What A Surrogate May Expect Post-Delivery
Surrogacy provides families with the one thing they’ve desired the most, a child. Mothers who have tried everything to get pregnant only to be told they cannot carry, or worse, mothers who have lost a baby due to multiple miscarriages or stillbirths. Becoming a surrogate mother is a selfless choice. You are, essentially, dedicating a year or more of your life and body to another family. To learn more about becoming a surrogate mother contact us at Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado.
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.
How Does Surrogacy Work?
Unsure about how the whole Colorado surrogacy processworks? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Gestational carrying includes two different medical procedures to produce a pregnancy and may require multiple rounds if the parents want to do so until it works.
Gestational carriers do not donate eggs. Instead, either the mother’s egg or a donated egg will be fertilized in the fertility clinic then placed in your uterus via IVF.
Once IVF is complete, the intended parents will await a positive pregnancy test. If it doesn’t take on the first try, the parents may want to do multiple rounds or place multiple embryos. This is discussed during interviews and, for the most part, written into the contract you’ll sign before beginning the procedures.
How To Become A Surrogate
There are multiple qualifications you must have in order to become a surrogate mother. You must be between the ages of 21-32, it can vary up to 35 depending on the agency, and you must have given birth to a child. The child has to be in your custody, too. Among those are the medical requirements such as having a prior healthy pregnancy and normal birth. Any medical conditions exacerbated by pregnancy will disqualify you.
If you pass the medical and psychological exams after submitting your application, you will be contacted and given the green light. This is when your surrogate professional will begin to match you with potential parents. First, interviews will be conducted, and once you find a match, the implantation procedures will begin.
After Birth For Surrogate Mothers
Depending on what the parents want, you may spend time with the baby after delivery. Although the parents will have immediate custody of their child, they may want you to meet and greet the little life you held for nine months. Some surrogate mothers have pictures taken with the baby or are involved in newborn photo shoots with the parents. Other surrogate mothers prefer to have their time alone, and parents want to bond with their child after birth. Everything regarding the birth and afterward will be discussed and agreed upon between you and the awaiting parents.
Emotional Stress of the Surrogacy Process
Part of becoming a surrogate mother understand what emotional ups and downs can come with pregnancy. Hence, the requirement of having been pregnant and given birth to your own child. Though you know from the beginning, the child is not yours, sometimes the nature of wanting to care for the child kicks in. It can be hard for some surrogate mothers not to want to tend to the child or struggle with separation.
This is not the case for everyone, and there are social workers ready to help if you are struggling mentally or emotionally. Talking it out with a professional is extremely helpful and can send you back on a healthy path rather than holding the emotions in. Surrogate mothers can feel guilty for having these feelings too. Just because you know the child is not yours in your head, hormones can create extreme emotions that are uncontrolled.
Before you look into Colorado surrogacy, be aware that not all surrogate mothers are able to big goodbye to the child and feel complete. This is something you can speak to your surrogate professional about before you begin the application.
Relationships With The Parents and Baby
This depends on the parents as they are the ones setting the rules. Some parents want to keep the surrogate mother in their lives just to drop in and give updates on the baby. Many parents are so grateful to surrogate mothers they want to keep in touch as friends. If they want more children, they may contact you again if you’re up for another Colorado surrogacy. Sometimes these can be life-long friendships that last decades. You can watch the child grow and flourish with their family.
After Surrogacy
Have more questions about Colorado surrogacy and what it entails? Contact us at Surrogacy Choices for more information. We’d love to help you along in this journey, answer all your questions, and just be a pillar of support during this time.
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: Amanda Rodgers is an experienced, versatile writer, well-versed in blog posts, SEO and keywords. She is also a self-motivated freelance professional with experience in writing a myriad of subjects, such as women’s rights and LGBT issues. In everything she does, she brings her client’s ideas to fruition while not only keeping their individual voice intact, but also adhering to their values and overall mission. Amanda creates a lasting impression with audiences through creative writing to ensure that her message — and the vision of her clients — is clearly conveyed and felt.
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!