What Does it Mean to be a Surrogate Mother in Oklahoma?

Men and women across the country long to become parents but struggle with infertility. Some couples are unable to get pregnant; others manage to conceive but lose their children through miscarriages. After many years of trying with no success, they may begin to consider having children through less conventional means.

Adoption Choices of Oklahoma offers gestational surrogacy to couples and individuals who are seeking solutions to their infertility problems. Gestational surrogacy allows these hopeful intended parents to have biological children of their own, all with the help of a surrogate mother.

If you are a woman who is interested in helping another family have children, here is what you’ll need to know to get you started. 

What is a Surrogate Mother?

To begin, a surrogate mother is someone who volunteers her time to carry a baby for someone else. She could be the intended parents’ close friend or relative, or she could be someone they met through a surrogacy agency.

A surrogate mother who carries the intended parents’ baby through gestational surrogacy is also called a gestational surrogate (or a gestational carrier). She has no biological relation to the child she is carrying, as the intended mother’s egg was used in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process.

A Surrogate Mother’s Responsibilities

To be eligible and qualify to become a surrogate mother, there are several responsibilities you must adhere to.

First, women who are interested in becoming surrogate mothers must be honest during the application process. Their intentions must be pure; they should be applying because they genuinely want to help others. They must comply with the agency that performs the necessary evaluations and background checks. Surrogate mothers must cooperate with the intended parents and the surrogacy agency; they must discuss everything prior to the surrogacy.

Second, the surrogate mother is responsible for taking care of herself and the child throughout the pregnancy. She must agree to see an obstetrician regularly (the intended parents will cover all the prenatal care finances). The surrogate mother would also have to stay in touch with the intended parents and fill them in on anything important. To help with this, and if she is comfortable with it, she could consider having the intended parents attend the ultrasound screenings.

Third, the surrogate mother must give the child to the intended parents following the child’s birth. Because the surrogate mother has no biological relation to the child, she has no parental authority over the child.

What Does it Mean to be a Surrogate Mother?

To be a surrogate mother is to give life to a child, to give a family to a couple (or an individual) who is unable to have children through conventional means. Becoming a surrogate mother is a rare and remarkable opportunity. It’s an experience that will have a lasting impact on you and the intended parents you work with.

If you are interested in becoming a surrogate mother through Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma, please don’t hesitate in contacting us.

Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Oklahoma is a surrogacy and adoption agency, licensed by the state of Oklahoma and 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. 

You may visit our website here or call toll-free: 800-898-6028 | OKC Local: 405-755-1999 | Tulsa Local: 918-447-7777
or Text: 405-310-8790 

Meet the Author: Heather Valenzano is an up-and-coming content creator with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a minor in English. After graduating from Iona College in 2019, she got an internship – and then a part-time job – writing blogs and managing social media accounts forHip New Jersey, a lifestyle website owned byLong Shot Productions. She has also produced website and social media content forCommonPage, an external collaboration platform.

When she isn’t working, Heather enjoys watching crime shows like Forensic Filesor posting book reviews toOnlineBookClub.orgunder the username “LavenderLiterature2.”