Surrogacy is an exciting opportunity. For many families, this path is the best and only way to build the biological family of their dreams.

But what happens if you and your partner are able to conceive naturally? Is surrogacy still an option for you, and if so, is it the right path?

Absolutely. Just because you can physically conceive doesn’t mean that’s the only path to building a family. In fact, many families feel that surrogacy is the best and only way to bring a child into this world.

Hopeful families come to surrogacy for a host of different reasons. Like with other types of family-building methods, choosing surrogacy will be a very personal decision to make — but it’s always an option for you.

Why Do Intended Parents Pursue Surrogacy if They Can Conceive?

There are a lot of answers to this question. Ultimately, every intended parent gets to decide how they want to build their family and why they want to do so through surrogacy.

Below are just five reasons that intended parents might choose surrogacy over their other options. Remember, no matter what the reason is, each one is valid, and there’s nothing wrong with choosing surrogacy over other family-building options.

1. An intended mother struggles to carry full-term.

Many women who are able to conceive struggle to carry their baby to full term. The reasons are numerous, but frequent miscarriages are common. After so many failed pregnancies, some women instead turn to surrogacy to make their family-building dreams come true.

2. Surrogacy feels right for them.

Similar to couples who choose to adopt even when they can conceive, many couples know that surrogacy is the right path for them, even if conceiving naturally is a possibility. Many women just don’t want to be pregnant, whether that’s for health or personal reasons, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

3. A pregnancy could put an intended mother’s health at risk.

For many women, conception is possible, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Some medical conditions and complications during pregnancy can affect not only a mother’s but a baby’s health, as well.

If a woman already has a pre-existing condition — like high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) and preeclampsia — becoming pregnant can worsen her health. Some conditions can made worse by becoming pregnant, posing too much of a risk for the intended mother. In that case, surrogacy will almost always be a better option.

4. They’re not interested in adoption or foster care.

When they learn how much goes into surrogacy, some people ask, “Why can’t you just adopt?”

It’s not as simple as you might think. While adoption is a viable option for building a family, it’s not for everyone. Adoption, like surrogacy, is still a complex, emotional process. There are some families who don’t want to pursue adoption because of the length of time it takes to bring a child home. They may also decide against foster care adoption because of the unreliability of this family-building path.

5. An intended mother is older than ideal for pregnancy.

By the time a woman reaches her 40s, it becomes much harder to conceive naturally. While it can still happen, the likelihood drops significantly. Age can be a huge obstacle for women who decide that they’re ready to become pregnant and carry a baby to term.

Rather than risk the failure to conceive, they instead choose gestational surrogacy from the get-go.

Is Surrogacy Right for Me?

That’s a question that only you can answer. But, with a lot of research, you can come to an answer that feels right for you.

Whether you can conceive or not, you should never feel guilty or ashamed for your surrogacy choice. At the end of the day, you have to make the decision that feels right to you. As long as you’ve done the work to educate yourself about what it takes to pursue surrogacy, there’s nothing wrong with this family-building option.

If you’re interested in becoming an intended parent, your first job will be to speak to a surrogacy specialist. To learn more, please call 1-800-875-BABY(2229) or contact American Surrogacy online to speak with a surrogacy specialist today.