Whether you’re hoping to become a parent for the first time or thinking about expanding your family, there are many reasons to consider surrogacy and adoption. Some couples consider these alternative avenues due to infertility concerns, while others consider surrogacy and adoption for personal reasons.
While adoption is a beautiful decision that has saved the lives of countless foster children, surrogacy also offers a list of unique benefits.
If you’re caught between the two enriching paths, we list the pros and cons of each avenue to help you make an informed choice.
Surrogacy Pros And Cons
When it comes to surrogacy, couples have the option to be a part of the pregnancy experience, depending on the precise details of the surrogacy agreement. Moreover, couples are also often able to welcome a biological child into the world through a surrogate mother, which might not otherwise be possible when couples face infertility struggles.
Surrogacy agencies also assist with all the legalities and the matching process, which benefits both the surrogate mother and the expecting couple. There will be a clear legal contract that ties both parties to separate responsibilities.
When it comes to the downfalls, couples can expect surrogacy to cost quite a bit. If you’re wondering how much is a surrogate to have a child, you can expect to pay between $120,000 to $150,000 on average. The high cost of surrogacy is the main downfall for couples.
Another relevant downfall is the lengthy and complex legal process. However, you can expect your chosen agency to assist with most of this process.
Adoption Pros And Cons
There’s hardly anything more heartwarming than a successful adoption story where an orphaned little one helps an infertile couple become parents. And thankfully, these real-life stories are plentiful.
Adoption is undeniably noble, honorable, and enriching. Adding to your family or starting one by saving a child from the foster system is a great choice for any couple that has a stable home and enough love to go around. A child can bring so much joy in your life that there’s no way you’ll regret the decision.
Moreover, adoption is also more affordable than surrogacy, so couples don’t need to shy away from the option if they don’t have a chunk of wealth to part ways with.
On the other hand, the main downfalls of adoption are that couples won’t be able to raise a biological child. In addition to this, expecting couples also cannot dictate any specifics of the child, from race and gender to age; dictating these specifics will have adoption agencies turning away from you and your partner as valid options.
There are perks and downfalls associated with all the alternative avenues to becoming a parent. But it’s key to understand the pros typically outweigh the cons. Whether you choose to rely on a surrogate mom or hope an adoption agency will match you to a child that desperately needs loving parents, it’s essential to know that there’s no parenting pathway that’s void of downfalls. Choose the avenue that resonates best with your family goals and your budget.
