Satisfaction with Surrogate Mothering

Abstract

Seventeen surrogate mothers were interviewed regarding their experiences and satisfaction with the process for this study. All had given birth to one or more children, and five had been a surrogate morethan once. All described their relationshipswith thecouple asbeing the key factor in their satisfaction. Other relationships identified as very importantincludedtheirsignificantother, children, friends, extendedfami-ly, and thesurrogacyprogram director. Fourfactorswerefoundtooverlap these relationships: Motivation, type of fertilization, health, and cultural factors. Arelational model is presentedwith implicationsfor socialwork practice.

Key Words:

• Surrogate mothering
• relationships