Why do women become surrogates in the UK?

Every surrogate is an individual and the motivation to become a surrogate is incredibly personal. At Brilliant Beginnings we talk to lots of surrogates, and we know from what they tell us that some common motivations include:

• Having heard of other people’s struggles to conceive. Many surrogates say that they heard or read a story which struck a chord with them, and it made them realise that surrogacy was something they could do to help someone else in a similar position.

• Enjoying being pregnant and giving birth, but not wanting any more children.

• Moving on to surrogacy having been an egg donor. For some women it feels like a natural progression from one to the other.

• Surrogacy having been a lifelong ambition.

• Having been asked by a close friend or family member to be a surrogate.

• Wanting to do a rewarding thing which makes a life-changing difference to someone else.

• Wanting to be a good role model to their own children.

• Wanting to help particular types of intended parents due to personal experience e.g. LGBT parents, parents who have been through cancer.

• Having to overcome an obstacle in their own fertility and recognising that others who are never able to overcome that obstacle may be left without the joy of a family.

Surrogates are generally women who love being able to ‘give back’ and who are family-oriented. Some, realising how lucky they have been to have created their own family, cannot imagine life without their children and want to give that to someone else. They often feel that they are fit and healthy and capable of carrying another pregnancy easily.  They tend to be clear-minded about what they want to do and think that, if they can physically carry a baby for someone else, why would they not do so?