Understanding Your Surrogacy Choices
Surrogate mothers help complete families and bring new life into the world for parents who cannot biologically carry or conceive their own child. This can include donating your own eggs to be used for the embryo, or you can choose to carry a child for another family. There are a ton of factors to consider before submitting an application to become a surrogate mother or gestational carrier. Are you interested in learning more? Contact us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma for more information! We’d love to help you begin this amazing and life-changing journey.
Understanding Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an umbrella term for traditional surrogacy and gestational carrying. It is important to understand if you choose traditional surrogacy in Oklahoma, you cannot be compensated due to state laws. However, gestational carriers are legally allowed to be compensated.
Traditional surrogacy involves the donation of your own eggs that will be fertilized via an intrauterine procedure by the parent’s sperm or a sperm donor chosen by the parents. You will have a biological connection with the child but will not have any parental rights.
Gestational carriers are women who carry and deliver the baby only. The embryo or embryos are created at the fertility clinics using the parents’ eggs and sperm or donors that are then transferred to your uterus via IVF. You will not have any genetic links with the child through this method.
Surrogate Mother Contracts
Surrogate contracts are implemented whether you choose traditional surrogacy or gestational carrying. There are plenty of things that can be put in the contract if the parents want to place specific rules for the pregnancy. However, most contracts are generic and cover all legal aspects for you and the parents.
What you can expect in a OK surrogacy contract:
• Finances including compensation for carrying, covering medical bills, and/or pregnancy-related expenses such as maternity clothes and extra tests.
• Health risks of pregnancy (this is to show you willingly agreed to get pregnant while knowing pregnancy can cause health problems)
• Pre-decided agreement in relation to termination, multiple pregnancies, and selective reduction.
• Agreement that you will carry the child to full term.
• Agreement that you will take care of yourself and the baby during the pregnancy.
• Pre-birth established parental rights.
There are other discrepancies that can be added to the contract depending on what the intended parents want. However, these contracts are legally binding and are discussed prior to moving forward with any medical procedures.
Options For Surrogate Mothers
As a surrogate mother, you should not be financially responsible for anything regarding the baby. This includes hospital bills, doctor’s bills, testing, ultrasounds, and expenses related to birth. Parents who choose the surrogacy route enter knowing they will be financially responsible for everything related to the pregnancy. There should be no out-of-pocket cost for you at all.
Every awaiting family is different. Some families are perfectly fine, allowing you to control the pregnancy in terms of diet, exercise, and lifestyle because you have already been pregnant before as long as you are choosing a healthy lifestyle, of course. Then there are awaiting parents who want their surrogates to follow specific diets or cut out things like exercise and heavy lifting from the beginning.
When you speak to your surrogate professional, it’s important that you list anything you are uncomfortable with or not willing to do. You are giving your body and time to another family, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow a strict set of rules. However, if you’re totally cool with letting the family dictate pregnancy-related things, you should let your surrogate professional know. Matching families will go a lot smoother when the details are ironed out sooner than later.
You have the option to turn down a potential family prior to signing the contract if you don’t think you make a good fit, even if the family wants you as their surrogate. Don’t feel pressured into anything you’re not okay with!
Parental Rights
You will not have any parental rights to the child. While many awaiting parents opt for pre-birth parental rights in Oklahoma, you do not have any rights to the child regardless. You cannot seek custody of the child either. This may be stated in the contract in order to prove you understood prior to going forward with the surrogacy.
Surrogate Mothers in Oklahoma
Interested in surrogacy? Contact us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma for more information about applications, requirements, and more! We want to offer a support system for women looking into surrogacy or gestational carrying. There are plenty of families waiting for their opportunity to have a child of their own.
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
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