9 Great Questions for a Surrogate to Ask Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado
Do you have a heart for others? Do you enjoy being pregnant? Does the thought of helping an intended parents’ dream come true get you excited? If you answered yes to any or all of the above questions, then becoming a surrogate may be a great option for you!
Deciding to become a surrogate mother is a courageous and selfless act. Not only are you putting others’ before your own, but you are helping deserving intended parents have a family that they may not be able to have without you. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed or confused at first, as are the many unanswered questions swirling around in your head. It’s hard to know for sure what information is and isn’t reliable — especially if you are solely researching on the internet.
But no need to worry. You’ve come to the right place. Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado is here to help you answer great questions for a surrogate to ask before working with a surrogacy agency.
1. What does it Mean to Be a Surrogate?
If you’re thinking of becoming a surrogate, this is a great question to ask. It’s important that you understand all that being a surrogate entails before making a commitment or entering into an agreement with intended parents.
Put simply, a surrogate is a woman who carries a child for intended parents. Depending on where she lives, her state may have specific requirements that she needs to meet. With our surrogacy agency, we recommend that our surrogate mothers are between the ages of 21 and 39, have a successful pregnancy history, and be parenting at least one child already. This ensures that she is healthy and can carry a baby safely to term.
2. Who are the Intended Parents Who Work with Your Surrogacy Agency?
Similarly, with knowing what it means to be a surrogate, it’s important that you learn all you can about the potential intended parents that you will be working with in the surrogacy journey. If you do not already have intended parents in mind, Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado will help you match with a hopeful couple or individual with who you feel most comfortable with.
Our surrogacy agency helps intended parents who struggle with infertility or other known health issues. We welcome couples and individuals who are married, single, transracial and same sex. Any intended parent who wants to have a family, cannot carry or conceive a child on their own, we are here for them.
3. How would I Become a Surrogate through Your Surrogacy Agency?
You will fill out an online contact form through our surrogacy agency website, and then be scheduled to receive a free consultation. At this initial meeting, you will meet with a surrogacy specialist who will give you all the information and resources you need, then help you determine whether or not you want to sign a surrogacy agreement with us. Your health and safety is our top priority, so we will ensure that you feel comfortable and confident before making a final decision.
After that, you will go through health screenings, which includes a physical exam, background check and psychological evaluation. Finally, you will go through the matching process, where you will be able to interview prospective intended parents and, eventually, help welcome a new life into the world!
4. Why Should I Work with a Surrogacy Agency instead of Independently?
As a surrogate, you have to think about your wellbeing, the wellbeing of the baby you are carrying, and the intended family you are helping. The physical, legal, and emotional process of being a surrogate mother can be too much for one person to handle. An agency like Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado can help alleviate the stress and make the surrogacy process much easier on you.
5. What does the Surrogacy Process Look Like with Your Surrogacy Agency?
You will go through a medical procedure known as “in vitro fertilization” (IVF). This is where the egg and sperm of the intended parents is fertilized in a lab setting, then transferred into you. If either of the intended parents are not able to use their egg and sperm, respectively, donors or egg and sperm banks may be used. But, the important thing to note is that none of your genetic material will be used. Once the embryo has been placed, you will then carry the baby to term.
6. Is the Surrogacy IVF Procedure Safe?
Yes! Our surrogacy agency screens both the intended parents and you to ensure everyone’s safety. You will also have access to our surrogacy counselors, as well as other outside services, if needed, to give you peace of mind.
7. Am I Legally Protected as a Surrogate Mother?
Absolutely! At Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, you will have access to our in-house legal counsel and will have adequate representation. Our agency highly recommends that both you and the intended parents have your own surrogacy lawyer to ensure that everyone’s rights are respected throughout the surrogacy journey.
8. What if I Live in a State Where Surrogacy is Illegal?
This is a very important question to ask! Depending on where you live, state laws regarding surrogacy can vary. So, we encourage you to research your state and its views on gestational surrogacy. However, rest assured, Colorado is a surrogacy-friendly state. You and the intended parents are able to successfully, safely and legally go through the surrogacy journey through us.
9. What Types of Surrogacy does Your Surrogacy Agency Offer?
Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado offers gestational surrogacy. This allows all prospective intended parents to share a genetic link with their child, and create a family through the help of a surrogate mother.
Great Questions for a Surrogate to Ask
Choosing to become a surrogate is an incredibly selfless and loving decision. It also takes a lot of courage. But, if you want to help a deserving intended family have a child they may not be able to have without you, becoming a gestational surrogate could be one of the best adventures you’ll ever experience.
