Personal Development Guide for Surrogate Mothers

As a surrogate mother, personal development can be a lot to take in and execute given the complexity of the human psyche. This article is developed to guide you in the right path and give you easy to apply tips that will improve your personal development goals as a surrogate.

For starters, be in the presence of positive people. They are sure to bring a lot of joy and positivity that will surely flush out any negative energy you get from people who aren’t as encouraging of your self-improvement aspirations.

Exercising is another useful tip. Not only will it keep your body fit but will make you feel good about yourself. This is beneficial for surrogate mothers who need a boost every now and then.

Take advantage of breaks. Whenever you find yourself in a rut, take a breather. It will help you see things in a better light and get your brain working again. Taking regular breaks is good because it gives you the chance to recharge your mind, so when you resume work, you’ll be able to get a whole lot more done.

Keep a journal with you so whenever thoughts hit, you can write them down.  As a surrogate mother, this is exactly a good idea as this will allow you to keep track of changes or moods that are important to you. Bring some paper with you when you go out. Write down your idea in detail, and then go back to it when you feel like it.

Last but not the least, do a self check. Ask yourself questions that will help you reassess the way you approach life and how you can do better. Look over your own past experiences. Which events had the most impact on the way you live your life? What transformations have occurred thanks to these events? Thinking deeply about these issues as a surrogate mom can bring awareness and appreciation that are essential to your personal health.

Gestational Carrier’s Nutrition Guide

A healthy and nutritious diet can change your life for the better in so many ways, especially for a gestational carrier. From improving your mood to reducing your risk for various illnesses, choosing your food wisely has countless benefits. Here are some tips on how you can improve your health through 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 buy in the grocery store. Take the time to read the nutritional values on the packages before you make your purchase. Doing so will help you make informed decisions on your food choices.

One of the best things you can do to ensure proper nutrition as a gestational carrier is to include a good multi-vitamin in your daily regimen. This will be more or less, provided for you by the soon to be parents and prescribed by your health practitioner.  A good multi-vitamin for a gestational carrier should be balanced and prescribed by your physician’s recommendations for you, not the RDA. These multivitamins provide your body with the necessary levels of various 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 considering your nutrition as a gestational carrier, it is important to keep the soon to be parents involved throughout the whole process. This will make them feel excited and bring about a feeling of value and importance. 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 stable and keep your appetite in check.

Building healthy eating habits are vital to a sustainable plan for healthy nutrition not just for you as a gestational carrier, but also for the child that you are carrying. The overall effectiveness of a healthy diet, hinges entirely on whether or not you can stick to it. Diet alterations that are easy to accept are preferable over extreme modifications that you, as a gestational carrier, will struggle with.

When considering your nutrition as a gestational carrier, be sure to watch out for foods that may appear healthy but end up being quite the opposite. There can be a lot of fats and sodium in supposedly 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 vital for you to be careful with what you put in your body.

Surrogate Compensation

The charges that carry out on surrogate compensation does not go straight to the surrogate mother, but go to making certain that she as well as planned moms and dads are actually defended economically.

Coming to be a surrogate is actually comparable to taking an all time task, thus desired moms and dads normally make up surrogate compensation along with a cash money expense, which is actually determined in agreement prior to maternity, as properly as settling for additional and also health care expenditures. The ordinary rate that a very first time surrogate could count on to gain is actually in variety of $25,000 to $35,000, along with surrogate experts receiving spent much higher volumes. As explained over, surrogate mother’s clinical expenditures are actually presently settled for through planned moms and dads, which features ob-gyn check-ups as well as any kind of added clinical treatment essential for surrogate’s overall health and wellness.

Surrogate Payment

When one undertakes selection to come to be a surrogate, settlement is actually often never ever a best concern. This goes without pointing out that being actually a surrogate mom can easily be actually fairly challenging both physically and psychologically.
Many folks learn that surrogacy is actually worth even more in comparison to the sacrifice that a surrogate accepts.

Surrogate Remuneration: Costs for Support Service

Surrogacy expenses contrast coming from company to company. Function expenses for desired parents normally operate upwards of around $500, while lawful costs typically get to $15,000. These charges carry out , does necessarily go straight to the surrogate mother, but they carry out go in the direction of guaranteeing that she as well as desired moms and dads are actually secured fiscally.

