Category: Surrogate Motherhood

Personal Development Guide for Surrogate Mothers

JSADev10 Leave a comment

Personal development can be overwhelming for many to undertake, more so for a surrogate mother who is going through a lot of changes. This post is designed to guide you in the direction of personal improvement by doing simple actions that will strengthen your personal development goals as a surrogate. Here, you’ll find a variety of ideas that you can employ to set yourself up for achieving success.

As a surrogate mother, make friends with those who are positive-minded and provide happiness to your life. They’ll help you stay on track by being good role models for desirable practices, and you’ll better balance any negative energy you get from people who aren’t as encouraging of your self-improvement aspirations.

Take breaks when working, and get as much finished tasks as possible. Although this seems counterproductive, taking regular breaks is good because it gives you the chance to energize your mind, so when you return to work, you’ll be able to get more done.

Another step critical in personal development as a surrogate mother is understanding how to be a leader. Leadership has many different definitions, but rooted under one common factor which is influence. Look back on your previous experiences as a surrogate, or examine the things that have transformed your leadership potential. Which events had the most impact on the way you live your life? What adjustments have occurred thanks to these events? How did your leadership skills come into action during those incidents? Thinking deeply about these subjects as a surrogate mom can bring awareness of the level of your leadership and team member skills.

Showing a little humility also helps. When you realize the value of others, you will begin to recognize how important other people are. As a surrogate mom, a humble mental outlook puts you in the most ideal mindset to learn new things and grow personally.

Finally, it helps to write how you feel. Keeping a journal will help you unload any negative feeling and keep track of the positive experiences in your life. Maintaining this kind of record will prove to be therapeutic and will help you to look back on certain moments worth recalling.

Tips for Gestational Carriers

JSADev10 Leave a comment

From lifting your mood to lowering your risk for various diseases, selecting the right kind of foods has a great deal of benefits. The following are some techniques on how you can improve your health by means of the food that you eat while being a gestational carrier.

As a gestational carrier, you must pay attention to the labels at the back of the food that you obtain in the supermarket. Take the time to read the nutritional values on the packages before you make your purchase. Doing so will guide you in making sound decisions on your food choices.

When considering your nutrition as a gestational carrier, be vigilant for foods that may look healthy, but end up being quite the opposite. There can be a whole lot of fats and sodium in expected healthy looking snacks. Smoothies for example, may end up having a lot of calories from fats and sugar depending on the ingredients they used. You are, after all, eating for two so it is critical for you to be in the know with what you put in your body.

One of the ideal things you can do to provide proper nutrition as a gestational carrier is to include a good multi-vitamin in your day-to-day regimen. This is more likely provided by the intended parents and recommended by health professionals based on your needs and not just the RDA. These multivitamins sustain your body with the necessary levels of diverse minerals and vitamins that you might not be getting in your diet. This will act as a supplement and will also aid in the development of the baby that you are carrying.

When taking into consideration your nutrition as a gestational carrier, it is necessary to keep the soon to be parents included throughout the whole process. This will make them feel excited and bring about a feeling of value and significance. Take them to the store with you and have them help you pick out foods that they like and that are healthy for you and the baby.

As a gestational carrier, make sure to mix protein and carbohydrates when you sit down to eat. You’ll still get energy from the carbohydrates, but the protein will keep you full. Eating a mix of the two will keep your blood sugar sound and keep your appetite in check.

Building healthy eating habits are vital to a self-sufficient plan for healthy nutrition not just for you as a gestational carrier, but also for the child that you are carrying. The general advantages of a nutritious diet, depends entirely on whether or not you can stick to it. Diet reformations that are simple to follow are more effective over unreasonable variations that you, as a gestational carrier, will struggle with.

Surrogacy 101

JSADev10 Leave a comment

There are some states where surrogacy is considered legal. An example of this would be the Golden State of California, where there are already developed regulations on the procedure. Despite the emerging fame of this medical procedure, there are lots of people who are still confused with this process.

 

How is this procedure defined?

Before we define Surrogacy, let us understand why it came about in the first place. It is a known fact that not all can easily procreate and start their own family. This is true for infertile heterosexual couples and gay couples who, obviously, can’t bear their own child since they are of the same sex.

Science has come up with an answer in the form of Surrogacy. This process becomes possible by means of IVF; this is the process of fertilizing an egg outside the human body. If the woman is not capable of carrying the fertilized egg (embryo) to term, the solution is surrogacy. Therefore, this can be defined as the process by which a couple (intended parents) goes into contract with another woman (surrogate) to carry their fertilized egg or embryo.

