Becoming a Surrogate Mother: Why It May Be Right for You

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Where Do I Start?

• Becoming a surrogate mother is a life choice with
  many benefits for you, your family and your
  future.
• Making the decision to become a surrogate should
  not be taken lightly.
• Here are some of the reasons why becoming a
  surrogate mother may be right for you, and be a
  wonderful, life-enhancing step.

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for the Role of Surrogate Mom?

• Ask yourself some basic questions to start
  evaluating whether this is the role for you.
• Do you enjoy the feeling of helping others? Your
  choice to become a surrogate enables a couple or
  individual to begin or grow their own family. The
  knowledge of your contribution to their lives is
  deeply rewarding.
• Have you successfully given birth already?
  Surrogate agencies require that you have
  delivered a healthy child and that you are
  currently in good health. You will undergo a
  series of medical tests and evaluations to become
  eligible.
• Are you prepared to become involved with another
  family in this highly intimate way? Surrogates
  may establish emotional ties to the family and
  the child that last a lifetime.

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• Many of todays surrogacies follow the
  gestational method, using the intended parents
  own ovum and sperm cell, which are then implanted
  in the surrogate mother.1,5
• You can choose which family you will help.2 Some
  arrangements are made independently among very
  close friends or even family members, with
  detailed, expert legal advice.
• Surrogacy laws are different in each state, and
  some states still ban the practice. In states
  that permit it, hopeful parents may travel from
  other states or countries to take advantage of
  professional groups, like one of the Austin,
  Texas surrogate agencies.

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of Becoming a Surrogate?

• NOTE Before contracting with one of the
  surrogacy agencies in California or elsewhere, be
  sure the terms of your agreement are all in
  writing and clearly spelled out, so that you know
  where your rights and obligations begin and end.
• You should receive free, fully covered health
  care before, during, and immediately after the
  pregnancy and birth.2
• Most surveys show fees for commercial surrogacies
  in a range from 12,000 to 25,000 per
  pregnancy.5 Keep in mind that the dollar value of
  health and insurance benefits you receive is
  significant. Some arrangements include a clothing
  allowance to accommodate your special needs while
  pregnant.
• Life insurance should be covered as well, to
  account for the natural risks involved in any
  pregnancy and childbirth.

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to Become a Surrogate?

• Call on close, supportive people around you, like
  family members and close friends, for advice and
  discussion of the pros and cons.
• Consult with your own family physician and OB/GYN
  doctor to advise you.
• Be sure to thoroughly discuss the implications
  with your own spouse or significant other.
  Sometimes, surrogates may have to spend up to 4
  weeks refraining from sexual intercourse while on
  medications and following an embryo transfer.

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as a Surrogate Mother?

• Even if you choose to become a surrogate mother
  for primarily financial reasons, you have ethical
  and other responsibilities to fulfill.
• The baby you carry is depending on you for a
  healthy, safe start in life.
• Follow your doctors advice and refrain from
  smoking or drinking alcohol while pregnant. Know
  the risks of pregnancy and what you can do to
  protect your health and that of this new life.
• Be sure you understand all aspects of your
  contractual agreement, whether done through an
  agency or one-on-one with the intended parents.
  Be sure the arrangement protects your best
  interests as well as those of the intended
  parents and child.

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Surrogacy Agency

• As a surrogate mother, you are embarking on an
  emotional as well as a physical journey that will
  change lives.
• Evaluate surrogacy programs in your area before
  making a choice. Read impartial online sources,
  blogs, and forums to learn about others
  experiences. Then choose the most reputable
  agency available.
• Be sure you understand the laws governing
  surrogacy in your state. Compare the policies of
  your potential agency before making your final
  choice.
• Finally, prepare to enjoy the beauty and rewards
  of this most natural process, as you help another
  familys dreams come true.

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Around Assisted Reproductive Technology?

• An estimated 50,000 babies are conceived each
  year with the use of assisted reproductive
  technology (ART). The number of births using
  gestational surrogacy is reported to have grown
  89 between 2004 to 2008.5
• As many as 11.8 of women ages 15-44 have some
  impairment to fertility.4
• It is estimated that 7.3 million women ages 15-44
  have used some type of fertility services. 4
• There are approximately 480 fertility clinics in
  the U.S.4

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• Family Creations, LLC is an Egg Donor and
  Surrogate program that has achieved international
  recognition by making dreams come true for
  families facing fertility challenges of all
  kinds. They apply the most rigorous attention to
  matching appropriate surrogates and agencies with
  the most suitable intended parents.
• Contact them for assistance in finding your
  surrogate or becoming a surrogate, at
  www.familycreations.net, or call one of their
  locations in Woodland Hills, CA at 818-225-1700
  in San Francisco, CA at 415-775-1700 or in
  Austin, TX at 512-514-9829.

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1. http//everydaylife.globalpost.com/surrogate-mothe
   r-pros-cons-9368.html
2. http//www.livestrong.com/article/88726-benefits-s
   urrogate-mother/
3. http//healthresearchfunding.org/pros-cons-surroga
   cy/
4. http//www.surrogacy-surrogate-mother.com/surrogac
   y-statistics.html
5. http//www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/pageD
   ocuments/KAEVEJ0A1M.pdf

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Summary

• Explore the benefits of becoming a surrogate
  mother, and whether it may be the right choice
  for you.
• Learn about the responsibilities and advantages
  of using a surrogacy program before embarking on
  a momentous, life-changing adventure that will
  make a familys dreams come true.