It’s A Match. Surrogate Annie Matches With Her Perfect Family!

So, you have decided to become a surrogate. You have met the requirements, and now you are ready for the exciting part — the matching process! This is where you will meet prospective intended parents and choose who you want to work with over the course of the surrogacy journey. It may seem a little like an interview but think of it more of an opportunity to see if you’re compatible with the intended parents and a good match to be on this journey with. At Pathways To Parenthood, we are devoted to matching you with your perfect family, while eliminating the anxiety this step can often come with.

To help ease your nerves and to understand the matching process better, we sat down with Surrogate mother Annie, who just went through the matching process with her Intended Parents.

How did you know the family you matched with was the right match for you?

It was just a feeling! Truly! As soon as I saw their profile I was excited to get to know them. Then after our first call I was hooked. Our personalities are similar and we were able to discuss a lot of what we wanted out of our journey together, which draws the deal for me. The conversation flowed and I felt at ease with them from the start.

How did your surrogacy agency help you during the matching process?

Pathways To Parenthood was a huge help with the matching process.  First off, they were the ones that introduced us. That is what is great about working with an agency! They vet all applicants for you and connect you with intended parents they feel you may like. When I was going through my matching process, Pathways to Parenthood helped me work through my emotions and thoughts when interviewing potential intended parents. It was was nice to have their support, as well as knowledge, when choosing the family I wanted to work with, and that wanted to work with me.

What was your matching meeting like?

Our first call was via FaceTime! We had exchanged a few texts setting up a time to meet for coffee but when that didn’t work out, FaceTime was the next best thing. Both the intended mother and I had found out prior we actually had a few mutual friends so I felt like we already had a connection from the very start. We spent about an hour on the phone just getting to know each other and sharing our stories of previous surrogacy journeys. I knew within the first 10 mins I wanted to work with them! They were just so funny and kind. I really felt like we would make a good team.

What questions did you have for your Intended Parents?
During a matching call I feel it is really important to focus on getting to know the couple. I wanted to hear their story of what lead them to surrogacy and all about their previous journey. To me, this is a time to make sure your personalities work well together, and you genuinely want to work with them.

What type of relationship do you want to have with your intended parents during the surrogacy process?  Did you discuss that during the matching process? 

It’s important to me that the intended parents are as involved as they want to be. I went into my first surrogacy journey not really knowing what type of relationship I wanted with my intended parents, and we took on a very business-like approach. We were in separate states so it was hard to develop a real personal relationship. We still keep in touch with updates, and I love that they continue to think of me. However, coming into this journey with my current IPs, I look forward to them being local and for them being more involved.

What is your advice for women considering becoming a surrogate who might be uneasy about the surrogacy matching process? 

My advice would be to just be yourself and follow your gut. It’s important to match with a couple that you are comfortable with and feel they will support you. Surrogacy is a long journey but totally worth it. It’s important to match with people you like and people that want the same things as you. This is your journey as much as it is theirs and both sides deserve to get everything they want out of the process. It’s okay to be selective. My first journey I was fortunate enough to match with the first family Pathways To Parenthood Surrogacy Agency introduced me to. This time around it was “third times a charm”. I’m so glad I took the time to think about how I wanted this journey to go. It’s been great so far!

It is amazing to hear and share a surrogate’s unique experience.  It makes us even more grateful to be able to work with amazing women like Annie.

Are you interested in embarking on this journey to become a surrogate? Now is the best time to join our agency. We have families waiting for their surrogate! If you live in the Midwest, we are the surrogacy agency for you!  You can contact us at 913-469-5500 or at www.pathwaystoparenthood.com