Issues to consider before pursuing a surrogacy arrangement.
- Do you have the support of family and friends?
- For an Intended Mother, will you feel resentment towards the Surrogate who is carrying the child?
- For an Intended Mother via traditional surrogacy, will it bother you that only your husband will have a genetic tie to your child
- If any problems arise during the pregnancy with your surrogate, how do you plan to work out any problems?
- Hypothetically speaking, how would you feel if your traditional surrogate mother chose to keep the child in the end? What would you do?
- How long have you been looking into surrogacy?
- Do you want to continue a friendship after your surrogacy journey?
- How active do you want to be during the pregnancy? (Attending appointments, ultrasound appointments, weekly updates on progress during pregnancy).
- How much contact do you want to have with your surrogate during your journey together? It's best to be on the same page with each other so no one is expecting more or less out of it. (Could be exchanging emails a couple times per week, chatting online, talking on the phone weekly or every 2 weeks, getting together/visiting. Whatever you are both comfortable with.)
- Do you have any specific requirements when finding the right match? (Looks, personality, nationality, religion).
- When do you plan to tell your family and friends your expecting once pregnancy is achieved?
- Are you prepared for any negative comments or questions people may have for you regarding surrogacy?
- If you are pursuing an independent traditional surrogacy arrangement at home has the intended father had a recent sperm count, and current STD testing done?
- Have you thought about the costs for the entire process, and for what could arise? (Legal, medical, traveling, surrogates expenses, etc.)
- Do you plan on being open and honest with your child when they are old enough to understand?
- Have you thought of things to specifically have in the contract like diet, contact, privacy clause?
- Do you have enough trust to place onto someone else to carry your child, and not be overbearing?
- Are you and your partner both equally committed to this?