It’s official, you are pregnant.
While confirmation of pregnancy is the blessing you have been waiting for, it can also bring up feelings you weren’t expecting. For many intended parents the excitement also comes with anxieties and questions. Lots and lots of questions. For example, what does pregnancy care and surrogacy look like?
While the fertility clinic typically covers the care of your gestational carrier during the first twelve weeks, once that time is up, the surrogate is then moved to care in her community. This is wonderful, as it means you have made it through the most tumultuous time of your pregnancy. The one where the greatest risk of loss is present. It also means that you will lose the care of the clinic you have likely trusted, and who updated you every step of the way, to now moving to a midwife, an obstetrician, or a family doctor. Do you know who your surrogate has in mind for prenatal care?
In Canada, we have a shortage of care providers. Hospitals, in some cases, are moving away from specialized labour and delivery units, forcing some pregnant women to travel to have their babies.
What does this mean for intended parents?
It means that having very clear communication with your surrogate is key. Additionally, understanding not only the Canadian healthcare system but also the provincial guidelines and model of prenatal care is necessary.
Prenatal testing, the number of appointments a surrogate has, as well as birth planning look very different from one community to the next, so the below link will definitely be your go-to.
It provides insight into the care model for pregnancy and surrogacy in Canada.
Many surrogate parents ask if the care provider will talk to them after each appointment. The typical answer is no, and it’s nothing personal. As mentioned above, our healthcare system is struggling, and doctors are pulled in many directions. They have little or no extra time in a day. Often, however, providers are comfortable with the surrogate adding the intended parents by phone to the appointment! This allows them to catch up on how their baby is doing, and what’s next appointment or testing wise.
Do you have more questions on prenatal health care and how it may be different from care in your community? Please check out the above link!
Want to know more about us? Here’s a link to our main page. Surrogacy in Canada | Canadian Fertility Consulting (fertilityconsultants.ca)
