Have you ever had to ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar in order to make the perfect cookie? Sometimes, when having children, we are in need of borrowing that cup of sugar. What are some of the ingredients that may be inhibiting you from creating your family?
Many hopeful parents – known as “intended parent(s)” – struggle to conceive or sustain a healthy pregnancy. This can happen for a variety of different reasons. For these couples, gestational surrogacy is a great option and offers them a second chance at parenthood.
If this situation applies to you, Adoption Choices of Oklahoma can help! We’ll help you find the best recipe, so that you can have the family you’ve always dreamed of.
Same-Sex couples
For a same-sex couple, gestational surrogacy is a great option! You are still able to be part of the pregnancy process, from seeing the physical changes of your gestational carrier to hearing the first heartbeat of your baby through the magic of ultrasound technology. The biggest difference for a same-sex couple is deciding whose egg and sperm will be used, respectively.
Celebrities, like Neil Patrick Harris and his partner, have brought to light the many benefits of gestational surrogacy, and how several people are using this family planning method in today’s society. Through gestational surrogacy and an egg donor, their gestational carrier was implanted with two eggs – one with Harris’ sperm and the other with his partners’. The couple now has two amazing twin boys.
Age
Okay, let’s get it out there. Aging is not a reality that any woman wants to face. Unfortunately, women around the age of forty see a significant drop in conceiving naturally. This is not to say that the minute you turn forty you won’t be able to become pregnant. But age does play a big factor in building your family. Pregnancy is a physical and emotional challenge by itself, and it affects every woman differently. It’s important to discuss any questions or concerns you have regarding your health risks or medical history with your doctor or fertility specialist. They will be the best resource when it comes to this aspect of your pregnancy journey.
Sometimes time can be disadvantageous to a woman who dreams of having a family. Especially when careers and living expenses are forcing them to have children later on in life. But that is where the gift of gestational surrogacy comes in. Age and timing are one of the top reasons to consider gestational surrogacy as a way for you to have a family.
Personal Decision
Judgment from your friends and family – and even complete strangers – is a difficult pill to swallow. Especially when it comes to infertility, miscarriages and pregnancy complications. For this reason, many intended parents choose not to discuss their decision to use gestational surrogacy, unless it’s with a select trusted few that have pledged to support them through the ups and downs of the process.
Choosing gestational surrogacy is an extremely personal decision, and all intended parents have their own reasons to consider gestational surrogacy. Many times, the decision-making process comes after tragedy. Intended parent(s) experience grief and loss when they learn they can’t have children the way they want. This can be devastating for women who wanted to experience pregnancy. The beauty of gestational surrogacy is that the intended parent(s) who want to have a child who shares a genetic connection to them can do that.
If this sounds like you, it’s important to surround yourself with friends and family who will be supportive of your decision. No one can make that decision for you. You may encounter adversity with your choice, but that’s ok. This is about your happiness and your family.
Medical or Health Conditions
Other reasons to consider gestational surrogacy may involve medical or health conditions that make pregnancy challenging to impossible. For instance, if a woman has had a hysterectomy, conceiving a child is no longer an option. Additional issues can include, but are not limited to:
- Congenital uterine abnormalities
- Heart disease
- Kidney issues
- Diabetes
Having an open and honest relationship with your doctor or fertility specialist will be your best resource in cases like this. Ask them any and all questions you have regarding gestational surrogacy, and don’t hesitate to highlight any concerns you have with the process.
Reasons to Consider Gestational Surrogacy
One day, when you have your own child, it won’t matter where you had to borrow that cup of sugar. The details of gestational surrogacy will fade into the background, and all that will matter is your baby. When you look into your child’s eyes, you will know that he or she was worth all the struggle you had to endure.
When you and your partner are ready to start a family, just remember that there is no “right way” to gather all the ingredients. Adoption Choices of Oklahoma will support you and walk with you every step of the way.
Adoption Choices of Oklahoma
Adoption Choices of Oklahoma is a private adoption agency, licensed by the state of Oklahoma and leader in the adoption community. We have been assisting birth parents, children, and adoptive families in Oklahoma for over 19 years. Our staff members are committed to providing an ethical, empowering, and personalized adoption experience to all involved in the adoption process. If you are currently in the process of adopting a baby and have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us. You may visit our website here or call 405-794-7500 (Oklahoma City) or 918-982-6220 (Tulsa).
Support Adoption Choices
Adoption Choices, Inc. is partnering with Crowdrise, a fundraising website for nonprofits, to help our adoptive parents and birth parents with much needed financial assistance. We understand that expenses keep clients from fulfilling their dreams. Both with birth parents making a plan for adoption, and with adoptive parents growing their family. It is our mission to provide financial assistance through grants and scholarships, awarded annually in November, in honor of National Adoption Month. Funds assist adoptive parents with matching and placements, adoption finalization and helping birth mothers improve their lives through higher education — and much more.
However, we can’t do it alone. Please read up on our programs and donate money where you are able. Your donation will make a huge impact.
About the Author
Ashley Johnson is an Editorial Intern from Pendroy, Montana. She writes a weekly lifestyle blog which includes adoption and surrogacy. Before starting at Adoption Choices, Inc., Ashley worked for six years as a legal clerk for a judge in Montana. She has decided to go back to college to finish her degree in Communications in hopes of pursuing her passion for writing. Ashley is excited to share her experience with adoption as well as being able to bring a rural outlook on adoption and surrogacy.
In her spare time, Ashley enjoys working on her family ranch with her husband and two children, coaching high school basketball and settling in.
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Sources:
Colorado Surrogacy FAQ | Virginia Frank, Adoption & Surrogacy Attorney. (2020). Retrieved 09 March 2020, from https://www.virginiafrank.com/surrogacy/surrogacy-faq/
LGBT Parenting. (2020). Retrieved 10 March 2020, from https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbt-rights/lgbt-parenting
WebMD. 2020. What Is Surrogacy And How Does It Work?.: <https://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/using-surrogate-mother#1> [Accessed 09 March 2020].