 

Is there an association between the surrogate and the child?

There is a term specifically called, “gestational surrogacy,” which implies the surrogate carries the child in her womb and does not have any genetic association with the baby. Traditional surrogacy, on the other hand, involves either natural or most commonly, artificial insemination using the intended father’s sperm and the surrogate’s egg. This creates a genetic connection and is somewhat considered legally complex.

 

Are there circumstances that a surrogate claims the child?

Just before a surrogate is ultimately chosen, testing and screenings will be administered to check the surrogate’s overall capacity to carry out this procedure. To safeguard the best interests of all parties concerned, legal documentations are created and acknowledged to ensure that certain expectations are laid out and followed.

 

How much is the cost?

Admittedly, this process is expensive. There are a lot of costs to consider starting with the surrogate’s compensation down to the medical bills. It is ideal to find the best agency or clinic to know which can cater to the intended parents’, as well as the surrogate’s specific needs.

 

Is Surrogacy legal?

In Florida, as well as other states like Oregon, and Illinois, this procedure is considered legal and also have their own defined laws on the process. Some states, however, have their own different insights on the matter such as New York and New Jersey.

Surrogate Compensation

JSADev10 Leave a comment

Surrogate Compensation 

When one makes the selfless choice to become a surrogate, payment hardly becomes the top concern. That goes without mentioning the physical and emotional changes that a surrogate mom undergoes. Many folks understand that surrogacy is a very challenging role and that the compensation received is sometimes not equivalent to the sacrifice involved from the surrogate mother. Nonetheless, a surrogate mom should be compensated fairly.

 

Surrogate Compensation: Costs for Services

Surrogacy expenses are not all the same since it varies from agency to agency. Fees for application are paid by the intended parents, the cost of which normally work upwards of around $500, with legal costs typically come at $15,000. These expenses do not go straight to surrogate mom, but they go towards the direction of ensuring that she and the intended parents actually shielded economically.

 

Surrogate Compensation: Surrogate Cost

Turning into a surrogate is comparable to working full time, thus intended moms and dads usually recompense surrogate with a cash fee, which is determined and agreed upon prior to pregnancy; as well as ensuring that payment for various other costs are covered.

Expect that a first time surrogate mom will earn around $25,000 to $35,000 lower than what  an experienced surrogate is entitled to.

 

Surrogate Compensation: Additional Fees and Costs

As discussed above, a surrogate mom’s health care expenses are already settled by the intended moms and dads, this mainly consists of doctor’s appointments as well as other medical expenses incurred.

There are instances that will be out of the surrogate mom’s control that can still be covered by the intended parents. An instance, will be when the surrogate is kicked out of her property. There is this “back up plan” offered by the intended parents to ensure that her overall well being is still protected.

Understanding Surrogacy in Arkansas

JSADev10 Leave a comment

The legitimacy of surrogacy in the USA is actually still an on-going controversy. In addition to having surrogacy legal in some states in the US, it is the rules concerning the treatment that complexes the matter, and also increases inquiries coming from different communities in the country. Once you and your partner have decided to sign up for surrogacy services, you will need to familiarize yourself with information regarding surrogacy laws and legal issues per state. This will ease a little of the overwhelming feeling you are bound to get once you start your research on the topic.

The Basic Elements of Surrogacy Agreements

A legal professional with an extensive knowledge of Surrogacy laws is a key participant that will assist you in coming up with a contract with your surrogate. It is ideal to have independent or separate lawyers as well.

Having a list similar to the one below is important to outline the items that are essential to be agreed upon with your surrogate.

1. Names of parties involved, namely, the couple and the surrogate.

2. Must be of Legal Age.

3. Number of attempts.

4. The process of achieving surrogate’s pregnancy, like “no sexual intercourse.”

5. Agreement to sustain and continue the pregnancy.

6. A declaration that the mother cannot conceive a child and sustain a pregnancy.

7. Statement of in depth medical and mental condition of the woman who carries the intended

parents baby as agreed.

8. Medical insurance for all parties involved in the placement of the embryo.

9. Modern technology or practices involving the placement of the embryo.

10. Close monitoring and checking of surrogate’s activities as well as medication ingested.

11. Agreement on regular prenatal medical health care

12. Restriction on surrogate’s activities that may be considered threatening to pregnancy and the

birthing process.

