Giving someone the opportunity to experience parenthood is a wonderful, selfless gift. Making the decision to become a surrogate mother is not easy. Surrogacy is an intense journey with many ups and downs along the way. You’ve probably spent months thinking about what the process entails and have dedicated time to extensive research. What  is important to keep in mind however, is the fact that becoming a surrogate will not only affect you, but also your entire family.

One of the biggest concerns women have when considering to become a surrogate mother is how to tell their children. Throughout these nine months a lot of things will change. You and your family will have to make adjustments prior to the arrival of the baby. Many parents often feel uncomfortable discussing birth and conception with their children. Therefore, it’s understandable that having to also talk to your kids about the additional legal, medical, and emotional complexities of surrogacy can actually be quite overwhelming.

Telling your Child About Becoming a Surrogate Mother:

It is recommended that you tell your family once you have made the final decision to become a surrogate. In order to have a healthy relationship with your children, communication is key. Being open, honest and straightforward will enhance the bond you share with your child.

Work through and explain the process of surrogacy to them clearly, without downplaying their feelings. The way your child will take the news is really dependent on their age and personality. Some children are more sensitive than others. Emotions can range from happiness, jealousy and anger to resentment and sadness. They may voice their feelings of abandonment or they may be angry that the baby won’t be staying with the family, and have trouble accepting the fact that they will not get the chance to be an older brother or sister.

At the end of the day, kids like to be involved in the decision-making process so it may be a good idea to keep them in the loop. Inform them about the reproductive cycle and how babies are made. Choosing to delay telling your children about your choice to become a surrogate mother may lead them to resent you and the intended parents. In addition, failing to tell the truth may leave you with feelings of guilt and may cause your children to have a negative view of surrogacy. It may even be a good idea to introduce them to the prospective parents to get a better understanding of the situation.

Present your role as a surrogate mother in a positive light. Explain to your child that making the decision to pursue surrogacy is a rewarding experience. With your help and generosity, you are giving another family an opportunity to expand or create a family of their own. Give your children reassurance and tell them you love them and would never think to give them away. Encourage them to ask questions and allow them to voice their opinions freely. Getting your family on board with the idea and gaining support from your loved ones will make your nine month journey of surrogacy easier.

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If you are still debating becoming a surrogate but not sure what the entire process entails, do not hesitate to contact us today!

There are many advantages to choosing Simple Surrogacy as your surrogacy agency. Beyond the immense list of satisfied clients and our expertly trained and caring staff, we offer the Texas Advantage. The Texas Advantage involves lower costs, a central location, and several legal advantages for our clients.

Cost

There is a cost advantage to surrogacy in Texas. We offer lower rates in comparison to agencies in the east and west. Since we operate in Texas, we have the benefit of no state income tax. This allows us to immediately cut 10% of the competitor’s costs.

The cost of living is also 10-15% lower in Texas, as opposed to other states where surrogacy is legally favorable. We pay less for rent, personnel, utilities, and more. This results in lower overhead and expense costs, which trickles down to our clients.  

Since we are centrally located, we are close to both coasts and close to one of the country’s largest airports, saving us a lot of time and money on flights. This helps us remain quick and efficient in our process, saving you both time and money.

Location

Texas is located along the border of Mexico, in the center of the United States of America. This location allows us to work seamlessly with other states to further assist you. We will match our clients with surrogates and donors from other states where surrogacy is legally favorable such as Florida and California. We are also part of the central time zone which makes us available during the working day for most people on the east and west coast.

Legal

Surrogacy is permitted in the state of Texas. There are several legal advantages to this, including:

Married Couples

The advantage of being in Texas for married couples seeking surrogacy is that Texas has strong laws legalizing their Gestational Surrogacy. This means that donor and gestational arrangements are fully protected under Texas law.

Gestational Surrogacy Arrangements

In 2003, Texas enacted laws governing surrogacy called Gestational Arrangements. These arrangements work alongside Gestational Agreements and Egg Donor Agreements to properly protect all those who chose surrogacy. These guidelines outline what gestational arrangements should contain so that a Texas court can recognize and ratify what is written in the arrangement. To learn more in depth about surrogacy laws in Texas, visit our Texas Advantages page.

Simple Surrogacy is a full-service surrogacy agency that assists couples and individuals in achieving a family through surrogacy. If you have any questions about using a surrogacy agency in Texas, please do not hesitate to contact us. One of our friendly and well-trained staff members will be glad to assist you and answer all of your questions.

At a young age, many girls dream about the day they get to be a mother. Playing ‘house’ with their little baby doll, assuming one day they will be able to have their own children, and begin their family. Many women, however, are not as fortunate and have to face their infertility head on.

When a woman learns she is unable to conceive a child on her own, she is often left at a loss for words, wondering how she will move on from this. If this has happened to you and you have begun for alternatives ways to have your own family, you’ve probably come across egg donation.

