Surrogates: What to Expect Once You Go Into Labor

As an approved and selected Surrogate, you have been through the childbirth process before. You may, however, be wondering what the process will be like as a Surrogate. Many aspects of giving birth will be the same, but it is important to be educated on the specifics of the process that will differ with surrogacy prior to beginning your journey. This time around, you will have another couple or individual (Intended Parents) involved in the process that you most likely didn’t know a little over a year ago.

It is also important to note that every surrogacy journey is different, so there may be slight differences in your process. It is important to speak with your Simple Surrogacy coordinator to ensure you know all of the details of your unique journey. You will work closely with your coordinator to develop a plan for pre-hospital, during your hospital stay, and post-birth before you even match with Intended Parents. Keep reading to learn more about what to expect once you go into labor as a Surrogate!

What Will Happen Before I Go To The Hospital?

Prior to you even being matched with Intended Parents, most of your childbirth experience, including your specific wants and needs, will already be taken into consideration and mapped out. These notes will be included in your profile and play a large part in the Intended parents that you will be matched with. You will work closely with your Simple Surrogacy coordinator to map out your wishes and create your delivery plan. This plan will include items such as:

  • Your preferred hospital
  • What medication that you wish to use during and post-delivery
  • Who will be in the delivery room with you
  • Whether or not you will be breast feeding/pumping milk for the Intended Parents
  • If you will hold the baby after birth and for how long

Of course as with any child birth, there may be unexpected bumps along your journey. Your Simple Surrogacy coordinator will be with you on your journey and can assist in altering your plan with your Intended Parents along the way. The most important thing is ensuring that you are comfortable, stress-free, and that the baby is healthy!

What Will Happen During The Delivery?

When you begin your surrogacy journey with Simple Surrogacy, you will map out a complete delivery plan. This will help you mentally prepare for the day that you will be giving birth. You will work together with your assigned coordinator to develop your ideal plan, but also to plan for unexpected developments and how you would like to handle them if they were to arise. Your Intended Parents will be fully aware of your plan and on board before the surrogacy process even begins.

Most surrogacy arrangements include the Intended Parents being there when you begin to go into labor as well as in the delivery room. This experience is special for all parties involved, so it is important to determine everyone’s wishes before the process begins. Many surrogacy agreements allow the Intended Parents to hold their baby immediately after they are born, cut the umbilical cord, and have that special moment of the first skin-to-skin contact. This helps the Intended Parents bond with their new child.

All of the doctors and nurses will be informed of your surrogacy arrangement well before you go into labor, which will help with ensuring your delivery plan is followed as closely as possible. Your Simple Surrogacy coordinator will also serve as an advocate for you as well as your Intended Parents during this process.

What Will Happen After The Delivery?

After the delivery, you and your Intended Parents will follow your pre-developed post-birth plan. This plan will include whether or not you’d like the Intended Parents to stay in the room after the birth, or whether you want to be in the room with the child at all for the first night. All legal paperwork will be completed prior to the child and yourself being discharged.

Depending on the agreement that you have with your Intended Parents, when you leave the hospital may not be a final goodbye. In some cases, both parties decide that they want to be active in each other’s lives indefinitely. This means that as a surrogate, you would be able to interact with the child for however long your agreement dictates. In other cases, you may opt to only receive updates such as letters and pictures from the Intended Parents about the baby. Other Surrogates decide to not keep the line of communication open at all after the birth of the child. This process is unique to every arrangement and it is therefore important to work with your coordinator to determine the type of relationship that you would like to have with the child and the Intended Parents before the process begins.

It is important to understand that every surrogacy journey is unique and every birth is different! Although you will have developed a solid plan with your Simple Surrogacy coordinator prior to even beginning the process, it is important to understand that not everything about giving birth can be predicted. At Simple Surrogacy, we pride ourselves on being there for our Surrogates and Intended Parents for every step of their journey – no matter the bumps in the road or changes in plans. Our team is available 24/7 to answer any of your questions and help you remain calm and happy throughout your journey. Have a question about becoming a Surrogate? Visit our website or call us at 1-866-41-SURRO today to speak with one of our amazing team members!

Go back

Surrogacy Blog

Load More →

Debunking the Top 5 Common Myths of Surrogacy

Surrogacy is gaining more popularity lately making dreams come true of couples trying to become parents more easily and efficiently than ever before. However, it is still a fairly unfamiliar process with a lot of misinformation that makes the decision…

Lern more →

Unlocking the Secrets to Surrogacy Success

The Key to Surrogacy Success Rates Surrogacy has emerged as a beacon of hope for many struggling with infertility, offering a high rate of success compared to other fertility treatments. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,…

Lern more →

Hormonal Changes from Pregnancy through Postpartum: A Guide for Surrogate Mothers

The Hormonal Journey of Surrogate Pregnancy Becoming a surrogate mother is a profound and rewarding journey, but it's also one filled with significant hormonal changes. From conception through postpartum, your body undergoes a delicate dance orchestrated by various hormones to…

Lern more →

Login as a Surrogate

Login as an Intended Parent

Login as a Donor

Donations - Login as an Intended Parent