Becoming a Dad, as a Single Father, through Surrogacy
In the past, the idea of single-parent homes concerned many people. However, today, such outdated thinking has changed significantly. Perhaps this change is due to study after study showing that children raised in single-parent households grow up just as well adjusted as their two-parent counterparts when raised in a loving, nurturing environment. Regardless, our society has become much more aware and accepting of families that might look different than their own.
Most recently, at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, we have seen more single men choosing surrogacy as a path to fatherhood. Celebrity single fathers, such as Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, speaking publicly and positively about their own experiences, have helped shine a spotlight on gestational surrogacy as a legitimate pathway to fatherhood.
While Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado takes a lot of pride in helping birth mothers place their children with just the right adoptive family, we are a surrogate agency as well. Surrogacy in Colorado is on the rise, and we’re here to help! We love connecting intended fathers with just the right surrogate mother to be their gestational carrier.
How does the Surrogacy Process Work for Intended Fathers in Colorado?
Whether you’re an intended father looking at gestational surrogacy as a potential pathway to fatherhood or a woman exploring the idea of becoming a surrogate, you might have questions about the process.
The only real difference between surrogacy for couples versus surrogacy for a single parent is that couples are usually able to use the prospective mother’s egg and father’s sperm. A single intended father uses his own sperm and a donor egg. The rest of the process is the same. An embryo is created in a laboratory. Then, by way of in vitro fertilization (IVF), the embryo is implanted into the surrogate mother, who then carries the baby to term.
What are the Advantages to Choosing Surrogacy for Single Intended Fathers?
Happily, in 2021, single intended fathers have multiple possible pathways to parenthood. For those considering surrogacy as one of those options or for those exploring how to become a surrogate, here are a few advantages to choosing surrogacy.
- Since the child is not biologically related to the surrogate mother, the father has full legal custody of the child at the time he or she is born. Even though with most adoptions, the custody transfer goes seamlessly, for many intended fathers, it’s a comfort to not have to worry about whether the birth mother might change her mind.
- Surrogacy allows intended fathers to have a genetic tie to their child. Whether it’s because of concerns about potential genetically inherited illnesses or just simply wanting a child who looks like his family, many intended fathers want that genetic link to their child.
- Surrogacy allows a single man to be the biological father of his own child without involving another woman in the responsibility of parenthood. Co-parenting is a viable option for a single man to become a father. But co-parenting is exactly what it sounds like: sharing your child with his or her other biological parent. For some parents, this scenario is ideal and works very well. For others, the idea of sharing a child brings up fears of all the many ways it can go wrong. With surrogacy, the intended father is the only legal parent of the child.
- The potential for special long-term relationships to develop between the intended father and their surrogate. While the surrogate mother does not have a genetic link to the child, the unique role she plays in building a family often results in a special role for her as an extended part of that family.
- For single intended fathers, the wait time for a gestational surrogate is likely shorter than the wait to adopt as a single man. When birth mothers make their adoption plans, most still choose couples to adopt their children. A single man potentially faces a long wait to be selected as an adoptive parent. With gestational surrogacy, he can begin the process as soon as Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado connect him with the right surrogate mother.
Helping a Single Man become a Father through Surrogacy
Are you a woman who has been pregnant in the past and loved it? Do you believe anyone who wants to be a parent should have the opportunity? You might make a great surrogate! As a gestational carrier, you do not need to donate your own egg and would have no genetic connection to the baby. You carry the baby to term and, in the end, bring tremendous joy to an intended parent. Perhaps a single man who desperately wants to be a father but isn’t otherwise able to do so.
Whether you’re a prospective intended father or a potential surrogate mother, you likely have more questions about building families through surrogacy. Questions like “What are the qualifications for being a surrogate?” or “What does surrogacy compensation look like?” Contact Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado, and one of our professionals can walk you through the process.
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: After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Education, majoring in English and Social Sciences, Brianne Davis has spent her adult life as an educator; first in the public schools, later through martial arts. Her ability to convey difficult concepts, navigate varied learning styles, and always keep it interesting defined her reputation as an impactful instructor. Many of her early published blogs centered on the goal of helping other instructors effectively teach children for whom learning is a struggle. Once an empty nester, she committed to sitting in traffic less and writing more. With those goals in mind, she, along with her husband and dogs, packed up, sold their family home and moved to the banks of the Columbia River in Central Washington’s wine country, where the pace of life is slower and the sun shines brighter. Realizing in our modern age, more of us turn to the internet for information than ever before, Brianne, now dedicates her time to educating others through blog writing.
As a life-long information junkie, Brianne enjoys taking deep dives into new topics, then condensing them in an interesting way to convey valuable information in a relatively short amount of space. Once her career, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts remain hobbies, along with boating, reading, and traveling.
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!