Keeping Your Peace: How to Maintain Emotional Wellness During Surrogacy
During a surrogate pregnancy, it’s crucial that you maintain your emotional health. Surrogacy is a noble purpose, helping LGBTQ+ individuals and couples or those with fertility conditions realize their dreams of parenthood. But it’s still a big commitment, one that can disrupt your normal life. However, following a self-care program can help you preserve your emotional wellness.
A Strong Support System Is Vital During Surrogacy
As a gestational surrogate, it’s important to have a close network of people to confide in, whether a partner, family, friends, or anyone else. Sure, you may need to explain some things, and there could be some awkwardness, but the people who care about you will want to make sure you’re feeling as at ease as possible during your journey. At West Coast Surrogacy, we offer our surrogates extra support with a mental health provider, as well as the surrogacy case manager.
Treat Yourself Well
Even though the surrogacy process is inherently selfless, it doesn’t mean that your own needs should be secondary. While you may end up having to avoid certain foods or activities as outlined in your surrogacy contract, talking to your doctor and surrogacy case manager can help you figure out ways to treat yourself well while engaging in safe, mutually agreed-upon indulgences. Whatever you need to do to keep your peace, you should not hesitate to bring it up. As a surrogate, your main obligation is to take care of yourself and the baby you’re carrying – being kind to yourself should be your primary objective.
Boost Your Mood Through Exercise
When you’re a surrogate, even though the child you carry is not your own, your body is still going through all the physical and emotional ups and downs that come with any pregnancy. If your doctor determines that it’s safe for you to do so, engaging in regular exercise during your surrogate pregnancy can potentially improve your overall health, while also improving mood and energy levels. Physical activity also releases endorphins, hormones released that can relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your sense of well-being.
Sleep During Surrogacy
Staying active also promotes healthy sleep, which is an essential life function for both pregnant and non-pregnant persons. Sleep is your body’s opportunity to wind down and recharge, making sure your brain and biological processes are operating properly when awake. Sleep is even more important when you’re carrying a child, as your body requires more rest to recover from the daily stresses of pregnancy. Furthermore, sleep has been shown to improve your emotional well-being, like mood, memory, and cognitive functioning (i.e., thinking and learning). Poor sleep has also been linked to such pregnancy concerns as preterm birth, low birth weight, painful labor, and depression.
Feed Your Body, Feed Your Mind
Your diet has an impact on your mood, whether or not you’re pregnant. You should consume a diet rich in essential nutrients, as this may lower anxiety, lethargy, fogginess, and depression. Your OB will give you recommendations about the foods you should be eating. Also, at West Coast Surrogacy, we offer our surrogates consultations with registered dieticians to help you have a healthy and safe surrogacy experience.
Schedule a Surrogacy Consultation in California
Being a gestational surrogate is a generous, yet life-changing decision that can affect your emotional wellness. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact West Coast Surrogacy to schedule an appointment.
