Do surrogates ever want to keep the baby?

Understanding Surrogacy and the Desire to Keep the Baby
Surrogacy is a complex and deeply personal journey for all parties involved, particularly for the surrogate mother. While the primary role of a surrogate is to carry a child for intended parents, questions often arise about whether surrogates ever wish to keep the baby they carry.
The Nature of Surrogacy Agreements
In most cases, surrogates enter into legally binding agreements that clearly outline their responsibilities and the expectations regarding the child. These contracts typically stipulate that the surrogate will relinquish the baby to the intended parents immediately after birth. This legal framework is designed to protect the rights of all parties involved and to ensure that the surrogate does not have the option to keep the baby.
Emotional Attachment and Altruism
Despite the legal agreements, it is not uncommon for surrogates to develop an emotional attachment to the baby during pregnancy. Many surrogates report feeling a strong bond with the child they carry, which can lead to complex feelings after delivery. However, the overwhelming majority of surrogates are motivated by altruism and a desire to help others build their families. They often express joy in seeing the intended parents care for their newborn, reinforcing their commitment to the surrogacy arrangement.
Rare Cases of Desire to Keep the Baby
While it is rare, there are instances where a surrogate may contemplate keeping the baby. Such situations can arise from various emotional or personal circumstances, but they are not the norm. The motivations behind surrogacy are typically rooted in financial compensation and the fulfillment of helping others, rather than a desire to parent the child themselves.
Conclusion
In summary, while surrogates may experience emotional connections to the babies they carry, the structured nature of surrogacy agreements and the altruistic motivations of most surrogates mean that the desire to keep the baby is not common. The focus remains on helping intended parents achieve their dreams of parenthood, with surrogates generally feeling fulfilled by their role in this process.

Can you sue if your surrogate wants to keep the baby?

No. Surrogacy is strictly a contractual arrangement. Contract law does not allow any award for emotional damages. It would also be contrary to public policy to include a clause forbidding the surrogate from terminating the pregnancy if her doctor advises it to protect her health or save her life.

Can you bond with a surrogate baby?

So, a common practice used in surrogacy is the “emotional transfer” from the surrogate to the intended parents at birth. This process will help your baby get to know you and bond with you, and it will also ease the emotional transition from the first nine months spent with their surrogate to their life with you.

Has a surrogate ever tried to keep the baby?

Then in 1990 a gestational carrier, Anna Johnson, refused to give up custody to the intended parents. When the couple sued for custody, this time the court upheld the contract, and thus the intended parents’ rights. This landmark case legally defined the true mother as the woman who intends to create and raise a child.

Do surrogates get paid if they miscarry?

If you experience an unforeseen event like a miscarriage during your surrogacy journey, you will be compensated up to that point. Your contract will determine whether or not you and your intended parents will choose to proceed with another embryo transfer in the event of a loss of pregnancy.

What happens if a surrogate gets pregnant with own child?

You need not worry about becoming pregnant with your own child during the surrogacy process; the child that you give birth to will be the intended parents’, and you will have no responsibility to take custody of another child upon delivery.

Do surrogates enjoy being pregnant?

Though they are paid for their services, most gestational surrogates have altruistic motivations and enjoy being pregnant, she adds. “In the contract, there is a line about the surrogates’ expectations in terms of contact after the baby is born,” Greenfeld says.

Do surrogates ever get attached to the baby?

While this is a valid question for those who are new to the surrogacy process, Circle can assure intended parents in their program that their surrogate will not become attached to the baby she’s carrying.

Why do so many celebrities have babies via surrogate?

The media can scrutinize the physical changes that come with pregnancy, and the pressure to maintain a certain image can be overwhelming. Surrogacy allows celebrities to have biological children without the scrutiny that comes with a public pregnancy. Finally, surrogacy can provide a biological connection to the child.

What happens if a surrogate refuses to give up the baby?

Should a surrogate attempt to keep the baby, reach out to an attorney who is well-versed in surrogacy law. They can help you enforce the terms of the agreement, recover the baby if it has been taken, represent you in court proceedings, and more. This is not a fight you should attempt on your own.

What if a surrogate mother wants to keep the child?

If the surrogate decides to keep the baby, by law the intended parents cannot enforce the surrogacy agreement. They can go to the family courts, where the decision of where baby lives would be about the baby’s best interests, not based on the surrogacy agreement.