Mark Luigi Dacumos
Why Become a Surrogate Mother?
What would move a person to become a surrogate mother? You may do it because someone you know can’t conceive, and you’d like to make their dream of becoming a mother come true. You may do it because you want to help a perfect stranger achieve that same goal. Lastly, you may want to carry a child for another family to earn extra income.
Regardless of why you want to get involved in surrogacy, know that while it is selfless and noble, it can be quite complicated. As with anything, you should know all the details before jumping into surrogacy, so be prepared to do a lot of research. Right now, we’ll give you a quick background on how it all works.
Steps to Surrogacy
If you think becoming a surrogate mother is as simple as getting pregnant, giving birth, and handing over the baby, think again. While your experience may not follow these steps exactly, here’s what surrogacy usually entails from start to finish:
1. Determining legality.
Before you do anything, you must find out if surrogacy is legal where you live. You can figure this out by contacting a surrogacy agency in your area.
2. Determining eligibility.
Once you find that surrogacy is legal in your state, you can proceed to see if you’re the right candidate. Agencies will differ in terms of their requirements, but they’ll usually analyze you according to several factors, such as:
- Age
- Lifestyle
- Medical history
- Health
- Body mass index
- Previous pregnancies
- Availability for travel
Those are just the initial requirements. Pass those, and you’ll move on to a more in-depth analysis before you can become a surrogate.
3. Applying for surrogacy.
Your application will ask for more details about your health. It could be in an interview format, where you’re asked about why you want to become a surrogate mother too.
4. Taking necessary tests.
Before moving on, you’ll likely need to pass a background check, plus get a mental health evaluation and a physical. Depending on the agency, they may want to visit your home for a study.
5. Picking the agency, plan, and parents.
As you become eligible to be a surrogate, you’ll need to decide which agency you want to work with. You’ll have to pick a surrogacy plan, either traditional or gestational. You’ll also need to pair with parents with whom you’ll share this experience.
6. Legal paperwork.
To make it official, a legal contract must be signed. It will be between you and the intended parents and detail the entire process, payment, responsibilities, child delivery after birth, and any other necessary info.
7. Pregnancy.
Your surrogacy agreement will outline how you’ll get pregnant, which will usually be via IVF (in vitro fertilization) or IUI (intrauterine insemination).
8. Giving birth and delivery.
Once you give birth, the baby will need to be delivered to the intended parents. To ensure this goes smoothly, it will all be outlined in your contract beforehand.
How Much Can You Make Through Surrogacy?
Although the final figure will vary, you could make $50,000 for having a single child. If you have multiples, that can grow by $5,000 to $10,000.