Surrogate Settlement: Surrogate Cost

Ending up being a surrogate is actually identical to approving an all time task, thus desired moms and dads normally recompense surrogate along with a money expense, which is actually predisposed in agreement prior to maternity, as effectively as paying off for additional expenses, as well as health care costs. An ordinary cost that a first time surrogate may anticipate to gain is actually in variety of $25,000 to $35,000, along with surrogate experts obtaining spent greater volumes.

Surrogate Compensation: Additional Expenditures

As gone over aforementioned, a surrogate mother’s health care costs are actually presently settled for through desired moms and dads, which features ob-gyn visits- to and from the clinic, and also any type of added clinical treatment essential for surrogate’s standard overall health. An instance will actually be if a surrogate mommy is actually forced out coming from her home. Backing her would certainly be accessible through desired moms and dads’ funds to sustain her residing safety and securely.

Understanding Surrogacy in Oregon

The legality of surrogacy in the USA can be considered somewhat a hot topic for debate. It doesn’t help that its legality vary per state. For anyone who is interested to give surrogacy a shot, it is critical to know the laws per state. This is helpful for both the intended parents and surrogate to learn the basics and the legalities surrounding this procedure.

The Basic Elements of Surrogacy Agreements

A legal professional with an extensive knowledge of Surrogacy laws will play a pivotal role as the agreement is created with the woman acting as the surrogate mother. It is also ideal to have independent or separate lawyers as well.

The conditions itemized below are important and must be discussed openly with your surrogate.

1. Names of parties involved, namely, the couple and the surrogate.
2. Must be of Legal Age.
3. Number of tries or attempts.
4. The method 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 extensive medical and mental condition of the surrogate, 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 care.
12. Restriction on surrogate’s activities that may be considered dangerous to the 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 would be better to take note of other factors that will help you prepare for cases that you may not be aware of. Being one step ahead is critical at this stage to avoid having problems that will not only affect you but also the child‘s best interests.

Surrogate’s Pay

The surrogate’s compensation is considered to be one of the many challenges to expect when deciding to go for surrogacy. This answers the question on how much a surrogate gets paid for her services. Take note as well that whatever compensation a traditional or gestational surrogate gets, it is important to know that they are not an employee. Disqualification comes into play even if the surrogate does it for free, meaning, she is still not qualified under the definition of employee-employer relationship.

Gestational or Traditional Surrogacy

Traditional Surrogacy is the procedure wherein the surrogate goes through artificial insemination or IVF by mixing the surrogate’s eggs with the sperm of the donor. In this case, the surrogate has a genetic link to the child, which could be very risky because of the said genetic link.

Gestational Surrogacy on the other hand, is the procedure wherein the surrogate carries the pregnancy and delivers the child from an already fertilized embryo. The egg and sperm are from the couples who required the services 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 a lot of legalities to check and agree 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 circumstances. The main point is to know and understand the laws of each state in terms of surrogacy.

How To Select A Gestational Surrogate in Oregon

For most couples, starting a family is as easy as 1-2-3; but, for some, they may opt to choose a gestational surrogate or a surrogate carrier. 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. Before this, the first step would have to be choosing the right agency for you. There are many agencies that offer this service so always choose the one that you feel most comfortable with. Always remember that this will be the agency that you will have to work alongside with for the next 12 to 24 months. Do your research; make sure that the agency is well established. Read feedbacks from single parents or other couples who have already used the reason and the service why these couples or single parents chose them in the first place? It is always best to trust your gut instincts.

Selecting A Gestational Surrogate

After choosing the agency to work with, finding the right candidate for the gestational surrogate is the next step. The ideal candidate should have had at least one successful pregnancy, with no background on miscarriages, abortions, bleeding or any other medical issues that may be a risk factor. 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. A thorough medical examination must be performed on the GS so that any complications may be prevented. This will include, but not limited to: a physical examination, laboratory examinations, ultrasounds, a comprehensive medical history check, psychological examinations, and screening for any threatening diseases.

