Top 3 Questions Gestational Surrogates Might Have About OK Surrogacy
If you are a healthy woman who desires to help a couple who is unable to have children of their own start a family, gestational surrogacy is something you should consider. Surrogacy is a unique process that allows couples who struggle with infertility to have a child of their own through the womb of another woman. It is a delicate process that may seem a little scary to a surrogate mother, but here at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma, we want to clear up any confusion that may surround OK surrogacy and explain to you why surrogacy is such a valuable process to pursue.
What is the Gestational Surrogacy Process?
Pregnancy as a surrogate mother is different from a normal pregnancy. Your steps in the surrogacy process will differ from the steps that the parents will take, so it is important to understand your specific duties. To start with, you will be examined to ensure that your body will be able to carry out a smooth pregnancy. Once you have been cleared to continue, you will be matched with a set of parents. Some couples request that their surrogate mother follow a certain diet or make various lifestyle changes for the duration of their pregnancy, but you will have the option to decline or accept these requests. Next, you will travel to the fertility clinic chosen by the parents. A series of medical tests will be performed to ensure you are capable of bearing a child. At this fertility clinic, you will receive the embryo implant through a process called In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF. This step may be repeated numerous times if pregnancy is not reached initially. However, once you become pregnant, you will be able to carry on with your life as normal, providing updates for the expecting parents until it is time to give birth. Of course, after your child is born, they will go home with the parents you were matched with.
Who Can Be a Surrogate Mother?
Not every woman can become a surrogate mother. Other than the desire to help a family in an incredible way, you must also fulfill a set of requirements to ensure you are capable of a smooth pregnancy. Surrogate mothers with Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma must be US citizens and live in the US. Additionally, they must be no younger than 21 and no older than 39. They must have a BMI between 18-31 and cannot be struggling with any mental health issues, such as depression or bipolar disorder. Any medication surrogate mothers are taking must not interfere with pregnancy, and surrogate mothers cannot take any illicit drugs or unprescribed medications. Surrogate mothers must be mothers themselves (with some exceptions) and must have had at least one healthy pregnancy in the past with no subsequent postpartum depression. Additionally, surrogate mothers cannot be alcoholics or smokers and must be free of any sexually transmitted diseases. As a surrogate mother, you must be free from any public assistance, and you must be willing to complete a background check and psychological evaluation. If you fulfill all of these requirements and pass your background check and psychological and medical evaluation, you will be cleared to continue with the surrogacy process. This may seem like a lot of regulations, but at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma, we need to be sure that we are providing each set of parents with a healthy body that will be able to sustain a life relatively uneventfully. In many cases, the parents that approach us searching for a surrogate mother have been through a lot of pain and disappointment on their own fertility journey, and we need to be able to reassure them that the surrogate mother we match them with will be able to sustain a child for the duration of the pregnancy.
Do Surrogate Mothers Receive Compensation?
If you fulfill all the criteria to become a surrogate mother, you may wonder if there is any compensation you will receive if you choose to move forward with the process. The short answer is yes! Compensation for being a surrogate mother varies greatly depending on your circumstances. Please keep in mind that surrogacy should not be considered a steady form of income. Your specific compensation will be agreed upon by you and the intended parents and will be written in an approved contract. Pregnancy is complicated, but surrogacy adds additional complications that may generate some hefty fees. However, if you choose to become a surrogate mother, you don’t need to worry about facing large bills or being unable to support yourself. At Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma, we ensure that all our surrogate mothers are well taken care of.
Start the Surrogacy Process Today
Now that you understand the surrogacy process, if you would like to pursue it, please don’t hesitate to contact Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma to begin the process. We will do our best to answer any additional questions you may have.
Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma is a surrogacy and adoption agency, licensed by the state of Oklahoma and a leader in the community. We assist both intended parents and gestational carriers (surrogates). Our staff members are committed to providing an ethical, empowering, and personalized experience to all involved in the surrogacy process.
Toll-free: 800-898-6028 | OKC Local: 405-755-1999 | Tulsa Local: 918-447-7777 | Text: 405-310-8790 | Email
Meet the Author: Katie Doherty is a junior Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She loves to write, read, and edit, whether it’s technical or creative writing. Although she enjoys writing poetry, narrative nonfiction, and fiction writing, she also loves to write on current political events, cultural trends, and research. She spends her free time listening to music, watching the Great British Bake Off, and learning how to crochet.
