As you’re considering whether or not to become a surrogate, surrogacy pros and cons can play a huge role in whether you embark on this life-changing journey.
In general, there are many pros of surrogacy:
- You receive financial benefits
- It can be a satisfying and fulfilling experience
- You may create new, lifelong friendships
- Experiencing pregnancy
But it also has some cons:
- A long commitment that requires time and effort
- Medical and psychological screenings
- Potential for emotional complications
If you’ve already considered the pros and cons of becoming a surrogate mother and know you’re ready to start your surrogacy journey, you can contact us today to learn more.
But, if you want to find out more about what are the advantages of surrogacy and the disadvantages of being a surrogate mother, keep on reading for answers to your questions.
Arguments for and Against Surrogacy
The Pros of Surrogacy
There are many positive things about surrogacy and becoming a surrogate — otherwise, no one would choose this path. Becoming a surrogate gives many women a life-changing opportunity to reach goals and dreams that they may have had for years.
But, this isn’t the only benefit of surrogacy. Some other benefits of becoming a surrogate mother include:
- Financial Benefits: Most women considering surrogacy know that they have the opportunity for base surrogate compensation. This compensation can often help a surrogate reach a sizable financial goal — like paying off her student loans or putting a down payment on a house — and serve as substantial motivation for becoming a surrogate. In addition, pursuing surrogacy will come at no financial cost to you, as your intended parents will pay for all of your surrogacy- and pregnancy-related expenses along the way.
- Sense of Satisfaction and Fulfillment: Many women have dreamed of being a surrogate and helping another family for years. When they finally become surrogates, they can achieve these personal goals, creating a sense of satisfaction by knowing that they’ve made a difference in the world by bringing a much-wanted child into it.
- Lasting Friendship: Surrogacy is an intimate partnership between a surrogate and her intended parents, often for a year or more. Therefore, one of the common benefits of surrogacy is the opportunity to create a real, genuine friendship that can last for years after the surrogacy process is complete. Depending on your relationship with the intended parents, you may experience the joys of seeing the child you brought into the world grow up.
- Experience of Pregnancy: Many surrogates truly love the feeling of being pregnant but have already completed their family with no desire for another child. For them, one of the benefits of being a surrogate mother is getting to go through the pregnancy experience all over again without the commitment of bringing a baby home at the end of those nine months.
- Full-Service Assistance: If you choose to work with a full-service surrogacy agency, you will likely get 24/7 practical and emotional support, expert assistance and advice, and more. Full-service surrogacy agencies greatly benefit the people who work with them.
The Cons of Surrogacy
Surrogacy is can be an amazing experience, but it can also be a challenge. What’s important is that you make sure it’s right for you before moving forward.
If you’re thinking about being a surrogate, you should consider how you feel about these potential disadvantages of being a surrogate mother. For many women, these challenges are well worth it:
- The Commitment of Time and Effort: When you choose to become a surrogate, you commit yourself to a year or more of working with your surrogacy professional and the intended parents until a healthy baby is born. This will take a lot of your time and effort, and it will likely affect your ability to complete your responsibilities as a mother and an employee. For example, consider that you will likely be required to take fertility medications for months before transfer, attend frequent doctor’s appointments before and during your pregnancy, and communicate with the intended parents as laid out in your surrogacy contract. All prospective surrogates should consider how this commitment will affect their personal lives and how they will manage these responsibilities before starting.
- Medical and Psychological Screenings: Surrogacy is an intimate process. You should be prepared for your personal history to be an important part of your screening process and your surrogacy journey. Before becoming surrogates, women should feel comfortable undergoing extensive screenings designed to make the surrogacy process as safe as possible.
- Emotional Complications: One of the possible issues with surrogacy is the potential for emotional complications — not because a woman is delivering a baby she won’t raise but because her surrogacy journey affects her relationship with her family and friends. While most surrogates do not feel as great of an emotional connection with the baby they’re carrying (instead, thinking of it as “babysitting”), it can still be emotionally trying to undergo the challenges of nine months of pregnancy for a baby that is not yours.
The Truth About Surrogacy Controversy
As you consider the pros and cons of becoming a surrogate mother, you may see misleading information meant to sway you. That’s because, even though surrogacy is a modern and safe process in the U.S., many people still do not understand the process, which is why there can still be a surrogacy debate today.
Many of the arguments against surrogacy — that it exploits vulnerable women, that women are forced to “give up” their own babies —represent older, less regulated forms of surrogacy (like those that happen internationally).
However, in the United States, surrogacy is a well-regulated, safe process for surrogates and intended parents. By completing a compensated gestational surrogacy, you will always receive fair financial compensation for your services, and you will not be related to the baby you’re carrying.
Advocates for surrogacy focus on informing the public on how this family-building process works and explain why surrogacy is good for all involved when done safely.
Continuing Your Surrogacy Journey
It’s important that you understand all of the details of the surrogacy process — including the cons and pros of being a surrogate mother — before committing to this life-changing journey.
While you are ultimately the only one who can make this decision, contacting a surrogacy professional can help you get all the information you need to make the right choice.