The Ideal Gestational Surrogate

The gestational surrogate should ideally be drug and disease-free during the post-natal and pre-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. Arm yourself with a lot of information, a full heart, and the possibility that your baby will soon be in your arms. 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. In the end, what everyone wants is someone to hold close, carry, and another human being to call their own.

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. 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.

Communicating with your gestational surrogate.

Intended Parents 101: Communicating with Your Gestational Surrogate

Communicating with your gestational surrogate during the surrogacy journey is very important to its success. The surrogate agency you work with will make sure that all of your preferences are met in finding an ideal gestational surrogate to assist you. The degree of communication and relationship you want with a gestational surrogate will really depend on you and your partner’s preferences. So it is very important to be truthful with your agency when disclosing this information.

After you have disclosed your personal preferences on the type of relationship and communication you want with a gestational surrogate, your surrogate agency will match you with a gestational surrogate who shares the same preferences with you and your partner. If you would like to keep your relationship with your gestational surrogate on a more personal level – meaning you want to have a close working relationship with open communication – your surrogate agency will find you a gestational surrogate who wants the same type of relationship.

If you prefer a more “business like” relationship with your gestational surrogate, your agency will pair you up with a suitable gestational surrogate who shares the same preferences. In this scenario, your agency will be doing most of the communicating with your gestational surrogate and will be informing you of any doctor’s appointments or checkups that you may want to attend with your gestational surrogate.

Communicating with your gestational surrogate is now easier than ever thanks to the services of a reliable surrogate agency. Remember, a good surrogate agency should be able to provide excellent services and support all throughout your surrogacy journey. They should be able to assist you in any way possible to make the journey a lot easier and more stress free for you and your partner.

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Communicating with your gestational surrogate.

Surrogates in Oregon and Their Relationship with the Intended Parents

Surrogates in Oregon and their rapport with the intended parents is exclusively unique in its own way. Mounting a rich understanding of your expectations of the relationship and allocating those specifics with your surrogacy agency and each other is important.

The prime areas to focus discussions about your surrogate relationship concerns are regularity of communication, types of communication, and the overall tone of your personal relationship. This relationship can be reflected many different ways or you may indicate that you do not wish to have a relationship. Every intended parent’s approach will be different, as will that of the surrogates in Oregon.

Relationships evolve and change over time. Being aware of this creates a balance with your surrogate mother, enabling a healthy relationship to develop and grow.

Surrogates in Oregon must have a balance of communication between themselves and intended parents. It can be a delicate process involving each of you. Determining the amount of communication and gaining an insight into the surrogate’s expectations should be carefully considered. Some intended parents like high levels of interaction, regular updates via e-mail or phone, and the expectancy of attending the doctor appointments.

It is extremely essential to some intended parents to be included in the pregnancy. Similarly, some surrogates in Oregon also desire this close bond with their intended parents and may be disappointed if the intended parents choose not to engage in regular contact throughout the journey and beyond. Many choose to have a life-long friendship even after the birth.

A small percentage of intended parents and surrogates in Oregon feel compelled to have a small dose of contact such as quick updates and texts or phone conversation. Before entering into a surrogacy agreement together, it is important that several discussions take place as to the desirable amount of communication that will take place throughout the pregnancy and beyond.

It is important to talk with your partner about what type of relationship you would like to have with your surrogate before, during and after pregnancy. There are so many advantages and disadvantages to both options. The final decision ultimately rests on your shoulders and your personal preferences.

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Gay Intended Parents 101: Simple Ways to Bond with Your Newborn

Intended Parents 101: Simple Ways to Bond with Your Newborn

One of the major fears gay parents face is whether they will bond or connect with their newborn, but most intended parents don’t realize that this is a very common worry amongst all types of parents. Here are some helpful tips and ideas to help gay parents bond with their newborn baby:

