How can you prepare for the birth of your baby via surrogacy?  Congratulations, you’re expecting! The surrogacy journey is an exhilarating but nerve-racking time. The waiting period can feel like an eternity, but the good news is that there are many things you can do to help prepare for your baby.  

  • Update financials by creating a new budget. 
  • Design the nursery. 
  • Tackle any home projects indoor or outdoor 
  • Baby-proof the house and remove anything that is unsafe. 
  • Create memories with your parents before the baby comes! 

Update Your Financials 

Start by tweaking or creating a new budget if you don’t have one already. Factors to include in your budget are: 

  • Car payments 
  • Mortgage 
  • Childcare 
  • Groceries 
  • Student loans 
  • Retirement accounts 
  • Other personal expenses  

In a perfect world, you would have been saving up well in advance to help ease the cost of the surrogacy bill, but no worries if you weren’t able to. There are a few ways to help cover the cost: 

  • Home equity line of credit: Apply for a home equity line of credit. This is a great resource to consider because you’ll be provided with the funds as needed, and your home improvement projects will be tax-deductible.  
  • Set aside money each paycheck: Contributing an amount from each paycheck to a specific category each week, such as groceries, baby essentials, or miscellaneous costs. 

Design the Nursery 

Decorating the nursery is a great way to start preparing for your baby’s arrival.  

  • Clean and declutter: Start by cleaning out the room and eliminating unnecessary clutter.  
  • Create a mood board: Search Pinterest for fun and creative nursery ideas.  
  • Order furniture early:  Cribs, changing tables, and rocking chairs take time to assemble, so you’ll want to order them early. 
  •  Stock up on essentials: Diapers, baby wipes, pacifiers, strollers, car seats, clothes, and baby monitors should all be on your checklist.  

Don’t forget to tackle the other long-awaited home projects while there’s still free time on your hands. 

Tackle Home Projects 

One thing about home projects is the to-do list adds up, but the projects never seem to get done right away. Before the baby arrives, it’s crucial to tackle all the home chores you’ve been putting off. Depending on the weather or time of year, you might want to tackle either the indoor or outdoor to-do list first.  

Interior projects: 

  • Update or change all the locks on the windows and doors.  
  • Eliminate clutter and throw away or donate any unused items and clothes. 

Exterior projects:  

  • Clean out the gutters.  
  • Install a fence in the backyard to create a safer and secure space. 
  • Weed and mulch landscaping.  

These home projects can add up fast, so it’s crucial to budget and prepare for these expenses. 

Baby-Proof the House 

Although the baby won’t be mobile for a while, it’s better to be prepared ahead of time. Walk through your home and make a note of anything that seems unsafe for a small child. 

  • Deep clean 
  • Put electrical outlet covers in every room 
  • Get baby gates for stairs or steep drop-offs. 
  • Consider installing an outdoor security system, so you can feel extra safe when the baby arrives.  

Slowly implementing safe spaces in your home will save you the headache down the road. 

Create Memories 

It’s important to spend as much quality time with your significant other before the baby arrives because you might not have time for date nights when the baby arrives. Create a fun to-do list to tackle just the two of you. Some activities to include: 

  • Going out to dinner. 
  • Seeing a movie. 
  • Taking a quick weekend trip. 
  • Going on a longer “babymoon” if your budget allows it. 
  • Taking parenting classes together. 

You’ll also want to get as much sleep as possible because there will be barely any time for that when the baby is here.  

Document your surrogacy journey: 

  • If you’re comfortable, include a picture and bio of your surrogate, so your child can look back on the process when they’re older. 

Don’t be afraid to reach out to other intended parents about their surrogacy journey. Learning as much as possible about what to expect and how to best prepare will only help ease the exciting but stressful time. 

And, of course, your FSC case manager is available at any time to answer any questions you may have along the way! 

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Staci Swiderski, CEO and owner of Family Source Consultants, has been a prominent leader in reproductive medicine for over two decades. Through her strategic vision and dedication, she has developed Family Source Consultants into a globally recognized agency specializing in comprehensive egg donation and gestational surrogacy services. Under Staci’s leadership, the agency has become a trusted partner for intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors worldwide, known for its rigorous standards, compassionate support, and commitment to excellence in third-party reproduction.

Her professional insight is uniquely informed by her own family-building experiences. As an intended parent, Staci welcomed her son via gestational surrogacy in 2005, and as a known egg donor, she assisted an infertile couple in expanding their family. These experiences lend a rare depth to her leadership and have fueled her ongoing dedication to ethical, empathetic, and professional support within the field of reproductive medicine.