine trust with their surrogate mother, they may feel more in control than they initially thought at the beginning of the process.
Surrogacy Laws Can Be Difficult To Navigate
Surrogacy comes along with entirely different laws and regulations when compared to a traditional, natural pregnancy. For intended parents, stepping into this world for the first time can be daunting – especially when working with an international surrogacy arrangement.
When selecting a surrogacy agency, choosing one that offers legal services can make all the difference. Particularly in international surrogacy situations, when laws are new and may be very different than what intended parents are used to or expecting, it’s the surrogacy agency who will be walking parents through and representing them all throughout the process. With the help of a professional and experienced agency, working with these new laws and regulations will likely be much easier than intended parents think.
Medical Processes Can Be Complicated
The medical processes involved with surrogacy can be complicated, and sometimes more complicated than intended parents expect. Surrogate parents may need to go through IVF procedures in order to extract the eggs and the sperm necessary to create an embryo, and once that embryo is created, it’ll then be transferred to the surrogate mother for gestation.
Intended parents working with an established surrogacy agency in a country where medical standards are high will be supported throughout these complicated medical processes. In international surrogacy journeys, countries like Georgia offer lower-cost medical procedures that are held to the same standards as those in the United States, Canada, or western Europe. This means that IVF procedures are overseen by medical experts at state-of-the-art facilities, and all medical care for the surrogate mother meets exceptional standards of care.
By getting familiar with the cons of surrogacy, intended parents can better understand some of the challenges they may experience during their own surrogacy process. Alongside the cons, there are plenty of pros to surrogacy, and many feel that these cons are well worth the ability to make the dream of parenthood a reality.