A surrogate mother is a woman who carries another woman's baby through pregnancy and childbirth. When the child is born, he is given to the intended parent or parents to raise. The exact steps to take to become a surrogate mother may depend on the state in which you and the intended parents reside, as state laws vary. A traditional surrogacy is when the surrogate mother is inseminated with the intended father's semen, and the baby is biologically hers. In a gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother is implanted with an embryo made of the intended parents' egg and sperm through in vitro fertilization. In this instance the surrogate mother is not biologically related to the child.
Step 1
Meet with a counselor at a surrogacy agency. The counselor will answer questions, discuss the reality of surrogacy with you, and determine whether you are eligible to proceed with the surrogacy. She may also invite you to join a support group for surrogate parents.
Step 2
Fill out all applicable paperwork. According to the Center for Surrogate Parenting, this may include a health history, permission for a background and criminal check and health insurance documentation.
Step 3
Complete all medical testing required by the agency. This testing will include a physical exam, blood tests and tests for infectious diseases, according to Surrogacy Solutions. This is to protect your health as well as the health of the baby.
Step 4
Review profiles of hopeful intended parents and choose whom you would like to carry a baby for. Once you make a final decision, you will be given a contract to sign. This contract will spell out the terms of the surrogacy, including the financial compensation.
Step 5
Take all fertility drugs, injections and medications required, and go through the fertilization process. According to Surrogacy Solutions, the process can take from one to three months or longer, depending on whether you choose to be artificially inseminated or to go through in vitro fertilization.
Step 6
Remain in contact with the intended parents throughout the pregnancy. The Center for Surrogate Parenting states that most of the time, intended parents attend some prenatal appointments as well as the second trimester ultrasound.
Step 7
Say goodbye to the baby that you carried and give him to his intended parents after you give birth. In many cases, the surrogate parents remain in contact with the intended parents as the child grows.
Tips and Warnings
- A support group can be helpful and necessary after your surrogacy experience. The other members can help you work through the many emotions that go along with being a surrogate parent.
Things You'll Need
- Surrogacy agency
- Fertility drugs
