A surrogate mother is a woman who becomes pregnant through artificial insemination. The surrogate carries the fetus to full term and them delivers the baby. At this point the contracting party; this can be a heterosexual couple, a gay couple or a single person assure full custody of the child and raise it as if it was their own natural child. Another common way is gestational surrogacy. In this case the surrogate acts more as an incubator for a fetus that was fertilized outside the womb but the genetic material comes from the couple; the surrogate does not have genetic ties to the resulting child. The process itself is quite straight forward but how do you find a surrogate in California?
There are a number of possible ways to find a surrogate; this can be through a personal referral, an agency or even an attorney. In every case it is important to understand the laws that apply in your state; what costs might you be expected to bear and what your rights are during and after pregnancy.
Although you may have a friend or female family member that is willing to act as a surrogate, to ensure that the surrogate is well screened and suitable it is always thought to be best to use a professional agency. As you are talking about a child and a very expensive undertaking, you want to make sure that you get the results you dream of.
When you are attempting to find a surrogate in California you must remember that as the party contracting the surrogacy you have the right to select the woman that you feel is most suitable. As a rule the person or the couple that wishes to have a surrogate child will want the surrogate to be in the peak of health, in many cases parents will opt for a surrogate who has already given birth, this is a sure indicator that she has the ability to get pregnant and carry a baby full term.
People who opt to be surrogates must be of legal age and they must allow themselves to be screened and asked a number of questions regarding the medical history of not just the surrogate, but the surrogate’s family as well. Both physical and mental health is important as is age. It is a recognized fact that pregnancies are riskier the older the mother so most people who are trying to find a surrogate in California will be looking for a woman between the ages of 21 and 42, the period in a woman’s life when she is most fertile. Not only is this the ideal age for fertility, the surrogate is by this time mature and understands all the moral, ethical and financial aspects of what she is doing.
The Center for Surrogate Parenting, Inc was incorporated in 1986 and in the ensuing years has brought help to many intended parents. For many years CSP have been helping wanting people find a surrogate in California that can help them make their dream of having a family of their own come true.