Tips for Painless Surrogacy Journey

Being a surrogate mother is a generous and selfless act. Surrogate mothers devote their time and energy to bring the joy of life to the intended parents(s). However, being a surrogate mother comes with its own set of difficulties.

This article is a list curated just for the surrogate mother and intended parents(s) to ensure that they are prepared for all the physical, mental, emotional, and legal issues that may come their way. Here are some tips for the surrogate mother to ensure that their pregnancy journey is as peaceful as it could get:

1. Types of surrogate pregnancy

• Traditional Surrogacy: The sperm of either the intended father or a sperm donor is used to impregnate the surrogate mother. Though the surrogate hasa biological connection to the child in such cases, the surrogate mothers are legally obligated to hand over the child(s) to the intended parents.
• Gestational Surrogacy: The surrogate mother has no genetic connection with the child(s) in gestational surrogacy. The intended mother goes through IVF, and the sperm from the intended father is used to create embryos which are transferred to the surrogate mother.

2. Surrogacy agency (OR) Independent surrogacy

• Once a woman has decided to be a surrogate mother, she has an option of choosing from various surrogacy agencies or to be an independent surrogate mother.
• A surrogacy agency will provide assistance in matching a suitable couple to the surrogate mother or providing staff support throughout the surrogacy process, etc. However, the surrogate mother is known to have less freedom or choices.
• An independent surrogate will have the bandwidth of knowing the parents herself and bonding with them over the child(s), however, all the work has to be done by the surrogate mother.

3. Legal Aspects

• The surrogacy laws are different in different countries. The surrogate is advised to be aware of the laws and the terms and conditions in the agreement to avoid further disputes or confusions.

4. Blood Draws

• This is technically one of the least painful experience a surrogate mother will go through in the entire pregnancy. Blood is drawn from the surrogate’s body to ensure that they are healthy to bear a child. This will only be a prick using a needle.
• Cold compress or applying firm pressure once the needle is removed will provide comfort from the pain.

5. Surrogate Injections

• Lupron, Estrogen, and Progesterone are 3 types of injections that needs to be administered to the surrogates over the course of several weeks to prepare for the embryo transfer.
• While some of them can be taken as pills or patches, most of them are self-injected by the surrogate and is one of the most painful processes. These pills also cause hormonal changes and include side-effects causing an unpleasant period for the surrogate mother.
• Pain killers suggested by doctors or using Shot Blocker will help numb the pain caused by the injections.

6. Exercise

• Pregnant women are advised to perform simple exercises daily for about 30 minutes or so to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Workouts such as Walking, Swimming, Stretching, Yoga are popular among pregnant women.

7. Postpartum depression

• It is seen that up to 20% of surrogate mothers have postpartum depression within a couple of months of delivering the child(s).
• This does not mean that the match to intended parent(s) was flawed or giving away the baby(s) to them was in any way, a mistake. This has to be treated like a side-effect to the birth situation.

Being a surrogate and handing over the baby(s) to the intended parent(s) is tough. Knowing this information will make the pregnancy process easier for the surrogate mother.