Blog
Pet Safety While Pregnant
One common question is, is it ok to have pets while pregnant? The short answer is yes. But as with all things while pregnant, the important factor is safety—not just for yourself but for your pet. In general, it is safe for pregnant women to be around dogs as long as...
Introducing Your New Baby to Your Pets
Dogs, cats, and other pets can make great playmates for your baby. However, it's essential to understand that the adjustment period for your pet may be a little difficult. Prepare Your Pets When you bring home your baby, there will be a lot of changes for your pet....
Are Surrogacy Expenses Tax Deductible?
As any parent knows, welcoming a baby into your life can be expensive. These costs are even higher when your parenthood is made possible through surrogacy. Intended Parents face a large range of expenses: agency fees, surrogate compensation and expenses, clinic fees,...
Intended Parents FAQs
When Intended Parents start exploring the option of surrogacy, many questions run through their minds. It can definitely be a confusing process—how to choose a surrogacy agency, how do you get matched with a surrogate, how to get started, etc. In this blog, we try to...
Do Surrogate Mothers Become Attached to the Baby?
We are sure that many women think about attachment before deciding to become a surrogate. It's reasonable to believe that if you become attached to your own children during pregnancy, you would be attached to the child you are carrying for the Intended Parents. This...
Top Reasons to Become a Surrogate
When deciding if surrogacy is the right option for you, naturally, you will want to weigh out the pros and cons. We have made your decision process a little bit easier by listing our top ten reasons to become a surrogate. We will count down from ten to our number one...
Surrogacy in the Workplace
Being pregnant in the workplace under normal circumstances can be challenging, but telling coworkers about your surrogacy can also be stressful. It is not easy to hide your growing belly. While conversations involving your pregnancy may seem overwhelming, you can...
Holiday Tips for Those Wanting to Start Their Own Families
At Shared Conception, we know the holidays can be extra rough when you are trying to start your own family. Every holiday commercial shows happy families celebrating, and that can be especially hard to watch. Of course, every family member, friend, and co-worker will...
Surrogacy during the Holiday Party Season
With Christmas and New Years' Eve approaching, there will be a lot of party invites from friends, family, and even work. Holidays always pose a challenge when you are a surrogate mother having a baby for excited Intended Parents. Here are a few minor adjustments you...
Surrogate Milk Donations
Following a successful surrogate pregnancy, the surrogate may pump and provide the Intended Parents with breast milk for the baby. Breast milk can be used to supplement baby formula or may as the baby's primary diet. Many families wonder if breast milk is necessary or...
Surrogacy and The Upcoming Holidays
The holidays can be stressful for anyone, but for surrogates, it can be a particularly busy and overwhelming time of year. Not only are they often taking care of their own family, but they are taking care of a growing baby for the intended parents. As the Intended...
6 Topics to Cover in Surrogate Contracts
If you are considering surrogacy, it is crucial to have a contract between yourself (the intended parents) and the surrogate. Even when both parties are agreeable, it’s a smart choice to have a contract so there are no misunderstandings about the expectations from...
Pre-birth Order and their Importance
As intended parents, when a gestational surrogate is carrying and giving birth to your baby, one of the most critical steps in the surrogacy process is to ensure that you are legally recognized as the parents by the appropriate court or legal process. Pre-birth Order...
Surrogacy and the LGBTQ+ Community
Surrogacy is often one of the last options for heterosexual couples wanting to have children, but for LGBTQ+ couples, it is one of the only options outside of adoption. Adoption is an expensive and complicated process, and laws vary state by state, with some states...
Exercises You Can Do While Pregnant
You've begun the surrogacy journey, and if you enjoy working out, you may be wondering how that will still be possible. Continuing physical activity during your pregnancy is not only safe but healthy. Exercise can help prevent headaches, stress and depression,...
How to Announce Your Baby’s Birth Via Surrogacy
Announcing the birth of your baby is always an exciting moment. Typically, these announcements are made with pictures of the new baby with the stats such as weight, length, and time of birth. But how do you announce the birth of a baby born via surrogacy? Here are...
What Makes a Great Surrogacy Match?
The process of matching intended parents and their surrogate is one of the most exciting parts of the surrogacy process! Shared Conception’s objective is that the surrogate and intended parents interact in a comfortable environment and that both parties build a good...
How to Tell Your Child They Were Born Via Surrogacy
Parents have always found it a little uncomfortable to discuss where babies come from with their children. When the birth involves social, emotional, or other complexities such as surrogacy, it can be extremely overwhelming. While it can be difficult, experts agree...