Resources for families and surrogates

We have pulled together, on this page, some key resources for surrogacy which intended parents and surrogates may find useful.

Books and resources 

These books have been specially created for children of all ages to help them understand surrogate, whether as children born through surrogacy or children of surrogates.

Our Story books and resources for parents

A library of books and resources for parents, as well as the surrogacy versions of the Our Story books (designed for children, with variations for different family structures and types of conception)

The kangaroo pouch

By Sarah Phillips

Why I’m so special

By Carla Lewis-Long

The very kind koala

By Kimberley Kluger-Bell

My mom is a surrogate

By Abigail Glass

You began as a wish

By Kim Bergman

Guidance on miscarriage and stillbirth

Baby loss is always a tragedy, and incredibly difficult for those going through it. Having supported surrogacy teams experiencing this over the years, we know that surrogacy brings some unique challenges. We’ve written these guides to help:

Miscarriage and stillbirth support for surrogates and intended parents – practical guidance for intended parents and surrogates.

Miscarriage and Stillbirth Hospital Trust Support – practical guidance for healthcare professionals caring for surrogacy teams.

Government and other ‘official’ guidance on surrogacy

 We’ve pulled together various sources of official guidance and information on surrogacy you may find helpful:

The Department of Health and Social Care‘s Surrogacy Pathway document provides best practice guidance on all stages of the UK surrogacy process

CAFCASS (the Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) is involved in parental order applications in England and Wales, and produces information for families about their role and about talking to children about surrogacy

The HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) Code of Practice Chapter 14 deals with how fertility clinics should manage surrogacy treatment in the UK

The FCDO (Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office)’s Surrogacy Guidance for intended parents planning international surrogacy

Useful organisations

Here are some of the charities and other support organisations our surrogacy teams find useful:

Donor Conception Network – a charity founded in 1993 which aims to support and guide parents in the issues they face and the feelings they have about creating and raising a family through donor conception and/or surrogacy. DCN offers  invaluable resources, workshops, community events and personal help.

National Childbirth Trust – one of the UK’s best-known organisations for antenatal and postnatal classes for new parents.  NCT is supportive of surrogacy although each local branch offers slightly different courses so it is well worth contacting your local branch to discuss your family needs.

Doula UK – an organisation of over 600 doulas across the UK.  Doulas support families through birth and early parenting on a one-to-one basis.  Doulas are not medically trained but provide holistic alternatives and support, working with both surrogates and intended parents.

NHS – the NHS has some useful online information for new parents about getting to know your baby.

Stonewall – the UK’s leading LGBT charity offers support on all LGBT issues and information about parenting.

Resources on the law

 Surrogacy law can be complicated and we do our best to simplify it. Our sibling organisation NGA Law offers a free online knowledge centre where you can find:

  • Guidance on the law
  • Access to court forms and other documents you may need
  • Links to legislation and previous surrogacy cases

ACAS also produces information about employment rights where you can find out more about claiming adoption leave

Want personalised advice?

Explore our services to find out more about the bespoke advice we can offer.

Related articles

How much does surrogacy cost?

How long does surrogacy take?

Talking to your child born through surrogacy

Still have questions?

Don’t worry, you are not alone.  We are here to help however we can.