For intended parents (IPs), the beginning of the surrogacy journey can be exciting and overwhelming. There is a lot to look forward to but also many aspects of the process to navigate. IPs naturally have a lot of questions, and our goal as an agency is to provide you with education and guidance so you know what to expect at every step of the journey. A good place to start is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section on our website and our step by step guide outlines the surrogacy process. Below we address some of the more in-depth and personal questions we receive from IPs.
How long does it take to match a surrogate? This depends on several factors, including any specific criteria you have and whether this is your first child or whether you are expanding your family. We tell IPs that, on average, it takes six to nine months to match a successor. For some IPs, the matching process is faster, and for others it may take a little longer.
We understand that you’re probably eager to get matched and start your journey, but it’s important that we’re up front and help manage expectations from the start. The match process should not be rushed. It’s important to match you with the right candidate – one with whom you feel comfortable and excited to travel with. After all, you choose the person who will help you create your family. We often feature IPs on our blog and social media platforms to share their stories with our surrogate community, which often results in faster match times. If you are interested in sharing your story, please contact Barette Best at Barette@CreateAHappyFamily.com.
How can we participate in pregnancy? IPs often share with us that the hardest part about surrogacy is the loss of control they feel at not being able to carry a baby themselves or not being able to support their partner through pregnancy. The good news is that there are many ways for IPs to feel connected to pregnancy. You can attend OB appointments with your surrogate to listen to your baby’s heartbeat and see sonograms. You can record messages for your baby or record yourself reading a book to your baby, and your surrogate can play the recordings using BellyBuds speakers so your baby can recognize your voice. Some IPs even create lullaby playlists for their babies. Later in the pregnancy, you can ask your surrogate to take videos of the baby moving and send them to you.
Deciding how involved you want to be in the pregnancy is a personal decision. This is something we encourage IPs and surrogates to discuss at the beginning of the journey to ensure everyone is on the same page. Most surrogates welcome the involvement of IPs and want to do everything they can to help IPs feel connected to the pregnancy. Please know that your wishes and comfort level will be respected, and we will always be here to advocate for you.
What happens on the day of delivery? The day of delivery is the day you’ve been waiting for when you finally get to see your long-awaited child! Throughout your journey, our team at Surrogate Solutions will work behind the scenes to coordinate with your surrogate physician and hospital staff to help ensure everything runs smoothly on delivery day. This includes arranging a hospital tour for you and your surrogate, sending legal paperwork to the hospital, connecting with labor and delivery at the hospital to confirm that the medical staff understands the special considerations. consideration required for a surrogate birth, and facilitating discussions about childbirth. plan. Although certainly not required, bringing treats or gift baskets with hair ties, pens, lotions, etc. for the nursing staff on the day of delivery can go a long way in making nurses feel valued (and they’ll probably take special care of you and your surrogate as a result!).
Most IPs are present at delivery, and you can choose to be with your surrogate throughout her birth. You’ll be assigned your own hospital room, so once the baby is born, you’ll have time alone as a family to bond. Please see our recent blog post – “IPs Questions About Delivery Day” – for more information about what to expect and how to plan accordingly.
Should I get a gift for my successor? Again, although not required, IPs often want to show their appreciation to their successor by giving him a gift. Gifts can be practical (housekeeping services, food delivery or gift cards), pampering (massage, mani/pedi or gift basket with cozy items) or jewelry (photo session or jewelry). You can find more ideas here. Any gift you give your successor will be greatly appreciated!
Our team at Surrogate Solutions is honored to support you throughout your parenting journey. We’re here to answer any and all questions! Please contact anytime at Info@CreateAHappyFamily.com.
We help Intended Parents Create a Happy Family through Egg donation and Surrogacytogether
the help of caring Egg Donors and Alternates.
Learn More, Surrogacy Costs, Why use an agency, How we are different,
Finding the right carrier, Getting Started
