Who and What are Intended Parents?

People choose surrogacy for many different reasons, but they all have the same heart: To play a part in starting a family.

If you want to learn more about who intended parents are and why they choose to pursue surrogacy, reach out to us online today.

To help you learn more about the specifics about the intended parents that you think are right for you, you can start with understanding who and what intended parents are in general in this article — and better understand why your role as a surrogate can change their lives forever.

Who and What Are Intended Parents?

As their name suggests, intended parents are people who are hoping to have a child of their own and turn to surrogacy to reach this goal.

Many of these intended parents have tried for months and years to have a child through pregnancy but, after failed infertility treatments, decide that surrogacy is the best path for them. They choose to place their parenthood dreams into the arms of women like you who can make the biggest difference in the world to them.

There is no “typical” intended parent. Instead, the title encompasses several kinds of people who cannot have a child naturally on their own, like:

• Single men who want a child
• Single women who cannot carry a baby to term themselves, whether because of infertility or health issues
• Same-sex male couples
• Same-sex female couples who can’t carry a child themselves
• Heterosexual couples who are struggling with infertility and unable to carry a child themselves

Infertility is a debilitating challenge that can cause serious emotional damage, and many intended parents have focused their finances, time and energy into solving theirs for a long time. If IVF treatments don’t work for them, many intended parents turn to surrogacy.

Why Do Intended Parents Choose Surrogacy?

It’s natural to wonder, Why do people choose surrogacy rather than adopting/becoming a foster parent/etc.?

While this is a natural question to have, it’s most important to recognize that the path a hopeful parent takes to add to their family is no one’s business but their own. Each family has specific reasons for choosing the right family-building process for them, and they deserve respect, especially from people who are able to conceive naturally.

There are typically a few common reasons why people choose surrogacy instead of adoption. These people tend to be:

• Intended parents who are wholly invested in having a child who is biologically related to them. If they have tried the IVF process and it didn’t work for them, they may have embryos left over. Rather than choose between disposing, donating, or storing them, their natural next step is to attempt a new infertility treatment. For them, the financial investment of surrogacy is worth the last opportunity they have to have a child who shares their genetics.
• Intended parents who have the chance to beinvolved in the pregnancy and the early stages of their child’s development. This kind of opportunity may not be an option with adoption. Surrogacy also provides a sense of security that adoption does not, as intended parents know that the child a surrogate is carrying will be genetically and legally theirs after the nine months of pregnancy are complete.
• Intended parents who can’t complete IVF before choosing surrogacy. Some intended parents, like single males and gay male couples, know that surrogacy is their only option to have a genetically-related child. For them, surrogacy is the best parenthood path for their goals. Keep in mind, however, that they may still have to grieve dreams of a two-parent household or overcome prejudice based on their sexuality before pursuing this process.

Learn How You Can Help Today

No matter what their personal background, most intended parents go through a challenging emotional and physical process before they decide that surrogacy is right for them.

In fact, surrogacy is often the last chance that many people have to reach their specific parenthood dreams. Some of them are willing to put their personal lives on the line to make their hopes and dreams come true.

This is where women like you come in. You can selflessly and generously choose to help these parents reach their goals by becoming their surrogate and giving them a healthy uterus when they are unable to do so.

Of course, surrogacy is a big commitment to make, and it’s important you consider all the pros and cons before taking this journey. But, for the women who choose to become surrogates, the advantage of changing someone’s life is a powerful opportunity that they can’t refuse.

To learn more about who and what intended parents are and how you can help give them the baby they want, contact a surrogacy professional today.