When they want to grow their family, many aspiring parents use a surrogate. A surrogate carries a baby to term on behalf of the parents. Upon birth, paperwork is filed to transfer all rights to the parents.

When you are using the help of a surrogate to grow your family, having a good relationship is key. Most surrogates are retained through a private service that makes introductions between surrogates and the prospective parents. There may be several rounds of interviews to get to know each other.

A surrogacy arrangement describes any legal arrangement where a surrogate mother carries a pregnancy on behalf of an intended parent or parents. Surrogacy can take many different forms.

Even if you know someone who has agreed to serve as a surrogate mother for your future child – and even if that person doesn’t reside in your state – it’s still essential to find an attorney you can trust to help you through the process in your home state.

Surrogacy is a long journey for both the Intended Parents and the surrogate mother. It takes much longer than nine months – many  Intended Parents work toward the dream of growing their family for years.

"Should I become a surrogate mother?”  In the end, only you can answer this highly personal question.  But there are certain things you can think about as you make your decision.

Every surrogacy process needs to include a surrogacy contract. The contract lays out the responsibilities and rights of all the parties to the surrogacy. While the idea of a contract can sometimes be intimidating, it is for the best when everyone knows exactly what to expect!

Bonding with a newborn is very important.  Emotional bonding between a child and parent is essential to healthy development. These early bonds are the basis of an infant’s sense of security. Children develop their first instincts about whether their world is safe or unsafe – “approach” or “avoid” – based on parental bonding.  This raises an obvious question: How can you bond with your baby carried by a surrogate?

Surrogate Carriers are chosen based on a number of health criteria that maximize the odds of a healthy, safe, and simple pregnancy. But, like any pregnancy, surrogacy presents possible medical challenges. 

Surrogacy is a complex journey. A successful surrogacy journey takes lots of preparation and may require months of work both before and after the pregnancy.

The journey of adoptive parents and surrogates can be a long and complex one that requires time and attention. The steps involved are usually put into place to help protect the individuals, including the Child. One of the first steps that happen in the surrogacy process is medical clearance. Learn more about what medical clearance is and why it’s necessary through Intended Parent Legal Services.