13. Parental rights of the surrogate.

14. The presence of the couple during birth.

15. Legal or physical custody of the surrogate and the couple once the child is delivered.

16. Financial considerations before, during, and after pregnancy.

17. Confidentiality terms.

The items discussed above covers much of what is needed, but it is better to consider other factors to help you prepare for cases that you are not yet aware of. Planning ahead is critical at this stage to avoid having problems that will not only affect you but also the child‘s welfare.

Surrogate’s Compensation

The surrogate’s pay is one of the many issues to expect when deciding to opt for surrogacy. This answers the question on how just how much a surrogate is entitled to. It also covers the schedule of payment – before and during pregnancy checkups and medications, child delivery, and after birth. Expect more issues to arise if the childbirth is complicated or compromised due to medical issues. Given this, it is strongly advisable for all possible cases to be anticipated and covered, which includes fiscal commitments and insurances. Take note as well that whatever compensation a traditional or gestational surrogate gets, it is important to know that they are not an employee. Even if the surrogate does it for free, they are still not qualified under the definition of employee-employer relationship.

Gestational or Traditional Surrogacy

It is essential to know the difference between these two types of Surrogacy procedures. Traditional Surrogacy is the process wherein the surrogate undergoes artificial insemination or IVF by combining the surrogate’s eggs with the sperm of the donor. In this case, the surrogate has a genetic connection to the child, which could be very risky because of the said genetic link.

Gestational Surrogacy on the other hand, is the process wherein the surrogate carries the pregnancy and delivers the child from an already fertilized embryo. The egg and sperm are from the couples who request the help of a surrogate. In this case, the surrogate serves only as a carrier for the child, and there is no genetic link involved.

Legal Matters Post-Birth Adoption

There are still many legalities to be checked and agreed upon prior to or after the child’s birth. In many states, legal courts allow the intended parent’s name directly indicated on the child’s birth certificate. In other states, the surrogate’s name is the one placed on the birth documents, which can be amended in the future when the order for the intended parent’s come and be listed. Some states allow pre-birth order, however only under certain conditions. The main point is to know and understand the laws of each state in terms of surrogacy.

How To Select A Gestational Surrogate in Arkansas

JSADev10 Leave a comment

For most couples, starting a family is as easy as 1-2-3; but, for some, they may opt to choose a surrogate carrier or a gestational surrogate. So how does a couple select a gestational surrogate?

A gestational surrogate is defined as a woman bearing the child for another couple or single parent who wishes to have a child; but can not bear to go through the process of a normal pregnancy. Choosing a gestational surrogate has a course that usually has to be followed. Still, it is always a good idea to consult with your own preferred doctor.

Choosing the Right Agency for You

A couple or single parent usually has an ideal surrogate carrier in mind. There are many agencies that offer this service so always choose the one that you feel most comfortable with. Read feedbacks from other couples or single parents who have already used the service and the reason why these couples or single parents chose them in the first place?

Selecting A Gestational Surrogate

After choosing the agency to work with, finding the right candidate for the gestational surrogate is the next step. It is always best to consult with your OB/Gyne or reproductive endocrinologist regarding the medical history of the GS that you plan to work with.

The Ideal Gestational Surrogate

The gestational surrogate should ideally be drug and disease-free during the pre-natal and post-natal stages, and between the ages of 21 to 40 years old. If you or your partner chooses to go through in vitro fertilization, make sure to choose your preferred Reproductive Endocrinologist.
In Conclusion

The process of finding the right gestational surrogate may take some time. Remember that using the service of a GS is not for everyone; there will be a lot of emotions that will run through your mind.

A gestational surrogate is defined as a woman bearing the child for another couple or single parent who wishes to have a child; but cannot bear to go through the process of a normal pregnancy. Choosing a gestational surrogate has a course that usually has to be followed. After choosing the agency to work with, finding the right candidate for the gestational surrogate is the next step. The gestational surrogate should ideally be drug and disease-free during the pre-natal and post-natal stages, and between the ages of 21 to 40 years old. The process of finding the right gestational surrogate may take some time.

Ideal Organic Food Diet for Surrogate Mothers in Arkansas

JSADev10 Leave a comment

During pregnancy, surrogate mothers in Arkansas are eating for two. Eating a well-balanced diet not only provides your body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs to stay healthy, but provides the unborn baby with the nutrients he or she needs to grow and develop. Surrogate mothers need increased amounts of vitamins and minerals to support the health and growth of the unborn baby. Vitamin supplements are also recommended.

