Surrogates are usually the biological mothers of the child.
If you're playing the game of Life (the board game, not the existential crisis), you might roll the dice and find yourself landing on 'Start a Family' square. Then, a little plastic baby miraculously falls from the sky (aka your opponent's clumsy hands) and into the backseat of your tiny plastic car. If only writer's block for an obstetrician could be solved as easily!
In the real world, starting a family isn't always as simple as playing a game, and just like in Monopoly, there's a lot more exchanging of money and screaming "I don't understand!" at the rulebook. This is where I, your friendly neighbourhood fertility doc, step in and introduce you to the idea of surrogacy.
Whoa there, I bet you're wondering, "Imagine asking a person to carry a baby for nine months? Doesn't that sound a little high-maintenance? Isn’t that like asking your neighbor to water your plants for nine months and then expecting blooming tulips?" Kind of, but humor me for a minute, okay?
Surrogacy is actually like a high-stakes relay race; everyone from the genetic parents, the surrogate, doctors, to lawyers, health workers, and even the egg and sperm, play an integral role in this relay, passing the baton in an expertly coordinated endeavor. Imagine your high school relay race, but instead of a gold medal, there's a beautiful bouncing baby at the finish line. Now, isn't that more exciting than running around an oval track and getting sunburnt?
But here lies the misunderstood part: many assume that in surrogacy, the surrogate is merely a passive participant, a stand-in 'oven' for the 'bun.' However, that's like saying a Rolls-Royce is just a car. Surrogates are extraordinary individuals who knowingly dedicate months of their lives, bodies, and emotions to help someone else become a proud parent. It’s more noble than a knight, rescuing a damsel in distress, but with less shouting and no dragon slaying – usually.
All lovey-dovey sentimentality aside, being a surrogate is not a decision to be taken lightly or without thorough research and understanding. I mean, you wouldn't buy a platypus just because they look cute, right? The same applies here. It's essential to know what you're diving into, and preferably, it should not be a pond full of platypuses – those bills are surprisingly sharp.
A surrogate mother is expected to go through rigorous medical examinations, psychological evaluations, legal consultations, and a whole pregnancy! They're like the superhero team in a comic, each with a unique set of skills needed to accomplish the mission – and maybe that's a more apt analogy. Surrogacy isn’t just expecting blooming tulips; it’s more akin to growing a stunning Chrysanthemum from a tiny seed.
But don’t mistake surrogacy as a gloomy, all-work-no-play process. Picture this: Christmas morning, a couple uncovers a present under a tinsel-laid Christmas tree. Wonder and joy fill their eyes as they unwrap the gift, revealing a baby... Wait, who put a baby under the tree? We should really have a talk about appropriate gift-giving customs.
Jokes aside, that's the kind of joy surrogacy can bring. When the right pieces fall into place, surrogacy is a beautiful process which ultimately hands a glittering gift to those who might not have been able to receive it otherwise. Throughout all its intricacies, surrogacy is indeed no laughing matter – unless you imagined playing the game of Monopoly with your obstetrician, then feel free to giggle.
So, if you're considering this path to parenthood, remember – it's not as simple as rolling dice or moving plastic figures on a board. It requires time, patience and, most importantly, incredible individuals. And, who knows, you might end up playing the most rewarding, if not the most complicated, game of chess, complete with the celebratory jumping-for-joy-at-the-end bit. Not Monopoly rage, promise!
