Sharing and Documenting your Surrogacy Journey

Being a surrogate for intended parents is one of the most caring and loving gifts you can give someone. For couples not able to have their own children, surrogacy is an amazing journey that allows them to have their own family.
The journey of surrogacy is wonderful, filled with up and downs, joys and uncertainty – with the last day in the journey being the birth of a beautiful baby that is being welcomed into the arms of intended parents who can’t wait to begin their own story as a family.
One of the ways that you can celebrate being a surrogate and share your story is by documenting your experience. Sharing your journey is a nice gift for the intended parents, a way for them to be a part of the pregnancy every step of the way. It’s also a great way for you to share the process of being a surrogate with your own family and friends, and to spread awareness about surrogacy with others who don’t know a lot about the process.
Here are some of the ways you can share and document your surrogacy journey.

Before You Document

Before you start sharing, talk to the intended parents about your intentions. You want them to be onboard with your sharing, otherwise you may have to anonymously document your surrogate pregnancy. Determine how much everyone is comfortable sharing – this is the intended parent’s story as much as it is yours.

Online Blogging

There are several online blogs written by surrogate mothers. Writing a blog is a great way to reach people who are looking for information about being a surrogate, including family and friends. You’ll be able to write and share about what you’re going through, writing from your own personal point of view. Your experience as a surrogate can provide other women who are considering being a surrogate with an opportunity to see first hand what they can expect. Creating a surrogacy blog is also a nice way for the intended parents to feel involved with their pregnancy if you should choose to share with them in this way. You can share as much or as little as you want, writing daily or weekly about your thoughts and feelings through the surrogacy process.

Connect with Social Media

One of the best ways to reach a lot of people at the same time is to use one of the many social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Social media allows people to search for specific topics, so anyone looking for personal information about surrogacy will easily be able to find you. As with blogging, you can share as much or as little as you’re comfortable with. This can include simple daily personal postings or be as intimate and detailed as sharing photos and videos. Or you may choose to anonymously share information about what surrogacy is all about and what it means to everyone involved.

Online Forums and Support Groups

Joining an online forum and support group for surrogates allows you to be involved in a community with a shared interest. You’ll be able to communicate and share with other surrogates and intended parents what you’re going through. Many surrogates turn to online support groups to get answers to questions and concerns they can’t get anywhere else. You can participate as much or as little as you like. Some online groups allow you to build your own profile for other members to find out who you are. This can be a nice opportunity to share your story and photos of your surrogacy journey.

Photo and Video Diary

A photo and video diary of your pregnancy is something you can share online or just keep for yourself as documentation of your experience as a surrogate. Take photos of your growing belly during the pregnancy and record your thoughts and emotions through the journey talking about your feelings about embryo transfer to the ups and downs of the stages of your pregnancy. If they’re interested and you’re comfortable sharing, consider providing the intended parents with a copy of your photo/video diary – this may be something they want to keep for the baby when questions come up in the future about where they came from.

Surrogacy Journal

Good old fashioned handwriting is another great way to document your surrogacy experience. This can be something you do just for yourself, writing down the high and low points of the pregnancy as you go through the surrogacy process. Journaling allows you to stay in touch with what you’re going through. As a surrogate you face challenges that other expectant mothers won’t be experiencing. If you decide to be a surrogate a second time, referencing your own journal can help you see the bright light at the end of the tunnel on those days when you’re not feeling your best.

Memory Book

A memory book is one way you can share your surrogacy journey with the child that you’re going to give birth to. Before you start a memory book, talk to the intended parents about your interest in sharing and to find out if they’re okay with you keeping a journal for the baby. When they’re old enough, a memory book can help your surrogate child understand where they came from and how they got here. Include photos such as ultrasound pictures and shots of your growing stomach each month. Or perhaps you want to write letters that share your excitement about being a surrogate and how much joy you wish for them with their family. A memory book can have a positive impact for your surrogate child, so they understand the amazing way they came to be.
Sharing and documenting your surrogacy journey doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. It’s just a way for you to keep track of this amazing time in your life, sharing information and stories with others so they better understand the surrogacy process.