How to use your agency as your advocate

Using your agency as your advocate in your surrogacy journey involves effectively communicating with them, establishing clear expectations, and ensuring that your agency understands your preferences and goals throughout the surrogacy process.  By doing this the surrogacy agency will know how to advocate for you at the times it may be needed.

Here is what you can do to help your agency advocate for you:

Using Effective Communication

Expressing your expectations, desires, and any requirements you may have during your surrogacy journey is important from the very beginning.  You also want to ask questions and get clarification on any topic or aspect of the process that you are unsure about.  You are going to want to clearly express your thoughts and feelings because it is crucial for your agency to properly understand your perspective and advocate for you.

Be Open and Honest

Be honest and open about your situation, any challenges you may be having, and your feelings.  Transparency is going to help create a deeper understanding between you and your agency. Always be sure to provide your agency with any changes or developments, so they are kept well informed.

Establishing Trust

It can be difficult, but it is important to work on building a trusting relationship with the agency by starting off being honest, open, and transparent.  The agency should also in turn be transparent with you, which will help establish trust between you and your agency.  You want to build a trusting and positive relationship with your agency.  By establishing a trusting relationship with the agency, you will be able to trust the agency’s expertise and experience when guiding you through the surrogacy process.

Example

An example of a time you may need to use your agency as your advocate is; as a surrogate, you are nearing the end of your pregnancy, and everything has been great so far. You attend an appointment where your doctor suggests inducing labor at 39 weeks and the intended parents are in favor of that decision because then the birth can be planned out and they know the date range of the delivery.  But you, as someone who has never needed an induction before, do not feel like you want to take that route.  You have done your research and consulted another physician who understands your concerns with inducing labor, as inducing labor carries various risks. You don’t feel like it is the right decision and when you talk to the intended parents they don’t understand where you are coming from.  In this scenario, this would be the perfect time to use your agency as your advocate.  Your agency can have a joint conversation with you and your intended parents to discuss all the options and hear everyone’s opinion and come up with a solution that fits everyone’s needs.

Communication with your agency pays off

By communicating your needs and desires to the agency, the agency is able to help the intended parents understand your point of view.  Working closely with your agency and maintaining open lines of communications will help maximize the support they are able to provide and increases the likelihood of a positive journey with your intended parents because the agency is able to step in and help advocate for you.

Your agency can help mediate any unexpected issues that might arise throughout the surrogacy journey where you aren’t feeling comfortable approaching the other party directly about.  This journey can be a very physically and emotionally difficult time and it can be very overwhelming at times but having an agency to help you through it and advocate for you when it is needed makes it much easier.

For more information on how Bright Futures Families can be your advocate, contact us!