  • Before your newborn arrives, it is best to join a support group or a network with other gay parents that have tried surrogacy. The more you are able to talk through your fears, learn suggestions and hear stories from other parents, the more you will be prepared and have reasonable expectations of the initial months with your newborn. Reading books on parenting and watching DVDs or TV programs will help you feel ready when your newborn is placed in your arms.
  • Once your newborn arrives, it is best to focus on nurturing and meeting the baby’s needs. This is one of the main ways that parents and children bond to each other. You and your partner need to pay close attention to the nurturing tasks you are doing for your newborn, like feeding, changing, dressing and holding. By coming to your child when called and when you are needed, you will build trust and a feeling of safety which is at the basis of bonding. Responding to your baby’s cries or perceived “neediness” with consistency, love, and gentleness will let them slowly know that you are the parent and you can be depended on. For babies, dependency is a good thing.
  • Talk to your newborn. Language is a key element of connection and will help your baby in his development. Even with a newborn, it is important to talk and sing and coo and use your voice to share information and emotion. You can talk while you are doing care-taking tasks, talk about what you’re doing, and talk while you’re taking a walk. Even though you may think your child doesn’t understand you, you are conveying attachment and sharing information when you talk to him or her.
  • Play. Play is one of the joys of both parenthood and childhood. Before you know it, your newborn will be in the terrible teens and you will miss the days when you were his or her favorite playmate. For infants and babies, traditional games like peek-a-boo and singing games are wonderful ways to interact and bond, as well as teach your baby.
  • Touch. This may seem like a no-brainer, but touch is a key element in attachment and bonding. With an infant or baby, you will be holding your child to feed, rock, and comfort. A thousand words of comfort and security can easily be conveyed to your newborn through touch.

These are just some of the simple ways gay parents can bond with their newborn. By learning all the important skills new parents need to care and nurture for their child, you can easily build a lasting bond with your newborn baby.

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7 Critical Personality Traits A Surrogate Should Possess

7 Critical Personality Traits A Surrogate Should Possess

As intended parents, you want to find the best surrogate mother for your surrogacy needs. Due to the growing number of people experiencing infertility in the United States, surrogacy has become more widely recognized, and more women today understand the concept of surrogacy and want to help others by choosing to be a surrogate. But with the increasing number of surrogates, it gets difficult to choose the right one for you. To help you get started on this wonderful surrogacy journey, here are a few characteristics you need to look for in a surrogate mother:

  • Honesty. Intended parents need to be able to trust their surrogate completely. A surrogate mother should be honest with the intended parents that chose her to work with them. All questions intended parents might have should be answered truthfully. Honesty is the most important part in any surrogacy relationship and greatly helps with its success.
  • Reliable. A good surrogate should be reliable with the intended parents. The surrogate mother should always make herself available for her intended parents or surrogate agency. Since the surrogate plays an important role, intended parents need to know that they can depend on their surrogate. To be a surrogate means being both reliable as well as professional.
  • Healthy. A good surrogate mother should not just be healthy enough to carry a child to term. She should have a good medical history meaning she has no chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. In order to be a surrogate, she should have a good mental history meaning she has no history of mental illnesses such as depression, chronic anxiety and bipolar disorder. She should also maintain a healthy lifestyle by not smoking, drinking or using drugs.
  • Good Communicator. Surrogate mothers should be very vocal when communicating with all involved parties including intended parents, the surrogate agency and the medical personnel. She should provide regular medical updates to the surrogate agency and to the intended parents. She should also alert them if she has concerns about her health or the status of her pregnancy. The surrogate should be able to respond honestly and promptly to both the surrogate agency and the intended parents during the process of surrogacy.
  • Intelligent. A surrogate should be smart enough to understand all the processes involved with surrogacy. She should be able to comprehend all the important legal aspects like the surrogacy contract and relinquishing of all her legal rights to the child. She should also be smart enough to understand all the medical procedures that she will undergo and follow the medical instructions precisely rather than making her own decisions. An intelligent surrogate knows all her responsibilities and understands the gravity of what she will be doing for the intended parents.
  • Nurturing. A good surrogate mother should be nurturing, which means choosing what is best for the baby over what she may want to do. Since the surrogate mother will be carrying the intended parent’s child she should give it the same care as they would during the pregnancy. She should know how to take care of herself and the child she is carrying for the intended parents. A nurturing surrogate mother should be eating healthy, getting enough sleep and making choices that are best for the baby.
  • Responsible. A good surrogate mother should be responsible in her actions. She should follow through with instructions that she is given and be able to complete any tasks that are assigned to her by the intended parents, the surrogate agency or the doctor’s office. A responsible surrogate does what she is told without needing to be reminded. She should act responsibly in informing everyone involved if she has medical concerns.

