Why Do Intended Parents Choose Surrogacy?

For many families, choosing to have a baby is only the beginning of a longer journey. With the rise in fertility complications and a better understanding of contributing health factors, traditional pregnancy can be quite complex. Additionally, the image of the modern family is growing and shifting, offering LGBT couples, single parents and older families the opportunity to have biological children of their own. No matter the reason, gestational surrogacy opens the door to hopeful intended parents of all kinds.
Today, utilizing the help of a surrogate mother and surrogate agency is quite common across the US. According to the CDC, gestational surrogacy is significantly taking off, helping more families have a child each year. Surrogacy is also becoming more commonplace in the news, and therefore spreading the word and normalizing the helpful process.
But how does surrogacy work, and why do parents choose surrogacy over other methods like IVF or adoption? When traditional conception is not an option, doctors can combine the genetic material of either one or both of the intended parents through the process of IVF. Single parents and same-sex couples use egg or sperm donation as part of their procedure. In the case of gestational surrogacy, a surrogate mother carries the child, even though the baby is related to one or both of the parents. Though laws vary from state to state, many states like Texas are strongly supportive of parents seeking gestational surrogacy.
When intended parents choose surrogacy, they become part of a larger community. With the support of a surrogacy agency, a trained team of surrogacy and legal professionals guide each intended parent through the medical, psychological and financial stages of the journey together. In this way, surrogacy utilizes the whole village to build a new family.
Below are just a few of the main reasons intended parents choose surrogacy and how the process works for them.

Health and Fertility Concerns

Couples often discover uterine or other fertility issues after trying to naturally conceive. A surprising 12% of women between 15 and 44 have used some form of fertility services in the US. The disappointment, frustration and high cost of working through fertility complications is a common part of today’s world. The conversation around infertility and the toll it takes on families is becoming more normalized, allowing couples to find more options and a greater community.
Outside of fertility complications, issues like heart or kidney disease are also a concern for safely carrying a child to term. In some cases, certain chronic illnesses can risk the health of the baby or mother. Health problems in the past, such as cancer, can also complicate traditional pregnancy.
Couples will commonly try several rounds of IVF before considering other options. Since each round is incredibly costly, many families will reach a point where they must decide the financial and emotional risk of attempting the process again. When surrogacy is an option, parents can make a choice that makes the most sense for their bodies and circumstances.
When intended parents face health issues, they’re often more familiar with the IVF process, making gestational surrogacy a bit easier to understand. Though they won’t be able to carry the baby in the traditional sense, the chance to be related to the child and present for the whole term is a gift otherwise unattainable.

LGBTQ Couples

Surrogacy allows gay and lesbian couples to build loving families with children of their own. LGBT families will often use the assistance of a sperm or egg donor so that at least one parent can be genetically related to the child. In some cases, such as in couples with two fathers, both men will donate sperm and choose not to learn which side of the couple is technically related to the baby. Lesbian couples turn to surrogacy when fertility or health issues keep them from carrying a child on their own.
In the exact same process as heterosexual couples, gay and lesbian intended parents are matched through the surrogacy agency database. If both parties are open to this, the surrogate mother often becomes a large part of the intended parent’s journey, even staying in close contact after the baby is born. Certain women are particularly drawn to becoming a surrogate mother in order to help gay and lesbian families build a family.
As is the case with surrogacy in general, legal details still vary depending on your state. When you work with an agency such as Simple Surrogacy, each intended parent is assigned to an associated legal team to help clarify each step of the process.

Older Intended Parents

Couples and individuals alike are having children later in life. Studied have found that a significantly greater number of women having their first child after 35 compared to 20 years ago. Since fertility issues rise as both women and men get older, some couples are unable to have children without assistance after a certain point. Still, waiting to have a child allows parents to find financial stability, further develop their relationships and buy a home. This rise in first-time parenting age also means that more people are turning to different methods for building their families.

Single Men and Single Women

As we continue to expand our views of family life, more and more single adults are choosing to become parents without a partner. This allows the freedom to become a parent when they feel it is best for them, without waiting to meet the right person. Single men can have a child with the help of an egg donor and a surrogate mother. Single women with fertility complications find surrogacy a solution for them with the help of a sperm donor.
In most states, single men or women can work with an agency and gestational surrogate mother to have a child of their own, but laws  regarding pre- or post- birth rights to the child vary. Choosing an Agency experienced in single parent surrogacy is key to choosing the right state for your Gestational Surrogate to deliver in to ensure your rights to the child. Having a strong support system in your community and a stable home is always a large part of the intended parent application process. Simple Surrogacy never discriminates based on marital status.

Being a Part of the Whole Pregnancy

With options like adoption, why choose surrogacy? In general, this is simply a personal choice made by each couple based on where they are in their lives. Many see gestational surrogacy as an opportunity to remain biologically related to the child despite an inability to carry the child. Additionally, intended parents can remain involved in the entire process, from conception to birth. The application and matching process allows intended parents and surrogates to make a personal connection and find someone that they connect with when making this huge step. In some cases of an open surrogate arrangement, couples remain close with their surrogate mother as the child gets older. For these reasons, surrogacy can mirror the excitement and progression of a traditional pregnancy.
For generations, singles, same-sex couples or those experiencing problems with health and fertility mourned the possibility of having a biological child. Today’s modern medical options and state regulations allow for families to expand no matter the restrictions of the past. Having a child through surrogacy is still a large emotional and financial decision. Even with its growing popularity, many people misunderstand why intended parents are called to surrogacy. Overall, having a beautiful baby of their own is always the unifying reason that families go this route. Surrogacy agencies are there from beginning to end, to help each intended parent understand surrogacy and all the exciting stages to come.