How to Write A Surrogacy Related
Classified Ad
Whether you are an intended parent, surrogate mother, egg
donor, or sperm donor, placing a classified ad can help locate an
interested party looking to enter into a “family building”
arrangement. These tips will help you write an effective online
classified ad.
Research the details of surrogacy before you place an
ad. Become familiar with the costs, procedures, medications, and
insurance and legal issues that pertain to the type of surrogacy you
are considering.
Introduce yourself in the classified ad and include as
much information as possible about your situation. Keep in mind
that anyone can access this information on the Internet, so give
careful consideration to sharing personal information such as your
address and/or telephone number. Include your general location (city
and state), marital status, age, children’s ages and reason for
pursuing a surrogacy arrangement. You may want to
include your expectations of the other party’s location, travel
availability, pre- and post-birth contact, and your thoughts on
multiple birth, reduction, and abortion. This will help to insure
that only individuals who have the same viewpoint will reply to your
ad. If for some reason you do not want to include these specifics
in your ad, be prepared to disclose your position in your first e-mail
exchange.
There are pros and cons to addressing financial matters
in the
classified ad. Both surrogates and intended parents put
significant thought into their financial expectations. If
compensation expectations are disclosed in the ad, then only interested
parties will reply. On the other hand, if there is mention of a
specific dollar amount, you may miss
out on an opportunity to become acquainted with an excellent
match. For this reason, you may want to indicate a “range” of
fees and compensation that is comfortable, depending on the
situation. Intended parents should remember that surrogate
compensation requests vary, ranging from very low or none to very high,
but all surrogates are “compassionate” or they would not become
surrogates.
Surrogate arrangements can be emotionally, physically and
financially trying, even in the best situation. Mention of a
previous troubled arrangement
in a classified ad can appear bitter. Place the ad and enter each
search
with a genuine desire to find the “ideal” partner in creating a family.
Proofread your ad. Use correct punctuation,
capitalization, and grammar. The reader is likely to form an
impression based on how well written it is. Have someone
proofread your ad to ensure that all errors have been corrected.
Remain patient while you wait for responses to your
ad. Proper “netiquette” dictates that you acknowledge a response
was received, whether you are interested in teaming with the responsive
party or not. If you do not want to continue communication with a
potential match, politely notify the other party so that they may
resume their search. Remove your ad once you enter into an
informal agreement with another party.
Good luck to you on your surrogacy journey!
