Yes — surrogacy is safe, if you take basic but essential precautions.

At American Surrogacy, we are committed to protecting every surrogate, intended parent and child in our program, which is why we take every precaution to make the surrogacy process as safe as possible. Your safety is our top priority.

Here are some of the potential medical, legal and emotional issues with surrogacy that could make it unsafe for surrogates and intended parents, and how to avoid these issues and minimize risk:

Emotional Safety

When first considering surrogacy, potential intended parents and surrogates are often worried about the emotional risks involved. Some of the most common emotional concerns associated with the surrogacy process for surrogates are:

• Postpartum depression, which is possible with any pregnancy
• The usual emotions of pregnancy being heightened by the pressure of the surrogacy process
• Fears of becoming too attached to the baby, even though he or she is not genetically related to you
• Worrying about somehow disappointing the intended parents if embryo transfers fail
• Having to spend time away from your family while you attend surrogacy appointments

For intended parents, emotional issues can include:

• Post-surrogacy depression, not unlike postpartum depression
• Feeling out of control during the surrogacy process, as you’re not carrying your baby
• Worrying that you won’t bond easily with your baby
• Dealing with infertility-related grief, or with your baby not being genetically related to you
• Jealousy toward the surrogate

American Surrogacy works with surrogates and intended parents to avoid these emotional issues by providing both parties with constant support before, during and after the surrogacy process. We counsel you on how to build a solid emotional support system at home so that your loved ones can help you through the emotions of surrogacy. We’ll also help everyone involved to communicate honestly and openly about their needs and feelings to foster stronger intended parent-surrogate relationships.

Medical Safety

Both intended parents and surrogates will often undergo medical procedures throughout the surrogacy process and may worry about the medical risks involved. Here are some of the medical risks that prospective surrogates are most concerned about when considering surrogacy:

• The average medical risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth
• The medical risks associated with fertility treatments and medications
• The medical risks associated with embryo transfer
• The possibility of becoming pregnant with multiples, and the risk associated with carrying multiples

Prospective intended parents may worry about the medical risks of:

• Egg retrieval (if an intended mother is using her own eggs for IVF)
• Hormone treatments (if an intended mother is using her own eggs for IVF)

Most of the medical risk falls on surrogates. Many of these risks are the average risks that a woman takes anytime she becomes pregnant and gives birth. However, there are always additional, if minor, risks associated with the medical processes unique to surrogacy.

To minimize these risks for the safety of surrogates (and for the baby), American Surrogacy carefully screens prospective surrogates and has a list of medical requirements in place. Potential surrogates are thoroughly medically screened to ensure that they are healthy enough to undergo the surrogacy process before they begin, to prevent exposing you to any unnecessary medical risk.

Legal Safety

There are a few legal risks associated with surrogacy that many potential surrogates and intended parents may worry about, as well, especially after hearing sensationalized horror stories in the news. Surrogates are often concerned about:

• The intended parents refusing to parent the baby after he or she is born
• Legally questionable forms of surrogacy compensation
• Being asked to terminate a pregnancy when you are uncomfortable doing so

Intended parents worry about legal issues like:

• The surrogate “keeping” the baby
• The baby not being “theirs”
• Being scammed by a surrogate

All of these legal issues are entirely preventable when you work with a reputable surrogacy professional like American Surrogacy. The only instances these legal risks are possible are when people attempt surrogacy on their own without the legal protection of experienced professionals and surrogacy contracts. American Surrogacy ensures that each party is individually represented by a licensed surrogacy attorney, so that everyone is equally advocated for throughout the legal process of surrogacy. We insist on detailed surrogacy contracts, and will walk you through the surrogacy laws within your state so you’re fully informed about protecting your rights.

It’s understandable to worry about the potential risks of surrogacy. But by working with American Surrogacy, these risks are reduced, if not completely eliminated. Surrogacy brings people together to create families, and the benefits far outweigh any minor risks. Contact American Surrogacy now at 1-800-875-BABY (1-800-875-2229) to learn how we work to minimize or avoid potential surrogacy risks for surrogates, intended parents and children.