Who is a Surrogate?

A surrogate, also known as a gestational carrier, is a woman who carries a baby for an individual or couple. At Adoption and Surrogacy Choices of Colorado we specialize in gestational surrogacy. 

A technique called “in vitro fertilization” (IVF) now makes it possible to gather eggs from the mother, fertilize them with sperm from the father, and place the embryo into the uterus of a gestational surrogate. The surrogate then carries the baby until birth. She doesn’t have any genetic ties to the child because it wasn’t her egg that was used.

A gestational surrogate is called the “birth mother.” The biological mother, though, is still the woman whose egg was fertilized. Surrogate mothers with Adoption and Surrogacy Choices are gestational surrogates, meaning the surrogate mother does not share genetics with the baby. Surrogate mothers get paid for carrying someone’s baby, and they are protected by a legal contract signed by both the surrogate mother and the intended parents.

Surrogates are most commonly women who enjoy being pregnant and have a strong desire to help a couple build a family and have a baby! There’s a misconception that surrogates do it for the the money. This is almost always NOT the case. Altruism is always the primary motivator for a process that requires such enormous effort and commitment. Surrogates do this because they want to help create a family rather than to make money, even if there is also an element of compensation. Here are a few more reasons women become surrogates:

• They enjoy pregnancy. This is difficult for many people to understand as the idea of the weight gain, the heartburn, the frequent urination, morning sickness… is unfathomable! For some women though, putting up with a little it of uncomfortableness for the experience of creating a human is pure joy. For others, they had easy pregnancies and didn’t experience the common pregnancy side effects.
• Helping others brings them life satisfaction. Surrogates have a very giving heart and they want to help others even if it means they will not get an equal gift in return. With surrogacy, there is no equal gift that you could give a surrogate in return and they don’t expect it. Giving to others is what makes them feel alive!
• They have seen friends and/or family struggle. Many surrogates talk about watching friends or family struggle to conceive, struggle to create a family. Creating a family was easy for the surrogates so they want to pay it forward. Many concede, “why wouldn’t I do this for someone else?”

Why Become a Surrogate?

Committing to being a gestational carrier takes courage and a whole lot of selflessness. You’re pregnant again, sharing the experience with the intended parents, and after delivery, the baby goes home with them. Along the way, all kinds of wonderful things are possible for you, the surrogate.

1 – Joy: An undeniable joy and pride come with carrying a child for a person or couple unable to carry their own. It’s a selfless act, perhaps the greatest act of giving that you’ll ever perform, and that’s empowering.

2 – Connection: A rich and rewarding bond between you and the intended parents forms when you match. That bond deepens as the months go by. Most intended parents want to share in your experience of being pregnant. They watch from the sidelines, mesmerized, filled with questions, and eager to be a part of something they’ve only dreamed of.

3 – Awareness: Every stage of the pregnancy brings new excitement for the intended parents. Imagine their gratitude as the wish to have their own baby is granted, thanks to you. Your willingness to be a carrier creates a bond of gratitude they’ll never forget. The experience gives you greater awareness and compassion around what it’s like not to be able to carry your own child.

4 – Compensation: You are compensated fairly as a surrogate. Payments are generally structured across the pregnancy. The compensation is formalized in discussions with both parties, their legal counsel and Colorado Surrogacy.

5 – Medical care: The surrogate’s pregnancy-related medical costs are covered by the intended parents. This coverage begins with the IVF process and continues through six weeks postpartum. The intended parents are not responsible for any medical costs unrelated to the pregnancy.

6 – Well-being: Though pregnancy comes with its ups and downs, many surrogates truly enjoy being pregnant. Women who felt great during an earlier pregnancy look forward to that same sense of well-being, and to sharing the experience with their family.

7 – Community: As a surrogate, you’re introduced to a community of women for whom surrogacy was a beautiful and rewarding process. Their interest in the kindhearted ideals of surrogacy supports and enriches your experience.