We hope that the above questions have given you a great starting point on your surrogacy journey. If you have any other questions, or want to learn more about gestational surrogacy and how it could impact you, don’t hesitate to reach out.
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to learn more about your adoption options, contact Adoption Choices of Colorado by email, phone, or text: Email Us, Text us: 720-371-1099, Call us: 303-670-4673 (HOPE). If you are hoping to adopt, please contact us here.
Meet the Author: Courtney Chunglo is a California-based writer who keeps her poetry romantic and her prose thrilling. Courtney has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Her poetry has been published in Sonoma State University’s anthology titled, Zaum XXI where she also served as one of the editors for the short story submissions.
Courtney grew up in a family of women storytellers who could make you feel, hear, smell, and even taste their tales. This inspiration to tell stories and being a voracious reader morphed into an unshakable desire to write. Possessed by the pen, Courtney strives to engage readers’ intellect and satisfy their need for a good story.
Stephanie joined the Adoption Choices family in 2014 as the Child Placement Supervisor. Her love for adoption began in first grade when she made friends with twins adopted from Vietnam. Her heart grew strong over the years for adopted children and ultimately led her to graduate school where she continued her focus to her dream of working in the adoption field. Stephanie earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Denver in 2001. Over the past 15 years, Stephanie has worked as a pregnancy counselor and as an adoptive parent counselor for foster care, international adoption and domestic adoption, writing hundreds of home studies for families, and helping build their forever families. Stephanie is married and has three boys ages 12, 9, and 5. Together with her family she enjoys riding bike, playing games, watching her three sons compete in their various sporting and musical activities and go on vacations.
Christy Ikeler, is our Executive Director and Birth Parent Director. Christy has been with Adoption Choices Team for 18 years, since opening the doors in 2002! Christy has a true passion for what she does and her true love is working with and helping each birth parent. Whether she is up all night on the phone talking with them, taking them to doctors appointments, out for their favorite treat, providing counseling or at the hospital during labor and delivery, Christy is very involved every step of the way. She has a contagious laugh and a spunky personality that our birth moms all can bond with and relate to. As an adoptive parent herself, adoption holds a very special place in her heart and she can relate on every level with both birth parents and adoptive parents. In her free time Christy loves spending time with her daughter, gardening, baking and taking vacations with her family. Christy is an excellent leader for our team at Adoption Choices and is truly one of a kind!! As Executive Director, Christy spends time with the staff, birth parents and adoptive families in order to ensure that the agency is running smoothly. She has placed a huge emphasis on community outreach and programs for birth parents. Christy loves the opportunity to lead the agency into a brighter future.
Ms. Mackenzie has built a successful counseling career over the past 20 years, supporting mothers and families, people of all ages and genders, students, community professionals and fellow clinicians. Liv values a diverse professional focus, including the entrepreneurial life of a sole proprietor, the evaluative process of certifying foster/adoptive homes, the insightful and mindful one-on-one one work with enthusiastic clients, and serving as an advocate for underserved populations. Liv is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds a BA in Pre-Law and Economics from American University, an MA in Counseling from Adams University and a certificate in Human Resource Management from Villanova University. Away from work you will find Liv spending time in nature, biking to the farmer’s market and adventuring with her family.
Catherine A. Madsen, joined the Adoption Choices family as legal counsel in 2013. Catherine is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Agency, training and updating staff on developments in adoption law and legislation, and program development. Catherine
Virginia Frank is an adoption attorney accredited since 1991 with the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Ms. Frank is a leader in the field of private adoption and has completed over 4,000 adoptions in her career. Ms. Frank has a law degree from Oklahoma City University and a BA in both Political Science and Communications from the University of Oklahoma.
Cassidie has been with Adoption Choices since 2015, she has her bachelors in Interdisciplinary Affairs with concentrations in both Sociology and Business Management. Cassidie has additional training in Victim Advocacy, foster care and has been working in women’s services for over 10 years. Cassidie has always had a heart for adoption and it was her career dream to work in adoption. She started off doing volunteer work for advocacy programs, adoption organizations and worked in High Risk Maternal Fetal Medicine through the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Cassidie is also blessed to have personally experienced an adoption of her own in 2012, completing her family of five! Cassidie loves what she does as a case worker from initial phone calls, meetings, doctor appointments, interaction with the adoptive families to delivery and counseling. Cassidie has a passion for those in need and strives to help make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She is a firm believer in being kind, compassionate and open minded in all situations. “Unless you’ve walked in their shoes, there’s no place for judgment. A kind word or compliment can go a long way!” The bittersweet moments in adoption reminds Cassidie each and every time, why she loves what she does!