Knowing for yourself these 7 important characteristics to look for in a surrogate will greatly increase your chance for a successful surrogacy journey. To be a surrogate mother, they should be professional and have the integrity that is embodied by these 7 characteristics. It is vital to identify them in a potential candidate prior to selecting her as your surrogate. A surrogate who possesses these qualities will not only give the intended parents a healthy baby but also a wonderful surrogacy journey.

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Your Top 5 Surrogacy Questions Answered

Your Top 5 Surrogacy Questions Answered

Surrogacy can be a challenging process to comprehend. There are many aspects to this process that need to be understood. As intended parents, you need to know as much information as possible to ensure a hassle free surrogacy. If you happen to be new to surrogacy, here are the top questions and answers:

Top Question 1: What are the types of women that become surrogates?
Generally, surrogate mothers would have to be between 18 to 38 years old. This is one of the most important requirements surrogacy agencies and intended parents look for in a surrogate mother. Another important characteristic is that the surrogate mother should have at least conceived one child to ensure that the surrogate mother can carry pregnancy to term. Finally, the surrogate mother’s top goal should be helping others rather than the monetary compensation involved with surrogacy. In most cases, surrogacy agencies conduct a screening process on surrogate mothers to assure intended parents that they are getting a well-suited surrogate mother. Surrogacy agencies check medical records, financial history and criminal records of surrogate mothers.

Top Question 2: What do Intended Parents look for in a surrogate?
Intended parents normally base their decision on several factors like location of the surrogate mother, level of responsibility, intelligence, health and ability to carry a healthy pregnancy. These are some of the main characteristics that intended parents look for in a surrogate mother. Then there are those intended parents that are very meticulous when choosing a surrogate mother. These intended parents need a surrogate who is in agreement with the level of communication they prefer and someone who agrees to their type and style of relationship during and after the surrogacy. They prefer a surrogate who is not only physically and mentally in line with their expectations but also emotionally.

Top Question 3: Is the surrogate mother properly screened?
It depends. If the referral is coming from an IVF clinic then maybe not, as they generally do not perform the same amount of screening as surrogacy agencies will. If the referral for a surrogate mother comes from a reliable surrogacy agency then the surrogate has passed several mental, emotional and physical screening processes. Surrogacy agencies check medical records from previous pregnancies and conduct psychological and emotional tests on the surrogate mother. If the surrogate is married, her husband will also undergo psychological and medical screening

Top Question 4: Will the Intended Parents and surrogate meet?
It depends on the preference of the intended parents. There are intended parents that prefer not to get emotionally involved with their surrogate. The majority of intended parents however, prefer the “open surrogacy” policy, which means that the intended parents would meet and get to know the surrogate. Meeting the surrogate reassures intended parents that the surrogate’s primary motivation is not the money she earns but rather her desire to help. If the surrogate and the intended parents meet, they can get to know each other and get a better idea if the arrangement will work out.

Top Question 5: As Intended Parents, what are the chances of a successful surrogacy?
In medical terms, a “successful” surrogacy simply means that intended parents end up with a biological child. Since surrogacy involves a complex process like In Vitro Fertilization, the success rate will greatly depend on several factors like the health of the intended parents’ sperm and eggs, ability of the surrogate mother to carry a child to term and health of the surrogate. With these factors taken into consideration, the overall success rate of surrogacy in the US ranges from 70 to 80 percent. Your fertility doctor can give you the rate of success on your surrogacy.

Getting a better understanding of surrogacy before you begin your journey will definitely help you have a successful surrogacy, and understanding these top 5 questions on surrogacy will help you decide on the right thing to do before you start on this very important process. Surrogacy agencies can stand by your side and make the journey a lot easier because they can give you a better idea of what to expect and guide you throughout the whole process.

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