When it comes to surrogacy, there is never enough representation of this beautiful family-building process out there for people to find. Unfortunately, when it comes to representation of surrogacy in pop culture today, many of the references are ignorant, outdated and negative — definitely not representing the truth of the matter.

At American Surrogacy, we understand how important it is to have positive examples of the surrogacy process in the media not only for the children born via surrogacy, but also for intended parents, surrogates and everyone else in the world. Some of the easiest ways to find these representations are through surrogacy movies and surrogacy books, which can help you explain the process and spread more awareness of the beauty of surrogacy today.

There’s still a long way to go when it comes to having a prolific number of books on surrogacy and surrogacy movies available to use, so it’s important that everyone pushes for more options on their own. In the meantime, however, here are some of the positive representatives of surrogacy that you can turn to:

Books on Surrogacy

Many of the surrogacy books available today are targeted toward younger children as a way to explain to them their birth via surrogacy. Many intended parents and surrogates use these surrogacy books to introduce and normalize the idea of surrogacy from as early on as possible. By using relatable, fun characters, these books teach children to be excited about their birth story. They’re also great sources for explaining surrogacy to a child’s siblings and peers.

Here are some books on surrogacy that we recommend:

• The Very Kind Koala: A Surrogacy Story for Children by Kimberly Kluger-Bell
• Hope & Will Have a Baby: The Gift of Surrogacy by Irene Celcer
• The Kangaroo Pouch: A Story about Surrogacy for Young Children by Sarah Phillips Pellet
• Sophia’s Broken Crayons: A Story of Surrogacy from a Young Child’s Perspective by Crystal A. Falk
• Sacha, the Little Bright Shooting Star: The Story of Surrogacy by Sofia Prezani
• Why I’m So Special: A Book About Surrogacy by Carla Lewis-Long

In addition to surrogacy books for children, there are many informational resources available to help adults learn more about the surrogacy process. Whether it’s for an intended parent or surrogate considering surrogacy, or for curious family members or friends, these books on surrogacy allow people to understand better this popular family-building option:

• Everything Conceivable by Liza Mundy
• Surrogacy Was the Way: Twenty Intended Mothers Tell Their Stories by Zara Griswold
• Surrogacy: An Essential Guide to the Surrogacy Process, Surrogacy Costs, and Finding a Surrogate Mother by Dianne Whitfield
• Successful Surrogacy: An Intended Parents’ Guide to a Rewarding Relationship with their Surrogacy Mother by: Susan MZ Fuller

Surrogacy Movies

Unfortunately, much of surrogacy film today portrays negative images of women who choose to become surrogates — with them becoming obsessive, overprotective and unwilling to complete their end of the process and let intended parents take their baby home. However, as we all know, these portrayals couldn’t be farther from the truth of who surrogates really are.

When it comes to finding surrogacy movies, your best bet is likely documentaries and similar films that follow real-life families on their surrogacy journey. These can be great ways to educate others about the surrogacy process and show how beneficial it really is for all involved.

Some surrogacy films to consider are:

• The Guys Next Door, which follows two gay couples and the surrogate who helps both of them build their families
• Two Dads, Two Moms: Gay Couples and Their Families explores several U.S., French and Spanish families who’ve used surrogacy to add children to their lives
• A Belly for Me, A Baby for You, which is still in production but expected to be released in 2017
• Google Baby, a documentary exploring the ethical complications of international surrogacy

As the popularity of surrogacy continues to grow, we can expect more books on surrogacy and surrogacy movies to come about in response. Keep an eye out for these resources and share this blog post to spread more awareness about the importance of learning the realities of the surrogacy process.