Pursuing surrogacy can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. You’ll have a lot of decisions to make as you navigate the process, each one having serious ramifications for you and your child. With that in mind, you need to be careful as you move through the surrogacy process, starting with choosing who will serve as your surrogate.
Truth be told, there are far more people out there in need of a surrogate than there are actual surrogates. As a result, you might be tempted to accept the first potential surrogate you find. But moving too quickly could be a bad decision for you and your family. That’s why in this post we want to look at some factors that you’ll want to consider as you choose the surrogate that’s right for you.
Top considerations when choosing a surrogate
Choosing a surrogate can be tough. And you might be so excited to have a child that you gloss over some less favorable characteristics. Before you start developing a surrogacy agreement, though, you’ll want to analyze the following characteristics to ensure you’ve found a good match:
- Overall health: You want a surrogate who generally has a clean bill of health. This will decrease the risk of pregnancy complications, and it’ll maximize the probability that your child will be born healthy and avoid genetically inherited conditions. Also, don’t overlook the surrogate’s mental health. You want them to be healthy post-partum, and you want to be aware if your child is at risk of developing any mental health-related condition. Be thorough as you analyze a potential surrogate’s health history, as overall health is likely the most important characteristic in the process.
- Location: If you want to visit with your surrogate and attend medical appointments on a regular basis, then you’ll need to find a surrogate who is easy to access. While you might be able to find one in Southern California, the right match may be elsewhere. Consider what flights to visit your surrogate will look like and their cost, and consider potential surrogates’ willingness to allow you to visit and to keep in touch by phone, email, and video calls.
- After birth expectations: Some surrogates want to remain involved in the child’s life. Others don’t prefer that. What do you want? You need to make sure that your vision of the surrogate’s involvement, if any at all, matches that of your surrogate. Otherwise, you may never be able to reach a surrogacy agreement, or you could be headed for conflict later down the road.
- Support system: Although not critically important, it can be reassuring to know that your surrogate has a support system to help them through the process. This can help reduce the amount of stress the surrogate experiences during the pregnancy, which could have a direct impact on your child. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about this as you consider potential surrogates.
- Communication Compatibility: Clear and compatible communication between intended parents and surrogates is vital. It ensures expectations are met and supports a positive surrogacy journey. Establishing preferred communication methods and updating frequencies early on fosters trust and effectively navigates the emotional aspects of surrogacy.
- Insurance Matters: Appropriate insurance for the surrogate is crucial to cover medical expenses and protect against financial risks. Intended parents should ensure the surrogate’s policy covers surrogacy-related care and consider additional surrogacy-specific insurance to fill any gaps. Early clarification on handling insurance claims and responsibilities can prevent financial uncertainties.
Be diligent as you navigate the surrogacy process
There’s a lot to think about as you navigate the surrogacy process. It can therefore be easy to overlook something seemingly small but that ends up having a massive impact on you and your child. That’s why it’s a good idea to walk through the process with your attorney. By doing so, you’ll hopefully put your mind at ease knowing that you’ve that you’ve done everything you can to make the process as smooth, healthy, and beneficial as possible.
