Beyond Medical Care: The Support Surrogates Truly Need During Their Journey
1. Opening: New Beginnings in Surrogacy
January is often a season of planning, intention-setting, and new beginnings. In the surrogacy space, this is especially true—many journeys begin this way, filled with hope, readiness, and unknowns.
As someone who has walked alongside individuals and couples pursuing assisted reproduction—and as a three-time surrogate myself—I believe deeply in the foundation of medical care and case management. But I also know they are not the full picture. That belief is why I created SoCal Surrogacy Support.
Before the contracts, transfers, and ultrasounds, there is something equally essential to consider: surrogacy doesn’t just require clinical excellence—it requires human-centered support.
2. Where Clinical Care Excels—and Where It Naturally Ends
As a three-time surrogate myself, I cannot express enough gratitude for the extraordinary care I experienced from the clinical team. Not only with the medical monitoring, determining and then adjusting medical protocols, and their overall expertise - but also helping me navigate the challenges of preparing my body and cycles for a surrogacy journey, navigating the what and they whys after failed transfers, and even experiencing a subchorionic hematoma - their care was exceptional.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to the agency that supported me through my journey. Answering my questions honestly and helping me understand this new world as a surrogate was incredibly supportive. When there were challenges with contracts, navigating insurance, and medical billing, I knew I wasn’t in this alone and that made me confident in their partnership and coordination of my journeys.
And let’s give a round of applause for the legal care! While my journeys were fairly straightforward, I have seen other cases where legal was incredibly important - both in protecting the surrogates and in protecting the IPs. They truly have your back in the best of ways and ensure the best interests of everyone involved.
And yet—none of these roles are designed to provide consistent emotional presence inside the lived experience of a surrogate. This isn’t a failure of the system—it’s a natural gap. And hence the reason I founded SoCal Surrogacy Support. My goal is to provide in person, real-time emotional support, advocacy, and communication to everyone involved in a surrogacy journey. Because a supported journey is a successful journey.
3. What Surrogates Consistently Need More Of
As a surrogacy support professional, I stand by my work because I have lived in these shoes. In my personal and professional experience, I believe that having someone to sit in the uncertainty between appointments is critical. While we never plan for challenging situations, these circumstances are not immune to happening during surrogacy. And sometimes, just having a support partner that understands and provides emotional support, communicating in real-time, and at times even advocating for surrogates and IPs can make a momentous difference.
While clinics, agencies, and lawyers work hard to be supportive, their responsibilities are often time-bound and scope-limited. Emotional processing doesn’t always fit neatly into a clinical or legal timeline. This is where my role exists—to provide presence during uncertainty, support during plan changes, and clear communication when emotions and information feel overwhelming.
When surrogates experience changes in the “plan,” or even have difficulty understanding what’s being shared via their various medical appointments, I am able to step in and help translate the medical jargon and share critical information so everyone is on the same page and confident moving forward. When plans change - calm and clear communication makes a huge difference.
Finally, as I experienced as a surrogate myself, IPs are often only physically present towards the end of the journey. My role also supports their journey by being physically present to share communications, capture milestone moments of their surrogacy pregnancy, and advocate for their wishes and rights during a surrogacy journey.
Surrogates are capable, committed, and resilient—but they are still human. Support does not replace professionalism; it strengthens it.
4. Emotional Support as a Protective Factor
While I have been part of the surrogacy community for almost a decade, I am admittedly still new in the professional space. A question I’m often asked by professionals is where my role fits—and whether it overlaps with existing support systems. It’s an important question.
My role is to be a complement - not a competition to the work - that so many surrogacy professionals already do. Emotional support acts as a protective factor in surrogacy journeys. When emotional overwhelm is addressed early, communication improves, trust strengthens, and challenges are navigated with greater clarity. This ultimately benefits everyone involved.
5. Where SoCal Surrogacy Support Fits
So what does SoCal Surrogacy Support do and how do I fit in? I’m glad you asked! SoCal Surrogacy Support provides appointment-based, in-person emotional support during key moments of a surrogacy journey.
I provide in-person support during:
Medical screenings & transfers
Heartbeat confirmations & ultrasounds
Hospital births
Post-birth documentation support
My role is rooted in advocacy and bridging the communication gap between all parties involved. And a bonus is that I act as a consistent point of human contact and support throughout the journey. In short, my work is designed to complement - not replace - agencies, clinics, mental health professionals, and lawyers. SoCal Surrogacy is an added layer of care focused on the lived experience.
6. Collaboration Creates Better Outcomes
The surrogacy space for professionals often feels like there is a lot of work without the time to help everyone. Most of those in this industry are heart and soul believers in this work! It’s not just a job - it’s a passion.
And I’m in there with you! When surrogates feel emotionally supported, communication improves. Clearer communication reduces strain on agencies and clinics. Emotional processing supports better decision-making and lowers anxiety throughout the journey.
7. Closing Reflection: A New Standard of Care
Surrogacy continues to evolve—and so should how we support it. Medical care will always be essential. Emotional support should be too. Collaboration partnerships allow each professional to work within their strengths and do this work well.
If you are interested in working with me and SoCal Surrogacy Support, reach me via the link in my bio to schedule a consultation.
Surrogacy works best when medical excellence and human support move forward together.