Things to Consider Before Becoming a Surrogate Mother in Colorado
Choosing to help a family fulfill their desire to be parents is an act of immeasurable selflessness. Being a gestational surrogate for intended parents is a feeling only those who have been through the surrogacy process can understand. For many couples, a surrogate is their only option to have a child. For some, just wanting to give the gift of parenthood to an intended family is enough of a reason to become a surrogate. There are many great reasons to become a surrogate, and everyone will have their own motivations. If you’re considering becoming a surrogate in Colorado, you have a lot to think about and consider before you dive in headfirst.
Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado is here for you to provide all of the information and answers you need to feel confident in your decisions. If you’re completely new to surrogacy, we’ll go over how surrogacy works, how to become a surrogate mother, how to qualify to be a surrogate, and more. We want you to feel prepared and completely comfortable during your surrogacy journey.
Not everyone is cut out for surrogacy, and that’s OK. Surrogacy isn’t for everyone, and it’s not a decision to take lightly. Take time to think it through, talk with your partner, and educate yourself as much as possible. If you’re looking into surrogacy, here are a few things to consider.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a surrogate, please call or text us at 303-670-4673 (HOPE) or visit us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado.
Surrogacy is a Commitment
Clear your schedule and cancel those trips to the Bahamas. Surrogacy takes a lot of time between applying, the surrogacy requirements, screenings, IVF, and of course, pregnancy. It’s a lot of waiting, and not everyone has the patience. If you’re considering becoming a surrogate, remember it can take one to two years to complete the entire process. Surrogacy isn’t a quick process, it’s a big commitment, and a lot is at stake. The whole point of gestational surrogacy is using a vessel to create a life for someone else. Getting impatient partway through the process of wanting to back out is heartbreaking for the intended parents, and no one gets back that time already invested. If you’re thinking of becoming a gestational surrogate, be ready to be in it for the long haul. You’ll have to plan your life around surrogacy, including doctor appointments, IVF appointments, pregnancy, and even some possible travel. Gestational surrogacy is more than just a nine-month thing.
Why Do You Want to Be a Surrogate?
This might be a tricky question to pin down the answer for. Surrogates can have many reasons for choosing to become a surrogate, and those reasons might even change over time. In general, many women who choose to become gestational surrogates do it to bring the gift of life to a hopeful intended family. Those who suffer from infertility, can’t carry a baby for medical reasons, hopeful single patents, and LGBTQ+ couples rely on people like you who understand their struggles and desires. Surrogates are in a unique position, and you should understand the weight of your choices. It can be personal or straightforward, but if you think surrogacy is an excellent way to make money, you may want to reconsider your motivations.
The IVF Process and Medical Aspects of Gestational Surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy is a medical and scientific masterpiece. Before modern medical breakthroughs allowing fertilization outside the uterus, traditional surrogacy was the only option and caused a lot more emotional issues. If you become a gestational surrogate, you will have to deal with a myriad of medications, procedures, and injections. After all of the pre-screening procedures, surrogates will have to go through various medical and fertility injections prior to and after the IVF procedure. Since self-injections are necessary, gestational surrogacy is definitely not for those with trypanophobia.
Surrogacy Can be Rough Mentally
Everyone has a different experience during their time as a surrogate. Even if you mentally prepare yourself as much as possible, you still may run into a few unexpected hills and dips in that emotional roller coaster. It can be hard to wrap your head around the fact that you have no biological relation to the baby you’ll be growing inside you for nine months. You may or may not feel a disconnect, and saying goodbye after birth may be difficult. Some surrogates say it’s easy to move forward postpartum, and some struggle. Either way, don’t feel guilty for the way you feel. Never feel like you need to validate your emotions or compare yourself to others and their experience. You’re doing something amazing, and no one can tell you how to feel about it. Take advantage of Adoption and Surrogacy of Colorado’s counselors and postpartum counseling. You may not feel like you need it, but it might help more than you think.
What Kind of Relationship Would You Want With the Intended Family?
Open and honest relationships between the surrogate and intended parents create a strong and solid foundation for surrogacy. Be upfront about your feelings, needs, and wants, and be willing to listen to theirs. Relationships take time to grow, and it won’t happen overnight. Just because you’re their surrogate doesn’t mean you have to become close immediately. Take time to talk, bond, establish trust, and foster a healthy relationship. Decide how much contact you want outside of the basic get-to-know-you meetings. The relationship between the surrogate and the intended family can be a unique and beneficial bond for everyone involved. You can act as support for each other and make your surrogacy journey the best it can be.
Are you Considering Becoming a Surrogate in Colorado?
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to deciding to become a surrogate. There’s mental and physical preparation, as well as meeting the qualifications to become a surrogate. If you think you qualify but aren’t sure if it’s the right choice for you, talk with us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado. We never pressure you to make any decisions and only want to help guide you to the best option for you. Surrogacy isn’t for everyone, and it may not be for you. You’ll never know until you try! Surrogacy is a beautiful thing, and if it’s the right path for you, we want to help and support you throughout your journey.
If you are interested in learning more about your gestational surrogacy options, contact Adoption and Surrogacy 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: Michelle Brugioni is a practiced, well-versed college-educated writer and avid coffee drinker. She has ten years of experience as a freelance writer and has written for an alarmingly wide range of clients and publications. She has written on topics like life science, biopharmaceutical company acquisitions, dealing with anxiety, and creative drinking games.
As a fearless writer and masterful researcher, each time Michelle is approached with the question, “Can you write this?” she responds confidently with, “When do you need it?”
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!