There are foods you should limit or avoid during pregnancy, especially foods that have been treated with pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals, but organic foods are foods that are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Meat and dairy products must not be produced using antibiotics, growth hormones, or feed composed of animal products in order to be considered organic.

Organic food is very expensive — often twice the price of the same, non-organic product. If you have a limited budget, eat only organic fruits and vegetables. The health benefits of organic meat, poultry, eggs, and milk are not clear. You can even cut corners by purchasing only certain organic fruits and vegetables that have not been exposed to large amounts of pesticide or herbicide. Traditionally, grapes, peaches, strawberries, winter squash, green beans, apples, spinach and tomatoes have high levels of pesticide. You can consume non-organic foods that have inedible peels, such as oranges, or have outer layers that can be removed, such as lettuce.

Supplement your diet with vitamins. Vitamins and minerals help you maintain good health. As a surrogate mother in *state*, your food is not only providing your body with nutrients, but also that of the unborn child. Usually a well-balanced diet provides all the vitamins and minerals you need, but surrogate mothers in Arkansas often take a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid and other vital nutrients needed during pregnancy. When choosing a vitamin or vitamins, make sure it contains folic acid, iron, and Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. Folic acid helps prevent nervous system disorders in the unborn child and protects mothers from cancer and stroke. Surrogate mothers in Arkansas should ingest 600 mg of folic acid every day.

Eating a diet that consists of organic fruits, vegetables, whole grain, and dairy products and lean protein sources such as beans, legumes, poultry, low-fat red meat, and fish low in mercury will give your body the widest array of vitamins and minerals. A well-balanced diet also provides your body with fiber, which is necessary for intestinal health, and calcium and vitamin D, which promote bone strength for you and your baby. If you can afford it, you can switch your diet to organic foods to ensure better health and development for you and your baby.

[message/]

Surrogate Cost Insurance Questions & Answers

Surrogate Cost: The 3 Biggest Surrogacy Insurance Questions Answered

JSADev10 Leave a comment

Surrogacy is a wonderful journey that leads to the creation of families, but there are a lot of details to be worked out, and the process can be confusing. One of the biggest sources of confusion is the overall surrogate cost. The biggest factor that affects the financial aspect is the surrogacy insurance coverage. Because the surrogate insurance has such a big impact on the financial cost, it is important to understand as much as possible about how the coverage works. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about surrogacy insurance:

Question 1: What is the advantage of being covered for surrogacy over someone who has no surrogacy insurance coverage?

The intended parents face a great deal of expenses regarding the surrogacy process. They have to pay for fertility medications, the surrogate’s stipend, agency fees and legal expenses. If a surrogate already has insurance coverage for surrogacy, the intended parents would not have to purchase a separate policy for her. Because they do not have to buy an insurance policy for that surrogate, using that surrogate is more affordable for the intended parents than using a surrogate without the surrogacy insurance coverage. Because of this, the intended parents may be more inclined to choose a surrogate who already has surrogacy insurance coverage over one with no insurance coverage so that they can save money on the surrogate cost.

Question 2: Another surrogate uses the same insurance company that I do and she got paid on her claims. Since I am using the same insurance company, will my surrogacy claims get paid, too?

No, not necessarily. Insurance policies and rules change and vary from state to state, time to time, and employer to employer. It is not a good idea to assume that because you are using the same company that you have the same policy. Surrogate agencies are experienced in researching insurance benefits for surrogacy. Ask your surrogate agency for assistance with investigating your insurance benefits.

Question 4: I qualify for Medicaid. Will Medicaid cover my surrogacy?

No, not necessarily. Another common mistake surrogates make is that they make the assumption that Medicaid always covers pregnancy. Pregnancy care and surrogacy are not considered as the same thing by the insurance company. Your surrogate agency will be able to contact medicaid for you and verify your coverage for surrogacy. In all likelihood you will not be covered for surrogacy under medicaid.

These are some of the most common insurance questions frequently asked by surrogate mothers. By understanding these questions, you will get a better idea of how your insurance works and how much they will cover, if any, of the surrogate cost. As a general rule to remember, it is not wise to assume that your insurance will just cover your claims. It is better to have your surrogate agency handle surrogacy insurance concerns, because they are experts in this field. Having a surrogate agency assist you and the intended parents will help the surrogacy journey be less complicated and more stress free.

