How to Find Support During Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an exciting, rewarding, challenging experience, but you will likely need physical help and emotional support as you carry a child. You will probably have questions for clarification about the surrogacy process as a whole, and medical questions concerning your pregnancy in particular. Many women find the following resources to be valuable options for finding support during surrogacy.
Family Support
Your family or friends, the people who are near you on a daily basis, would ideally be your first line of support. They’ll be the ones to help you stand up and reach what you can’t quite get to you on the floor. Make sure that you’ve talked to your spouse or partner, your children or parents, and your closest friends about your decision to pursue surrogacy. Be honest about your needs and pointedly ask for their support through the process. You are helping another couple or soon-to-be parent add a child to their family, and you’ll need the help of your family to do it.
In-Person Surrogacy Meetups
Surrogacy is gaining popularity as a viable family planning choice. Check your local community centers for surrogacy support groups and meet women who are going through experience alongside you or have gone through experience ahead of you. No one will understand you as other surrogate mothers will. If you can’t find a surrogacy support group already organized in your area, broaden your search with Meetup.com. You can see where surrogacy groups are meetings or start your own meetup group for area surrogates.
Surrogacy Groups Online
Don’t limit yourself to in-person meetups and support groups. Go online and chat with other surrogate mothers any time you want to. Facebook groups and website forums have thousands of members, including surrogates, intended parents, egg donors, and those seeking more information.
Forums: All About Surrogacy and Surrogate Mothers Online are online forums where you can ask questions and read about other people’s experiences. You can peruse sample contracts and discover what joys and challenges you can expect as a surrogate.
Facebook: Surrogates and Intended Parents is an active group with over 12,000 members. Someone is always online to chat with or respond to your questions. All About Surrogacy is a smaller group of approximately 2,000 members. They are a support group intended for emotionally mature women, so you’ll get the support you need without room for any “drama or negativity,” as they say.
If you are interested in becoming a surrogate and supporting another family as they seek to grow, we encourage you to enlist the support of your family first, then speak in person to others who have been surrogates, and join the online communities to ask questions and benefit from others’ posts about surrogacy. When you’re ready, apply to the surrogacy program, and if you qualify, we’ll match you with intended parents who can’t wait to meet you!
