What if the intended parents haven’t arrived when it’s time for the surrogate to go home?
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
Surrogacy Birth Planning
The key to a smooth transition at birth is for intended parents to be present and ready to care for their newborn promptly. Intended parents must plan to be near the hospital starting at 36 weeks to ensure they can arrive when labor begins, as medical staff stop attempting to delay labor after this point. Labor timing can be unpredictable, so proximity to the hospital helps avoid delays in assuming baby care. Rarely, hospitals and surrogates may provide temporary baby care, but this is not guaranteed or reliable. The baby can only be legally discharged to the intended parents or legal guardians, ensuring proper custody and care. If intended parents are absent at discharge, hospitals might involve child services to safeguard the baby. Surrogate and baby discharge occur separately, emphasizing distinct care timelines.
Intended parents typically arrive within two to eight hours after labor starts, reflecting strong planning and commitment. Distance requires intended parents to be prepared in advance to avoid gaps in newborn care. Bright Futures Families stresses readiness to ensure a smooth and safe transition home for the baby. Preparation helps mitigate risks related to custody or temporary care issues at discharge.
The surrogacy journey involves significant investment of time, energy, and resources by families, highlighting the importance of logistical readiness. This investment motivates most intended parents to coordinate effectively around the birth timeline. BFF encourages clear communication and scheduling to minimize surprises and ensure newborn safety. This planning framework reflects Bright Futures Families’ commitment to positive family outcomes and legal clarity.
Transcript:
Hey everyone, this is Amanda Kinnard at Bright Futures Families, and I am the director here. I have today's Ask Question. The question is "What if intended parents haven't arrived when it's time for the surrogate to go home?" Well, once the baby is born, the baby is the responsibility of the intended parents or the legal guardians. So because babies, as we know, sometimes decide to arrive on their own schedule, we strongly recommend that intended parents plan to be near the hospital starting around 36 weeks. So when medical professionals will no longer support-(Sorry.)-Will no longer attempt to stop the labor at 36 weeks. So occasionally hospitals or the surrogate may be willing to help care for the baby for a short period of time before baby is discharged from the hospital or the intended parents arrive at the hospital. However, this is not something that can be relied on or guaranteed. Hospitals are only able to discharge the baby to the intended parents or the legal guardian, which is what everyone would want, right? So if the baby is ready for discharge and the intended parents or guardian have not arrived, the hospital may need to involve child services to ensure baby has proper care. The good news is that intended parents work very hard to plan ahead for this moment. Families are invested with significant time, energy and resources into their surrogacy journey. Almost all are able to arrive within a few hours once labor begins, typically two to eight hours (ish). So the surrogate and baby are separate patients, therefore they discharge separately. The most important thing is simply being prepared and ready to care for your baby when the time comes so that everyone, including your newborn, can transition smoothly and safely for home. I hope this helps answer your question. Have a great day.