More people have been gravitating towards surrogacy as a means of starting families than ever before. This trend can be attributed to advancements in medicine and society in general.
Here are some handy tips to help you better understand the state of surrogacy in 2022.
Health Concerns
The Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of proper health across the globe. This is particularly important and challenging to maternal health because potential surrogates already face challenges that threaten the completion of a successful gestational cycle.
Surrogate mothers are strongly advised to receive the vaccines developed in response to Covid-19. Current evidence indicates that the vaccine has no adverse effects on developing pregnancies and those that may be receiving fertility treatments. Apart from other vaccines, various health advisories adopted during the height of the pandemic are still emphasized.
One challenging development has been the emergence of the OMICRON variant of Covid-19. The CDC stated that it spreads quicker than the initial virus. However, we still do not how or if the OMICRON variant causes more adverse reactions in pregnant women than previous Covid-19 variants.
Surrogates need to be in generally good health to be capable of carrying a pregnancy to term. Therefore, one’s medical history will largely determine if a candidate can serve as a surrogate mother.
Changing Laws
More jurisdictions are gravitating towards promoting altruistic surrogacy over commercial surrogacy. Commercial surrogacy is viewed as a more formal process whose primary motivation is financial gain.
Altruistic surrogacy is favored because it involves a deeper connection between a surrogate mother and the intended parents. For this reason, you should consider this form of surrogacy.
Evidence of this trend can be traced to its legislative roots in Canada, where the Assisted Human Reproduction Act of 2004 outlawed commercial surrogacy. The Act defined the nature of reimbursement involved in altruistic surrogacy. It stated that reimbursement can only include expenses accrued as a direct result of the pregnancy term.
Clear legal agreements
Contrary to popular belief, it is quite challenging to DIY a surrogacy agreement. In fact, many people often overlook the need to work on a comprehensive agreement if they have a personal relationship with their intended surrogate.
A surrogacy agreement is a complex document that generally includes acknowledgment of risks and informed consent. Agreements also serve the critical purpose of informing a surrogate that they will carry a baby to term without expecting parental rights.
In addition to a detailed compensation layout, a good agreement outlines all the medical actions that a surrogate is likely to encounter. This will usually include medical advice that the surrogate must follow so that can carry the pregnancy to term and deliver a healthy baby.
Financial Implications
Over the past few years, there has been a general increase in health costs. As a result, a surrogate in today’s climate is likely to receive costlier reimbursements compared to those received in the past. Therefore, intended parents must be prepared to take on higher expenses than those initially expected.
The typical fees associated with altruistic surrogacy will often depend on the nature of the agreement with the surrogate mother and subsequent care. Some of the potential expenses include monthly provisions for miscellaneous expenses, travel compensation, lost wages, housekeeping costs, and maternity clothing allowance.
Understanding the surrogate experience
The Internet has truly come alive recently, hasn’t it? Gone are the days of using computers and the Internet solely for work, school, or entertainment. There is a wide variety of blogs, videos, and websites that capture the innermost thoughts of people who have been through the surrogacy process and achieved varying degrees of success. A deep dive into these resources can lead to valuable insights about the inner workings of surrogacy.
You can also enlist professional consultation services whether you’ve decided to become a surrogate or you’re just looking for more information. Trained professionals have years of experience, their perspectives can help you understand surrogacy in ways you hadn’t considered before the consultation.
Finding the right surrogate
It may be tempting to identify and enlist a surrogate on your own, but the reality is that using a team of experienced professionals might be key to finding a surrogate that aligns with your values and expectations.
Finding a surrogate on your own is also possible but legal expertise is needed to have a successful surrogacy journey since surrogacy laws differ from one region to another.
A surrogacy journey is significantly longer than that of a natural pregnancy term. Therefore, you should look for an agency that helps surrogates and intended parents prepare themselves, psychologically and emotionally, for the upcoming experience.
Conclusion
A successful surrogacy hinges on finding the right surrogate to partner with. In fact, this one factor can lead to either a treacherous journey or an enjoyable partnership that concludes with a healthy baby.
Working with a reputable community like MySurrogateMom will give you peace of mind. Also, you will feed more confident in your decisions because you will know that your concerns are being addressed by professionals who truly do care about you. This will result in a relationship-driven by integrity and transparency that will see willing parents continue the rewarding journey that is parenthood.
