For many couples, parenthood is a dream that they struggle to bring into reality. Whether it’s medical issues during a pregnancy, fertility problems, or something else entirely, finally managing to conceive and have a child isn’t always easy for everyone.
Thanks to modern medical science, surrogacy has come a long way and today it’s even possible for would-be parents to have a child that is biologically related to one or both of them while still using a surrogate mother. Everyone’s situation is different of course, but surrogacy offers a lot of potential for those who are willing to look more into it.
That begins with learning the basics of what to expect from surrogacy and what the first steps will be. Let’s break things down so you can understand more about it.
Knowing Surrogacy Is The Right Option
The very first step to surrogacy is actually deciding that it is the best choice for you and your needs. The obvious thought here is that if you struggle to get pregnant, you may need to consider surrogacy. But it goes beyond that.
Surrogacy is a viable option for those who struggle to conceive a child as well as those who have difficulties during the pregnancy itself due to health related issues. Surrogacy itself may seem like a risk, but those days are gone. Today, numerous legal steps are taken to ensure that intended parents as well as the surrogate mother are fully protected, something that lets parents make the decision with full confidence.
With that in mind, the easy answer is that if you struggle to have a child and dream of being a parent, surrogacy is something to look into. But what does the process involve? It can be a long journey, but the initial steps get things going very quickly and before you know it, your baby will be on the way.
The First Steps To Surrogacy
Once you understand surrogacy and that it may be an option worth thinking about, the next phase of your journey is to start taking the right steps to doing so. While every couple’s journey is unique, there are several basic steps that will need to be taken. Here’s a look at the first steps you’ll have to take.
- Diagnosis – First, figure out what the specific issue is related to your pregnancy. This way you are able to explain it to the surrogacy center, who can then help determine the right kind of IVF procedure to use to ensure that you have the best possible outcome from your surrogacy. Different methods are used depending on the infertility issue, so learning more about yours is always the first step.
- Education – The next step is to do what you’re doing right now – learn more about the process. Today’s surrogacy centers use legal protection to keep all involved in surrogacy safe, and the gestational mother will be required to follow protocols for checkups, ongoing care, and more. This way you are able to go into the surrogacy process fully confident and comfortable.
- Schedule Your Visit – Your first visit to the surrogacy center can be nerve-wracking. But the professionals on staff will help you through it. During your initial meeting you’ll talk about your problems and your goals, and be given a clear breakdown of what to expect from the entire process. This is also where any additional factors will need to be discussed. For example, when using surrogacy in the Ukraine, you’ll have to ensure that one parent is able to be biologically related to the child in order for them to be considered a US citizen.
- Legal Paperwork – Next comes the legal paperwork. This is where you’ll need to provide information related to your surrogacy and sign the appropriate forms. Documents here have two main goals – to protect the health and wellbeing of the gestational mother including guaranteeing her financial compensation, and to protect your rights as the intended parents. With today’s surrogacies, the gestational mother has no rights to the child after it is born. All rights go to the intended parents. These documents help ensure that this is the case.
- Donations – Next will come the donation of the biological materials needed for the artificial insemination. This may mean harvesting eggs as well as sperm. Both are placed into storage and then eventually used to create a viable embryo. From here, you’ll be given routine updates and information regarding how the rest of the process is going. You may even meet the surrogate mother depending on the situation.
After you complete these basic initial steps, you’ll be well on your way to surrogacy. It’s a rewarding process and one that modern medicine and legal steps have made much more fulfilling and much more comfortable. The steps above are just the beginning of a journey that will end with you finally being the parents you’ve dreamed of being.