Great gifts for surrogates
What can you give someone who is giving you the gift of life? Nothing seems grand enough. It can be overwhelming trying to choose what gift to get your surrogate when you feel like you can never match what they are giving you...and that’s ok! Surrogates don’t expect gifts or grand gestures. Surrogates do this because we want to help someone, we aren’t in this for the money or gifts. I say “we” because I’m a two time gestational surrogate! I have a few gift ideas below if you want to give your surrogate a little something extra during the holidays or their birthday.
Acupuncture is an excellent gift for most! I say “for most” because you should probably ask your surrogate first if they like acupuncture. I like the results of acupuncture but I hate needles so I avoid it unless necessary. Acupuncture has been around for at least 2,500 years and was originally a Chinese practice. Acupuncture is used for balancing the energy within one’s body and for overall general health, focusing on preventing and treating sickness or disease. VERY small, thin needles are put into specific spots on the body connected with meridians (or pathways) within the body.
Gestational Surrogate, Amanda’s, personal acupuncture testimonial:
I started using acupuncture when trying to get pregnant with my first child, and it worked! We really hadn’t tried for that long, but I was impatient and wanted to do all I could to help get my body ready and move things along. I used it during pregnancy to deal with any discomforts and it helped. I enjoy acupuncture, pregnant or not, so I used it through my second pregnancy as well. Therefore, as a surrogate it only made sense to me. I did acupuncture as I started meds, a day before transfer (I had to travel for transfer so couldn’t do day of), when I came home after transfer and throughout the pregnancy. I even used acupuncture after the baby was born to help flush out hormones and regulate my body. I would recommend trying it in general, especially for surrogacy, as long as your doctor agrees.
The American Pregnancy Association, a national health organization that works for pregnancy wellness, has this to say about acupuncture and pregnancy: “….an individual could still benefit from acupuncture and herbs because of the potential effect of improved ovarian and follicular function. Additionally, acupuncture can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.”
Many fertility clinics encourage the use of acupuncture for embryo transfer and other times of pregnancy. The University of Colorado Advanced Reproductive Medicine clinic in their support materials calls for acupuncture to “promote implantation and prevent miscarriage” and for embryo transfer day to “calm the mind and relax the uterus, relieve discomfort while at the same time supporting implantation.”
Other body treatments like massages, facials, haircuts, and mani/pedis are excellent, relaxing gift ideas. Getting my hair cut with a scalp massage is one of my favorite things. Anything that can help your surrogate relax is a great gift. Pregnancy in general is difficult and stressful. Being pregnant with someone else’s baby can be even harder and more stressful. Show her your appreciation by treating her to a spa day.
Gift cards to her favorite restaurant are a wonderful gift. Pregnancy also means wanting to eat all of the time (for most of us anyway!). You can’t go wrong with food as a gift. Take her out for a meal if you are local or send her a nice card with a heartfelt note and a restaurant gift card. You can ask her spouse or other close contacts which places are her favorite and even get an assortment to satisfy all of her cravings.
The best “gifts” I ever received were heartfelt notes from the intended parents I carried for. I know, it sounds so cheesy but it’s true! I will always remember the words they wrote to me about how much I changed their lives and they can’t thank me enough. Those words mean more to me than any monetary gift.
Are you ready to find a surrogate? Set up a free consult today!