Clearly, being a surrogate is something that can turn your life upside down for a year or more — in a good way! But, did you know that your decision to be a surrogate can change your life for months and even years after you hand the intended parents their little bundle of joy?

That’s right — being a surrogate is a life-changing journey for many women. It can be for you, too.

You can always learn more about becoming a surrogate when you contact our surrogacy specialists online or call 1-800-875-2229(BABY). In the meantime, find out seven ways your life can change when you make the leap into the surrogacy world:

1. You create parents where there weren’t any before.

The first big difference you’ll make as a gestational carrier? You will help a worthy individual or couple become the parents they’ve always dreamed of being.

It’s a knowledge that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. You helped make someone’s dreams come true — with something that probably comes easily to you. Who knew that your uterus could make such a difference in someone’s life? Knowing this can change your own perspective for many years to come.

2. You help bring a new life into the world.

On top of helping your intended parents reach their dream, you’ve changed the world. Now, it has one more beautiful baby in it — and it’s all because of you.

Without you, your intended parents’ baby would not exist. They would still be just a dream. But, because you choose to give the gift of surrogacy, you have brought a child into the world that wasn’t there before. This child will leave their own impact on their community as they grow up, and you will always have the knowledge that you were the one of the first people to make that happen.

3. You can make friendships that last a lifetime.

The relationship between surrogates and their intended parents is a special one. In many cases, it’s a relationship that continues long after the surrogacy process is complete.

When you become a gestational surrogate, you share an intimate journey with your intended parents that few get to experience. It’s a journey that will bond you together for life. You get to know each other better than anyone else, and you will both carry evidence of your partnership for life (for you, stretch marks; for them, a tiny bundle of joy).

The best surrogacy stories are the ones in which surrogates and intended parents have a genuine friendship with each other. Not only will this make the awkward parts of your surrogacy more manageable, but it will help both of you be more comfortable from start to finish. If you establish this kind of relationship, it’s only natural that it will continue for months and years to come!

4. You may become a better communicator.

Surrogacy is all about organization and communication. There are many moving parts involved, and it’s important that both parties are on top of their responsibilities to be as successful as possible.

Prior to surrogacy, you may have been a “c’est la vie” kind of woman. Surrogacy will force you to become more organized (think: medication schedule, doctor’s appointments, and more) and to stay in frequent contact with your intended parents. In your personal life, you may have fallen into the trap of taking weeks to return phone calls or texts — but being a gestational carrier will snap you out of that quickly.

In turn, when it comes time to end your surrogacy journey, you may find some of those habits hard to break — and your friends and family will likely thank you for your new sense of focus and organization.

5. You become more familiar with your body and health.

By the time your surrogacy is over, you will be an expert in all things pregnancy and reproductive health. It takes many complicated steps to become pregnant as a gestational carrier, and you’ll need to be in tune with your body’s needs and responses every step of the way. What before may have been a passing knowledge of how your body works will now be an intimate understanding of your unique body system.

Both during and after your surrogacy, you may find yourself picking up healthier habits than your life before surrogacy. You may feel better than you did even before this last pregnancy — and your gestational pregnancy itself might be a more enjoyable experience than your previous ones!

Overall, surrogacy allows carriers to learn to be more vocal about their medical needs and better recognize their own body’s health.

6. You can give yourself a new financial start.

When you become a surrogate, you have the right to receive surrogate base compensation. This compensation will depend upon your personal situation and your experience as a surrogate, as well as any compensation preferences you may have.

While surrogate base compensation is not necessarily a “life-changing” amount, it is often enough for a surrogate and her family to take a big financial step. She may be able to pay off the rest of her student loans or save money for her children’s college education. She may be able to put a down payment on a house or a new car for her family.

Money should not be the reason you pursue surrogacy, but compensation is certainly a benefit of this path. To learn more about our agency’s base compensation policy, please call our specialists at 1-800-875-2229(BABY).

7. You may be inspired to do surrogacy again — and again.

A single surrogacy journey can be life-changing for a gestational carrier — but it can also inspire her to keep doing surrogacy as long as she’s able.

It’s not uncommon for first-time gestational carriers to find out that they love every part of surrogacy. As soon as they are able to, they sign up again with their surrogacy agency and get ready to work with another set of intended parents. When they realize how much of a difference they can make doing something that comes so easily to them, they often want to do it all over again!

Ready to start your surrogacy journey today? Contact our specialists for more information.