Although egg donation is an amazing alternative to starting your own family, a common concern amongst most infertile women is that they fear that their pregnancy experience will not be the same. Many women fear that the absence of a biological connection to their child will dominate how they feel throughout the pregnancy.

You may wonder if the baby will look like you and worry that you’ll find yourself trying to recognize yourself in them. This path to parenthood may not have been what you intended, but nonetheless with egg donation, you’ll get to experience the same nine month pregnancy as other mothers do.

After dealing with the emotional aspects of using an egg donor and finding an ideal match, you’ll start to see how the pregnancy will feel like your own. Regardless of the process being used to conceive, your role as the baby’s mother will not change. You’ll go through the same ups and downs as a biological pregnancy. Carrying a child for nine months, hearing their heartbeat for the first time, and watching them grow, you’ll get to experience the same type of attachment to the child.

At the end of the day, regardless of the biological link, you are still the one giving birth to him/her and raising the child as your own. This special bond with your child is irreplaceable and with the help and generosity of an egg donor, you’ll be able to fulfil your dreams of parenthood.

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If you are interested in learning more about egg donation and egg donor arrangements, do not hesitate to call us. You can contact us toll free at 1-866-41-SURRO, locally at 214-673-9321, or visit Simple Donations to learn more.

The surrogacy process can be stressful. From struggling with infertility, to selecting an egg donor or surrogate, even the calmest individual would experience some level of stress during this process.

Stress can take away from the process and the joy that welcoming a child into your life can bring. Here are some techniques you can use to remain stress-free throughout your surrogacy.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is a stress relieving technique that is often underrated. Take a break from whatever you are doing and place your hand on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose, focusing on expanding your stomach to make your hand rise. Then, exhale slowly and with control, through your mouth. Repeat for 5 minutes. This technique can be used as many times as necessary throughout the day to decrease stress levels.

Yoga

Yoga is an excellent form of exercise and relaxation. Being active helps to release endorphins in the brain. The release of endorphins can help ease depression, anxiety, and stress. Yoga is also a calming form of exercise in nature. It focuses on self-awareness and breathing which helps further reduce stress levels.

Sleep

Sleep is a part of our everyday lives. We use this time to recharge our minds and for our bodies to rest. Lack of sleep can lead to memory, judgment, and mood alterations. It is imperative that you get a proper night’s sleep if you wish to remain stress-free. Try to achieve 8 hours of sleep a night.

Journal

Writing down all that is worrying you in life is a great way to reduce stress. Try journaling in bed before you go to sleep. This can help ease your mind and improve your sleep. Also, creating lists can be a great way to reduce the stress caused by worrying that you will forget something or miss a deadline.

Visualization

Visualization is a great way to relieve stress. Close your eyes and picture a place that you feel very relaxed in, such as a beach. Think about what it looks, feels, smells, and tastes like. Doing this can actually bring you the same decreased stress levels as if you were in the location you are picturing.

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If you are feeling stressed during your surrogacy process, one of our experts can help. Sometimes just learning more about the process can be enough to decrease your stress level. Contact us today!

Congratulations on the decision to become parents through surrogacy! We at Simple Surrogacy promise to be with you, and  guide you, throughout your journey to parenthood. Now that you have begun your journey, you must select an egg donor. This is a large decision, as this individual will comprise half of your future child’s DNA.

Medical Considerations

Many say that as long as their baby is happy and healthy, nothing else matters. In the case of surrogacy, all egg donors are pre-screened and must meet a list of criteria in order to donate. This helps eliminate some of the concerns associated with the health of the baby. In order to be considered as an egg donor, a woman must:

• Be between the ages of 18-30
• Have a BMI of 33 or lower
• NOT smoke, take illegal drugs, or be alcohol dependent
• Have NO sexually transmitted diseases
• Have NO psychiatric illnesses
• Know at least one half of their genetic make-up
• Have minimum of high-school education
• Have NO genetically carried medical conditions

There are more requirements to becoming an egg donor, but the above list covers all medical and physical issues. This helps ensure the egg donor is in the best physical shape to provide you with a healthy egg.

Other Considerations

When deciding what you are looking for in an egg donor, you must determine what qualities mean the most to you. If you’re going through surrogacy with a partner, then you must also consider what qualities are most important to them.

We suggest making a list of the qualities that you would like your egg donor to have. Once you have made a list, you can then rank the qualities in order of importance. This way, if none of the donors have all of the qualities you desire, you will know ahead of time which qualities mean the most to you.

Some of the most popular qualities of an egg donor people look for include:

• Personality
• Eye color
• Height
• Blood type

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If you have any questions about how to select an egg donor, please don’t hesitate to contact us. One of our experts will be happy to guide you through the selection process and help you choose an egg donor.