Intended Parents
Are you and your partner unable to conceive or carry a child of your own? Are you ready to complete your family with a baby to love? If so, you’ve found the agency that’s ready to help you become an intended parent through surrogacy.
At Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, we are passionate about every aspect of pregnancy. We understand that families who are unable to conceive have been dealing with enormous hardships—whether those take the form of struggles with fertility or the loss of a child at any point in a pregnancy.
Whether you are part of a family that has longed for a baby for years or simply someone who is interested in exploring surrogacy as an option, our counselors will be by your side every step of the way. Before you make the decision to move forward with surrogacy, however, it’s critical that you educate yourself about every aspect of the process of becoming an intended parent through surrogacy.
Perhaps most importantly, you need to be sure that you’re ready to become a parent. It’s not uncommon for intended parents to be overwhelmed once they finally bring their baby home. You can discuss any concerns in this area with your counselor—just know that having these doubts is completely normal and does not necessarily mean that you’re unprepared to be a parent.
If you’re ready to become a parent through surrogacy, read on for more information about Baby Steps and the surrogacy process.
Which Type of Surrogacy Will Work for You?
If you’re considering using surrogacy to become a parent, you’ll need to learn about the different surrogacy options that will be available to you. There are two primary types of surrogacy: traditional surrogacy and gestational surrogacy. Read on to learn more about these options and how they might work for you.
Traditional Surrogacy and Intended Parents
In a traditional surrogacy arrangement, the surrogate mother will undergo intrauterine insemination (IUI) with the sperm of the intended father or a donor. In this form of surrogacy, the surrogate mother will use her own egg and be the biological mother of the child she is carrying.
Typically, same-sex couples and women who do not have viable eggs will be interested in this form of surrogacy. There are many benefits of a traditional surrogacy arrangement. This form of surrogacy is often much more cost-effective because the surrogate mother will not need to undergo extensive medical procedures to become pregnant.
However, because the surrogate mother will be the biological parent of the baby, she may have parental rights over the baby once he or she is born—depending on which U.S. state you’re in. We may need to take steps to terminate her parental rights. These details will be discussed in your surrogacy contract.
Gestational Surrogacy and Intended Parents
Gestational surrogacy is when the surrogate mother uses in vitro fertilization (IVF) to become pregnant. The intended parents can provide their own sperm and eggs or use donor sperm and eggs to be fertilized. Once this is done, the embryo will be implanted in the surrogate mother and, hopefully, she will become pregnant.
Heterosexual couples and women who can produce healthy eggs but are unable to safely carry a child to term are often more likely to choose gestational surrogacy, as they have the option of being the biological parents of the baby.
Although gestational surrogacy is often more expensive than traditional surrogacy, many couples who choose this form of surrogacy are willing to cover these costs to be the genetic parents of their child.
Matching Intended Parents with Surrogates
Once you’ve decided which form of surrogacy you are interested in as an intended parent, we can move forward with the matching process. We carefully screen potential surrogate mothers for mental health conditions, physical and emotional health, criminal history, involvement with Child Protective Services, and a number of other items that could hinder your surrogacy arrangement.
After the surrogates have been properly screened, you’ll be able to review the profiles of a number of potential surrogates who could be the right fit for your family. If you find the surrogate you’ve been looking for, we’ll move forward with the process, introduce you to your surrogate, and begin the journey that will allow you to become a parent through surrogacy.
The Cost of Surrogacy for Intended Parents
You also need to prepare for the financial cost of surrogacy. Depending on which type of surrogacy you choose and your insurance policies, your costs could vary widely.
Your expenses could include any medical procedures your surrogate will need to undergo, the surrogate mother’s base compensation rate (where compensated surrogacy agreements are legal), any costs that the insurance company does not cover, and a number of other expenses that might come up.
Your surrogacy counselor can go over these costs in greater detail during an appointment. We can also discuss financing options and insurance considerations.
Developing Your Surrogacy Contract as an Intended Parent
An important part of your surrogacy arrangement will be your surrogacy contract. The professionals at our international surrogacy agency will go over every aspect of your agreement, including the surrogate mother’s compensation, all legal matters (such as your name being put on your baby’s birth certificate), and what happens if there are complications in childbirth or at any point during the pregnancy.
We’ll also ensure that the surrogate mother’s parental rights are terminated if you’ve chosen to move forward with a traditional surrogacy arrangement. In doing so, we are protecting both your rights as the intended parents and the surrogate mother’s rights as outlined in your contract.
Intended Parents Surrogacy FAQ
Surrogacy can be quite complicated. We will need to address many legal, financial, and emotional details before you can begin the process. Even then, you might still have some questions. This is why we’ve included a few of the most common questions our clients have had below.
How do you screen surrogate mothers?
Potential surrogates fill out an application that covers several criteria. Some of these include having a healthy body mass index, abstaining from illegal substances, and already having carried and delivered a child safely with no complications, among others. Other screening includes background checks and psychological evaluations to make sure the surrogate mother is capable of going through surrogacy without developing an inappropriate emotional connection to your baby.
Are there financing opportunities for intended parents?
Yes, there are many surrogacy financing options, which we will be able to review during your first appointment. These financing options may not be available to everyone in every financial situation, so it’s important to take an in-depth look at every available option.
Will the intended parents’ names be on the baby’s birth certificate?
When we develop your surrogacy contract, we can seek what’s known as a pre-birth order. This court-issued pre-birth order will state that the intended parent or parents will be named on the child’s birth certificate. This will allow you to focus on the joy of your newborn rather than the technicalities of your surrogacy arrangement.
Helping Intended Parents Through the Surrogacy Process
After you’ve reviewed all of the aspects of surrogacy, educated yourself about what you should expect, and decided that surrogacy is right for you, it’s time to make the call. When you contact Baby Steps Surrogacy Center, we’ll set up your first appointment with your surrogacy counselor.
At your first appointment, you can discuss which type of surrogacy arrangement you’re interested in, ask questions, and finally be on your way to becoming an intended parent through surrogacy. You can schedule your initial consultation with us today by filling out the contact form we’ve provided below or by calling our office directly at 412-281-9906.