Becoming a surrogate is an experience unlike any other. Because of this, we get a lot of questions from women just like you about what it’s really like to become one. While every woman’s experience is different, the women who become surrogates are:

• People who love being pregnant and want to use their gift to help others
• Excited about the journey ahead of them
• Eager to form a lasting relationship with the adoptive family and other surrogates
• Filled with a deep sense of pride and fulfillment at what they’ve accomplished

To learn more about what it’s what is it like to be a surrogate mother, keep reading below. But if you’d like to speak with a specialist, please fill out our contact form to get more information.

What Do I Have to Do as a Surrogate?

Women often ask, “What do I have to do as a surrogate?” and “What does being a surrogate mother entail?” when you become a surrogate, you’ll be assigned several responsibilities. The most important, of course, will be keeping the intended parent’s baby safe and sound. But a few of your other jobs include:

Taking fertility medications: When it’s time to get your body ready for the embryo transfer, your doctor will go over the medical surrogacy process and the types of medications you’ll need to start taking. To ensure a successful pregnancy, you need to follow their advice and instructions perfectly. Normally, you’ll need to take these medications for up to 12 weeks before and after implantation.

Attending medical appointments: Medical appointments are essential to the surrogacy process. When people ask, “What’s involved in being a surrogate mom?” some of their biggest questions are about the medical process and appointments.

When Codi attended her medical appointments, there were a couple of things her doctor was looking for:

“Doctor’s appointments for a surrogacy pregnancy are much more common and frequent than with a normal pregnancy,” she said. “I had sonogram appointments regularly the whole month before transfer. That was to make sure that my uterine lining was thickening at the right pace. They didn’t want it too thin but they didn’t want it too thick.”

Drafting your legal contract: Finalizing the surrogacy contract is one of the most important steps for intended parents and surrogates. This process ensures that all your legal rights are protected during the entire process. This contract covers things like what does the surrogate do, how much compensation can she receive and more. When Alicia when through her surrogacy journey, her attorney made her feel protected the whole way through:

“It took a while for the attorney to approve certain things that the agency had sent back, which made me feel really protected because he had my best interests at heart every single time. So I was very happy with the process. It did take at least a month, but it was not anything that was upsetting or slowed down the process at all,” she said.

Is it Hard to Be a Surrogate Mother?

Like any other life-changing journey, there are some pros and cons that come with becoming a surrogate. Deciding that you want to become a surrogate is not an easy overnight decision. And if this is your first time signing up, there’s a lot you need to consider beforehand to make sure surrogacy is right for you.

A few questions you should ask yourself when learning what does a surrogate mother do are:

• Am I ready to be pregnant for nine months for someone else?
• Am I willing to devote at least a year of my life to help someone else?
• Am I okay with sacrificing time with my own family and friends to become a surrogate?
• Am I committed to making sure I have a safe and healthy pregnancy?
• Am I willing to go through a lengthy medical and psychological screening to ensure I’m ready for this journey?

For Alicia, a surrogate, the act of being pregnant itself was both rewarding and challenging:

“It’s the best and hardest part, because you’re giving up a part of your life for somebody else. It’s not even for your own family; it’s for someone else’s family to have this precious gift.”

Although there are many benefits of surrogacy, it’s crucial that you do enough research to make sure this is right for you. At the end of the day, how hard is it to be a surrogate really depends on your own personal circumstances.

How Does it Feel to Be a Surrogate Mother?

For many women, becoming a surrogate is an experience they wouldn’t trade for the world. Even when it’s challenging, knowing that they’re making a difference in the life of someone else is its own award. These women feel just as giddy as the intended parents do watching the baby grow and develop.

Often, women ask, “Is there any emotions attached to be a surrogate mother?” When you’re carrying a baby for nine months, it’s only natural to wonder about potentially bonding with the child. But most of the time, surrogates don’t experience the same feelings of attachment as they did with their own children. More often than not, they grow more attached to the intended parents and their struggle to become a family.

People also wonder how surrogacy mothers are affected by this decision. While every woman is different, most of them leave with a sense of pride and fulfillment after what they’ve accomplished. Because of their level of compassion and dedication, a family was created because of the work they put in. They might have even developed life-long relationships with the intended parents, just like Megan did:

Megan said. “I didn’t just have babies for somebody else; I gained an entire family through the whole process. It was the most rewarding thing in the entire world. I would do it all over again.” 

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Becoming a surrogate is one of the greatest jobs out there. But there will always be benefits and challenges to consider. If you’d like to learn more about what does a surrogate do and how hard is it to be a surrogate mother, we can help. Please fill out our free contact form to be connected with a surrogacy specialist and get more information.