[message/]

How to Tell Your Family You Are a Surrogate

How to Tell Your Family You Are a Surrogate

JSADev10 Leave a comment

When you want to become a surrogate mother, it is not an easy task. Along with the numerous responsibilities before, during, and after the surrogacy journey, you will be left with the dilemma of letting your family, children and friends know of your decision to become a surrogate mother for others. Getting all the moral support you can from your family, children, and friends is very important for your surrogacy journey. The moral support your family can give you will help you cope with all the emotions you might feel during pregnancy.

It is important to remember that any pregnancy usually affects those people who are near and dear to you. Your immediate family should be the first ones to find out about your decision to become a surrogate mother. Your husband, parents, and children should be well educated on the surrogacy process. The best time to tell your immediate family about your decision to become a surrogate mother is when you have firmly decided on being a surrogate. Letting your immediate family know the reasons why you decided on being a surrogate will greatly help them understand your purpose and goals. Being truthful with them will help them understand and accept your decision.

Letting your children understand your situation as a surrogate will take a bit of time and patience. Remember that the reaction of your children will depend mainly on what you have told them. Explaining this sort of thing to your children will always call for sensitivity, and most importantly, the truth. You should also consider introducing the concepts and ideas of surrogacy to your children over a period of time, rather than all at once. For example, as you arrange a meeting with the intended parents, you can take the opportunity to bring up these ideas with your children. You can begin talking about families and what makes a family between television shows or after social gatherings with other children so that they can get the importance of family.

For your friends and other relatives, it is highly advisable to not let them know about your situation as a surrogate immediately. The best approach would be to let the pregnancy come up naturally in conversation. The more natural, confident, and happy you are about it, the more accepting they will be to you being a surrogate. If you are nervous and scared of their reaction, they may question your decision. Just remember that they won’t all accept or agree with your decision to become a surrogate mother and this should not affect you.

You should not fool yourself into believing that your pregnancy will not affect the people who are closest to you. It is vital for your family to be well prepared and supportive, and this is a very important aspect for your pregnancy to be a success. They need to fully understand that the baby is not going to be a member of your family. If you have children, you need to make them realize that they are not getting another brother or sister. They need to understand that you are merely providing a service for some couple who were not able to have a baby on their own. Surrogacy can be a very educational and socially expanding experience, not only for yourself and your family, but also your community.

[message/]

Should Pregnant Surrogates Eat Organic Foods?

Should Pregnant Surrogates Eat Organic Foods?

JSADev10 Leave a comment

The goal shared by all intended parents and surrogate mothers is to produce a healthy baby. To ensure that the baby develops properly, it’s very important for the surrogate to eat healthily while she is pregnant. More and more, intended parents are going a step further by asking their surrogates to eat only organic foods. While some surrogates are reluctant to do this, others are entirely willing – after all, it may improve their own health.

As with any significant decision, though, there are pros and cons to be considered.

The downsides include that organic foods can be much more expensive than the same type of non-organically-produced foods. This is due to their higher cost of production. A surrogate may be more willing to eat organic foods if the intended parents offered to pay for the organic foods she eats.

A related issue to that is the fact that organic foods can also be harder to obtain; not every grocery store or supermarket has such a wide selection of organics. They’re a specialty item, after all, and surrogates with fewer options for food-shopping (in rural areas or small towns, for instance) may have trouble shopping for organic foods.

And of course, not every food is available organically. There’s a real possibility that a surrogate eating only organically may have to miss out on some of her favorite foods for the duration of her pregnancy.

There are convenience issues, too. Organics, due to their lack of preservatives, can spoil more easily – shorter shelf-lives, which require more regular shopping.

But there are a lot of good reasons that intended parents ask their surrogates to eat organic foods. Insecticides and additives are potentially harmful if they are passed though to the baby during pregnancy. Organic foods lack insecticides and additives – those things won’t be carried through into the baby.

Health concerns have, from time to time, been raised over genetically modified crops, or meat from animals that have been fed those crops. Organic food, by definition, is not genetically modified, which removes those concerns.

Research has shown, additionally, that organic foods contain more healthy vitamins and minerals, possibly due to the lack of preservatives involved.

And as a side-benefit, if you’re concerned about how animals are treated, organic food is a much better idea. Organic farming requires that animals be fed a natural diet, and are kept (unlike mass-produced ‘factory farm’ meat) in much more humane free-range conditions.

So while organic food can be inconvenient at times and more expensive, it also does provide a much healthier choice for the surrogate and the baby. It’s a big decision that should be weighed seriously from both sides, but there are solid reasons behind why a lot of intended parents do want their surrogate mothers to eat organically during their pregnancy.

[message/]