A lot of knowledgeable surrogacy professionals contributed to this article on Tips for a Successful Surrogacy Journey. It's worth your while to read the entire thing!
Here's my contribution:
I feel that IPs underestimate the timeline as well as the cost. Depending on if they are working on an independent surrogacy journey or with an agency the timeline always seems to be off. If IPs are going independent then often times they underestimate what the budget should be for each step. They also make assumptions (in both cases) that the surrogate will become pregnant on the first round of IVF and will never need bed rest and everything associated with that. There are misconceptions on what a pregnant woman needs in order for her to carry for another couple. Oftentimes the rest of the surrogate’s family is in the background for the IP and they don’t realize how much support the husband gives and how children impact the entire journey.
As for women wanting to become surrogate, they often think that because they became pregnant so easily and had no real complications that the expectation is that the next pregnancy would be the same, smooth sailing, which is often not the case. Another mistake I see from surrogates that any complication they had with their own pregnancy would not be of interest or affect the outcome of a surrogacy pregnancy. They are often willing to overlook what “could happen” and wear rose-colored glasses so that if/when something unexpected turns up they are in complete shock. You’d think that this mindset would be caught during the mental health evaluation but sometimes it’s not.
Sharon is also the Owner of LaMothe Services, LLC, an ART business solutions service started in 2008 and is the proud founder of LaMothe Surrogacy Consulting, founded in 2010, aimed at teaching IPs and Surrogates about surrogacy and their options, risks & rewards.
www.lamothesurrogacyconsulting.com
@SharonLaMothe
I feel that IPs underestimate the timeline as well as the cost. Depending on if they are working on an independent surrogacy journey or with an agency the timeline always seems to be off. If IPs are going independent then often times they underestimate what the budget should be for each step. They also make assumptions (in both cases) that the surrogate will become pregnant on the first round of IVF and will never need bed rest and everything associated with that. There are misconceptions on what a pregnant woman needs in order for her to carry for another couple. Oftentimes the rest of the surrogate’s family is in the background for the IP and they don’t realize how much support the husband gives and how children impact the entire journey.
As for women wanting to become surrogate, they often think that because they became pregnant so easily and had no real complications that the expectation is that the next pregnancy would be the same, smooth sailing, which is often not the case. Another mistake I see from surrogates that any complication they had with their own pregnancy would not be of interest or affect the outcome of a surrogacy pregnancy. They are often willing to overlook what “could happen” and wear rose-colored glasses so that if/when something unexpected turns up they are in complete shock. You’d think that this mindset would be caught during the mental health evaluation but sometimes it’s not.
Sharon is also the Owner of LaMothe Services, LLC, an ART business solutions service started in 2008 and is the proud founder of LaMothe Surrogacy Consulting, founded in 2010, aimed at teaching IPs and Surrogates about surrogacy and their options, risks & rewards.
www.lamothesurrogacyconsulting.com
@SharonLaMothe
Posted by: Sharon LaMothe~
Founder of LaMothe Surrogacy Consulting
Owner LaMothe Services
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