Intended Parents’ Surrogacy Journey – as featured on Normalized Surrogacy Podcast
I Joined the Normalized Surrogacy Podcast to Talk About Intended Parents
Most of the public conversation around surrogacy centers the gestational carrier. That makes sense—but the emotional world of intended parents often goes unseen. In this episode of the Normalized Surrogacy Podcast, I joined Carey Flamer-Powell to talk honestly about what it takes to entrust your future child to someone else.
Key Takeaways
Surrogacy is rarely a first choice. Most intended parents arrive here after years of infertility, medical complications, or other barriers to carrying a pregnancy.
Emotional distance or controlling behavior from intended parents is often fear in disguise—not a reflection of mistrust toward their carrier.
The financial burden of surrogacy—often $150,000–$200,000+—adds pressure, especially when layered on top of past trauma, loss, or ongoing stress.
Same-sex and international parents often face added challenges around cultural expectations, geographic separation, and lack of insurance coverage.
After birth, intended parents may feel guilt, overwhelm, and anxiety—even in joyful moments—as they adjust to parenting and navigate the end of a deeply complex relationship.
What I Wish More People Knew…
Being an intended parent isn’t just about funding a path to parenthood. It’s a deeply vulnerable, emotionally raw experience that often goes unseen. For many, it’s the culmination of years of hardship and requires courage, empathy, and communication to build trust across bodies, cultures, and continents.
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