5 Reasons to Become a Surrogate [The Joys of Surrogacy]

At the heart of the decision to become a surrogate is the altruistic desire to help a hopeful couple or person have the family they have always dreamed of having. But this is just one of the many reasons to become a surrogate.

To get more information on the benefits of surrogacy, contact a surrogacy professional today.

So, is surrogacy a good option for you? While wanting to help intended parents have a child that is biologically theirs is an important motivating factor, surrogacy isn’t for everyone. It’s a long, complex process with a lot of requirements and responsibilities.  It’s important that you are confident in why you want to become a surrogate.

It’s important that you have an informed understanding of what the surrogacy process entails and that you are confident in your reasons to become a surrogate. In the article below we’ve compiled seven reasons why to become a surrogate.

Why Choose Surrogacy? [5 Reasons]

Choosing to become a surrogate is a brave decision. Your reasons for surrogacy are likely based on your own values and unique circumstances. There are many reasons why to become a surrogate, and not every gestational carrier’s motivation is the same. Listed below are just a few of the big reasons why women decide to become a surrogate.

1. You Help a Couple or Person Have a Child of their Own

The biggest answer to the question, “Why surrogacy?” is the desire to help people.

There are many reasons why intended parents might be seeking out a surrogate to help them start their family. They might be a couple who has been struggling with the pain of infertility, a single person who doesn’t want to wait to have a child or an LGBT couple who want to have a child that is biologically theirs. For those pursuing surrogacy, having a child of their own means the world to them.

By becoming a surrogate, you get to be the catalyst between them and their dream of having a family.

“Once you put yourself in somebody’s else’s shoes, there’s really no turning back; once you see the struggle and the pain, and you wish you could just help everybody,” Megan said. “I said to [my husband], ‘If we couldn’t have children, what would you want? What would you want somebody else to do for us?’”

You are giving a person or couple the ultimate gift of a child that they’ll be able to shower with love. Once you see the look of pure joy on their faces when they see their baby for the first time, you’ll understand what it truly means to be a surrogate.

2. You Get to be Pregnant

If you qualify to be a surrogate, then you have already experienced pregnancy and have had a child or children of your own. For many gestational carriers, a big reason why to become a surrogate is the joy of being pregnant.

For Jenna, one of the first things that came to mind was that she really enjoyed being pregnant.

“I have three little boys of my own, and I always had good pregnancies, easy pregnancies,” she said. “I enjoy being pregnant. So, when we knew that we were done having kids of our own, I was a little sad that I couldn’t be pregnant anymore. My husband actually brought up the idea of being a surrogate.”

You might miss that pregnancy “glow” or just the intimate feeling of growing new life in your body. If you’re confident that your family is complete but you miss being pregnant, surrogacy could be the perfect solution. You get to experience pregnancy again without the responsibility of having another child.

3. You Will be Compensated

One of the biggest benefits you will enjoy as a surrogate is the compensation. While this should never be only the reason to become a surrogate, we understand how important it is to feel valued for the amazing service you are providing.

“When I started the process, I always thought, well, I could probably do it without compensation. I just really want to do this,” said Codi. “However, I think it’s important, now that I’ve gone through it, to say it was very valuable. The compensation made it feel like I was I was valued in that sense.”

As a surrogate, you will be compensated in base pay and a monthly allowance. You will receive your base pay in monthly installments once a pregnancy is confirmed.

How much you will receive will depend on the agency you work with and your own set of circumstances. This money is yours to spend however you want. You will also receive a monthly allowance that will go towards reimbursing you for any surrogacy and pregnancy-related expenses.

4. You Form a Close Bond with the Intended Parents

If you ask other surrogates, “Why choose surrogacy?” a common answer you’ll hear is the bond they will form with the intended parents.

Surrogacy is an experience that will bond you with the intended parents forever. The relationship between a gestational carrier and the intended parents is an intimate one, and is unlike any other. Many surrogates will tell you that during the matching process, you’ll just feel it in your gut when you find the intended parents who are a perfect match for you.

“You get your baby kisses and smooches, and I get to love on [the intended parents] Lindsey and Shiloh, too,” Megan said. “I didn’t just have babies for somebody else; I gained an entire family through the whole process…It was the most rewarding thing in the entire world. I would do it all over again.”

If you don’t feel comfortable with the person or couple you’re carrying for, this can make for a difficult surrogacy process. That’s why it’s so important that you feel confident in the integrity of the relationship between you and the intended parent(s). With the right match, this is a relationship that can last a lifetime.

5. You will Have the Help of a Surrogacy Professional

Whether you’re a first-time surrogate or you’re on your second or third surrogacy experience, you never have to go through this process on your own. There are reputable surrogacy agencies out there who are waiting to help you make intended parents’ dream come true.

Your surrogacy agency will be able to:

• Connect you with legal professionals
• Provide you with counseling and guidance
• Provide matching services
• Help establish a communication arrangement
• And more

Your surrogacy agency will be there for you every step of the way to act as a lifeline and a mediator throughout your surrogacy process.

These are just a few of the reasons for surrogacy. To get more information about why to become a surrogate or to begin your journey today, contact a professional now.