Surrogacy for Single Parents

A single-parent surrogacy is where an individual (male, female, or member of the LGBTQ+ community) pursues surrogacy to become a parent. 

With non-traditional families, irrespective of marital status, now more common, a lot of people in the United States, as well as in the world, are choosing to become single parents. Every year, thousands of children are born to single men and women – mostly through surrogacy.

Not to mention there are many celebrities who chose surrogacy to be single parents such as Lucy Liu, Andy Cohen.

Some agencies even offer exclusive surrogacy programs for single men and women.

Single parents pursuing surrogacy go through the same process, encounter the same difficulties, and enjoy the same benefits as couples do, although there are a few exceptions. In this article, we will look at what surrogacy is like for single parents.

Single Parent Surrogacy Process

Generally, single parents undergo the same surrogacy process as any other Intended Parent. IVF (in vitro fertilization) is performed to produce an embryo which is transferred into a Surrogate Mom, who carries it to full term.

In traditional surrogacy, a single male will look for a Surrogate whose eggs will be used to create the baby. But most Intended Parents prefer gestational surrogacy, in which the Surrogate Mother (also known as a Gestational Carrier) shares no genetic connection with the child born.

Unlike couples who can use their own genetic materials, Single Intended Parents will require the services of donor eggs (for men) and donor sperm (for women) in gestational surrogacy. And that is one big difference between single-parent surrogacy and surrogacy for couples.

Usually, surrogacy agencies will help you look for an Egg Donor and Surrogate simultaneously or refer you to donors and sperm banks they work with. Single fathers and mothers can also decide to use a known donor, e.g., a friend or close relative. Once you’ve determined the donor, you will pass through the same surrogacy process as any other Intended Parent would.

Surrogacy Laws for Single Parent

Surrogacy laws are the same for everyone in the US, whether you are undergoing surrogacy as a couple or as a single parent. However, the legal process of surrogacy is a bit complex. Also, regulations differ from state to state, and since surrogacy is relatively a new family-building option, a lot of these laws are unclear and can differ in application.

Hence, if you are a single parent thinking of pursuing surrogacy, it is important to consult a reputable surrogacy agency and lawyer to have a better understanding of the surrogacy laws that apply in your state and your situation.

Pros and Cons of Single-Parent Surrogacy

Intended Parents have plenty of options for building a family. If you are pursuing surrogacy as a single parent, it is crucial to consider the advantages and challenges before commencing the process. Below are some of the pros and cons of single-parent surrogacy:

PROS

• Surrogacy enables individuals to realize their parenthood dream, even though they are single.
• Hopeful parents can have genetic connections with their babies.
• Surrogacy can help build wonderful, lifetime relationships between intended families and Surrogate Mothers.
• Single-parent surrogacy is sometimes an easier option than adoption since most birth mothers prefer to give out their babies to two-parent households.

CONS

• Surrogacy can be costly, and single parents may encounter more difficulties budgeting with only one income.
• Due to the high costs of surrogacy in the US, a lot of hopeful parents prefer to work with Surrogates abroad. However, surrogacy laws in some countries may forbid single parents from hiring a Surrogate to help build their families.
• Single parents can be stigmatized during the surrogacy process and even after their baby’s birth. Besides, it may be difficult to manage resources and time when pursuing surrogacy as a single parent.

Every potential Intended Parent needs to weigh up the pros and cons of undergoing surrogacy in their present situation.  If you are finding it difficult to decide whether surrogacy is good for you, consult with an experienced surrogacy professional or family counselor for advice and guidance.

Single-Parent Surrogacy versus Single-Parent Adoption

There are two excellent options for people looking to grow their families: adoption and surrogacy. While both are rewarding ways to become a parent, there are several differences you need to consider when choosing which method is ideal for you.

Surrogacy and adoption are both complex processes, each with its own laws, procedures, and types.  Generally, Intended Parents can expect surrogacy and adoption to be different in the following ways:

1. Genetics

Surrogacy enables prospective parents to be biologically related to their baby, while adoption is just the transfer of all legal parental rights from the baby’s natural parents to the adoptive parents. Hence, both options have significantly different legal 8 processes.

For instance, in gestational surrogacy, the law recognizes the hopeful parents as the child’s parents before he or she is born, and the Surrogate Mother has no parental rights over the baby. But in adoption, the biological parent’s rights need to be terminated before a new family can adopt the baby.

2. Cost

Both surrogacy and domestic infant adoption involve various expenses, such as legal costs, agency fees, advertising and matching services, and so on. Additionally, Surrogates are handsomely compensated for their time and sacrifices during the pregnancy, making the cost of surrogacy significantly higher than that of adoption. Plus, there are fewer loans, grants, and tax credits for parents pursuing surrogacy compared to adoptive parents.

3. Wait

Intended Parents looking to adopt a baby may need to wait several months (if not years) to find a pregnant woman that wants to give up her child for adoption.  On the other hand, there are a lot of Surrogates willing and ready to help Intended Parents, which can make the matching process shorter.

4. Control

In general, Intended Parents have more control over their surrogacy process than they have over the adoption process. In gestational surrogacy, the prospective parents select their donor and Surrogate Mother, while in adoption, it is the birth mother that decides which family adopts her baby.

Since hopeful parents have legal rights over the baby before birth and surrogacy agreements are signed prior to pregnancy, the Intended Parent does not need to bother about any disruption and can make sure their Surrogate gets proper prenatal care during her pregnancy.

Bottom line

While a commercial surrogacy program can be expensive, long, and emotionally demanding for hopeful parents, it can also be a highly rewarding way to add a new member to your family. Surrogacy allows single Intended Parents to have genetically related babies, even though they don’t have a partner. With a strong support system in place, the joys of being a single parent are worth the expenses and possible challenges.

Physician’s Surrogacy specializes in catering services to single parents and LGBTQ+ couples. To learn more about what your path to single parenthood through surrogacy looks like, simply get in touch with us through complimentary consultation or chat option.