5 Reasons to Become a Surrogate
By Linsay Ambeault
There's no cookie cutter for what makes a good surrogate. They're a diverse group of women with varied interests who come from all walks of life. All it takes is a giving heart and a willingness to help others. Here are 5 reasons to become a surrogate:
1. For the experience
For most moms, life is pretty standard. Work, take care of the kids, clean the house. Here’s an opportunity to step outside of the everyday and into an adventure. To do things you wouldn’t normally do and meet people you wouldn’t normally meet. Becoming a surrogate means breaking down walls and having the rare opportunity to see life from someone else’s perspective. If your own family is complete, it’s the opportunity to enjoy pregnancy again, without the responsibility that comes with parenthood.
Is it hard? Yes. Everything worthwhile is a challenge. Parenting is hard. Running a marathon is hard. Getting your degree is hard. But the feeling of accomplishment will last the rest of your life. Your surro-baby will not just be someone’s child, but someone’s classmate. Someone’s student. Someone’s closest friend. Maybe someday they’ll be a doctor or a teacher or a surrogate themselves. The impact you make will change so many lives. It doesn’t end 9 months from now.
2. To make a difference
How often do you genuinely get to make an impact on the world? To change the course of someone’s life? To level the playing field for someone deserving.
Watching someone’s dreams come true - because of you - is the most humbling and empowering experience you could imagine. You haven’t just created parents, you’ve created grandparents, aunts, uncles, turned an only child into a brother or sister. Someday your intended parents will be grandparents. All because you gave the ultimate gift. So few people get to make that kind of impact on another human being in their lifetime.
We all have the power to change the world somehow. We touch lives and hearts all around us. After doing a journey, you’ll never look at the world the same way again. You’ll realize this was part of your purpose.
3. To set an example
Your kids are watching you. The values you model for them will shape the adults they become. You can demonstrate a whole new meaning of kindness - that it’s better to give than to receive. To step boldly into a journey of great magnitude holds the power to redefine family in the eyes of the people around you, be it your children, your own parents, or your community.
Contribute to a rising movement of women lifting up other women by helping another woman live her dream to become a mother. Be the ultimate LGBTQ ally by helping a same sex couple or single have the family they thought was out of reach.
The world has never been a fair place. Why not level the playing field for someone else? What better example to set for the next generation than improving the quality of life for someone?
4. To redefine family
You look around you and see so many different families. Step families, blended families, adoptive families, families with LGBTQ parents. Maybe your own family is unconventional. Maybe you’re surrounded with chosen family. We’re all part of the human community.
There was a time, not so long ago, when people couldn’t get married if one was black and one was white, and more recently, if they were both the same sex. It’s hard to imagine. People who love each other should be able to get married, and people who have love in their hearts to give a child should be able to become parents. Imagine driving that change?
5. You feel called to it
There was always that tug at your heart when you heard about surrogacy. The thought was intriguing, and you wondered, ‘Do everyday people really do that?’. You watched Kim Kardashian, and Neil Patrick Harris, and Gabrielle Union with their beautiful families and wondered about the women that helped them. Maybe you know someone who struggled with infertility. Maybe you know someone who identifies as LGBTQ and surrogacy is one of their only options. Maybe you just couldn’t imagine day-to-day life without your own kids and want to help give someone else that amazing experience. Sometimes you just want to spread good in the world and this is how you’re able to. Sometimes there is no why.
Life can take the most unexpected of turns sometimes. It’s in the back of your mind and heart for a reason. What’s stopping you from taking it one step further?
There’s always going to be a reason not to. Or a reason to wait. Dig down deep. There’s also every reason to be brave, to answer the call, and take the first step on that journey.
Linsay is a Surrogacy Support Worker and Accounts Manager at JA Surrogacy Consulting. She has completed three surrogate journeys and is currently on her fourth. Her time as a surrogate has made her incredibly knowledgeable about the process and an important member of the surrogacy community here in Canada. To learn more about Linsay, please visit the Our Team page on our website