How does pumping breast milk work after the birth? Who provides equipment & supplies? Is the surrogate compensated?

Learn the answer to this week's user-submitted question about surrogacy in this week's installment of Ask a Surrogacy Expert! Have a question about surrogacy that you'd like answered? Submit it at brightfuturesfamilies.com/ask

Video Summary:

Breast Milk Pumping Process and Equipment Provision

The process of pumping breast milk after birth is optional and depends on mutual agreement between the gestational carrier and intended parents.

Pumping and Insurance: Pumping breast milk after birth is optional; insurance often covers the pump, but parents may pay remaining costs.

Supplies and Shipping: Intended parents handle milk bags, freezer bags, shipping costs, and may need sterilizers, bras, coolers, and ice packs.

Compensation: Weekly payments are made to the carrier for pumping efforts, detailed in legal contracts to clarify responsibilities.

Weaning Timeline: Weaning from pumping takes about 2-3 weeks; clear, ongoing communication helps manage expectations and comfort.

Comfort Supplies: Optional items like heat packs and creams support carrier health but are not mandatory unless agreed in contracts.

Transcript:

Hey everyone, this is Amanda with Bright Futures Families, and I am the director here with today's Ask Video. And the question is “How does pumping breast milk work after the birth? Who provides the equipment and the supplies? And is the surrogate compensated for her time and effort?” That's a great question. Pumping breast milk after delivery can be a wonderful option if both the gestational carrier and the intended parents are interested and want to do this process. However, it's always optional and never guaranteed as every postpartum recovery is different and milk supply can be different as well. In many cases, a breast pump can be obtained through the gestational carrier's health insurance, though there may be an occasional small remaining balance that intended parents would cover that cost. If a gestational carrier prefers a specific pump or equipment that is outside of what insurance provides, that should be requested in advance and outlined in the legal contract with the intended parents agreeing to cover any additional cost. Intended parents are generally responsible for the reasonable costs associated with pumping and providing breast milk. This can include things like milk storage bags, freezer bags, shipping materials, and shipping costs. There are a couple of great companies out there that specifically ship breast milk, so those are great options if you are needing to ship and have it shipped overnight. A sterilizer, pumping or nursing bras, a cooler, and ice packs for storage or transport. Sometimes additional items may be needed to support a comfortable pumping process and help prevent such items as clogged ducts. There may also be things like heat packets or breast massagers, nipple pads or creams that help in the pumping process. There are many options, as we all know, optional items that are available for pumping, but intended parents are really only responsible for the necessary supplies. So, if the gestational carrier would like specific equipment or additional items beyond what would be considered basic or necessary, those should be discussed ahead of time and included in the legal contract. Compensation for the gestational carrier's time and effort related to pumping and providing breast milk is typically addressed in the legal agreement, ensuring that expectations are clear for everyone involved. Typically, the gestational carrier is paid a weekly compensation amount or a weekly amount for pumping breast milk. Open communication and clear agreements ahead of time help make the process smooth and positive for both the gestational carrier and the intended parents. This is really part of the process where you have to communicate with each other. Make sure you're on the same page. And also, I will say if an intended parent, if a gestational carrier typically starts pumping breast milk, that means you need to give them two to three weeks to wean there. Again, that depends on their supply and how long things take, but sometimes it does take a while for that breast milk to taper off and for her to no longer have to pump. So, this can be a rather lengthy process and again, open communication and discussion ahead of time of what everyone is looking for and what they want is super important. I hope that helps answer your question. Let us know if you have any more.