In an ideal surrogacy, everything would go according to plan. The surrogacy plan set by intended parents and their gestational carrier would outline everything to expect in the months ahead, and both parties would follow their step-by-step process to successfully bring a new child into the world, with little to no stress for either party.

However, not all surrogacy journeys go this way. In fact, it’s more likely than not that something unexpected will happen during your surrogacy journey. Surrogacy is a process with many moving parts and complex factors, and it’s highly likely that something may not go as planned in the many steps along the way. This is completely normal — but it can be stressful, whether you are an intended parent or gestational carrier.

Remember, your surrogacy specialist at American Surrogacy will be there to guide you through every step of this process. They will be there to answer any questions you have and help alleviate any concerns that come up along the way.

That said, if you find yourself facing an unexpected development in your surrogacy journey, what should you do?

Step 1: Take a deep breath.

When something doesn’t go according to plan in life, it’s normal to be frustrated or even panicked. This is even truer in a surrogacy journey; adding to a family is an incredibly important journey, and feeling like something is going “wrong” is incredibly stressful for both intended parents and gestational carriers.

That’s why the most important thing to do when something doesn’t go according to plan is to first take a deep breath. It’s important to have a clear head when your journey goes off-book; otherwise, you can easily say and do things in the heat of the moment that you will later regret. Before doing anything else, sit down and take a deep breath (as long as there is no immediate medical risk to you or your surrogacy partner).

Step 2: Contact your surrogacy professional.

The first person you should always contact if something unexpected occurs should be your surrogacy professional. Your surrogacy specialist is trained to handle many kinds of difficult situations, and they will be able to guide you step-by-step through this situation that you find yourself in.

Believe us: We are always here for you, no matter what. As your full-service surrogacy agency, American Surrogacy is prepared to help you through every step of your surrogacy journey, even those which pop up unexpectedly. Some situations may require professional intervention, while others may not. Either way, we want to know about everything that happens in your surrogacy journey.

Step 3: Calmly think about your options.

As mentioned above, panicking or stressing about an unexpected development in your surrogacy journey is often counterproductive. When something unexpected occurs, it’s important to calmly think about the paths available to you. Obviously, they will vary based on your situation — but many surrogacy participants automatically jump to the most extreme, worst-case-scenario paths when there are so many gentler ways to address the situation.

This is where our surrogacy specialists can be so helpful. Because they have experience in these situations, they can calmly offer you the paths you may wish to take, as well as the pros and cons of each. Rather than jumping into the first option presented, take the time to evaluate what’s best for your family. For example, if your gestational carrier is having contractions earlier than expected, you may be tempted to book a flight and hop on a plane to her right away. However, she may be simply having Braxton-Hicks pre-contractions, and waiting for more information from a doctor can save you lots of time and money.

Step 4: Keep your surrogacy partner informed.

Just as you will want to inform your surrogacy professional of any unexpected developments along the way, your surrogacy partner should be your second call. Surrogacy is a partnership, and the process only works when both partners trust and respect each other. Keeping each other informed is an important part of maintaining that mutual trust and respect.

Of course, there may be certain unexpected situations that arise because of your relationship with your surrogacy partner, and those situations may be best solved with the mediation of your surrogacy professional. In all other cases, we recommend that you make sure your surrogacy partner is aware of your situation as soon as you can describe it calmly and clearly. They will appreciate being in the know, especially because your surrogacy plan is their surrogacy plan, too. Any changes you have to make will impact their upcoming journey.

Step 5: Remember that unexpected developments are normal.

Finally, it’s important to remember that, should something unplanned happen, it’s completely normal. In most cases, it won’t mean the end for your surrogacy journey. Because surrogacy involves so many complicated steps, it’s completely natural for something to occur in a more complicated way than expected. Instead of panicking, try to see this as a special part of your unique surrogacy journey. You’ll likely find that, once everything is complete and a baby is born, the things that caused you the most anxiety during your surrogacy journey will only be little blips on your radar — or even something that you laugh about later on!

Remember, if you ever have any questions about what is and isn’t normal during your surrogacy journey, don’t hesitate to reach out to American Surrogacy today at 1-800-875-2229(BABY).