The Contract process

So I received medical clearance on 8/18 and over a month later I finally got my final draft of my contract. For those that don't know, it typically takes attorneys 2 weeks just to draft the contract, then the parents need to approve the draft before it is sent to the surrogate. When I got the contract I was pleased to see that I only needed to request TWO changes. One was that my contract stated I have a VA license but I have a CA license (easy fix), second was this wording that was put in about me using ONE specific type of oil for massages and to avoid all essential oils. My intended parents did not add this in, it was just language that this particular lawyer tends to add to their contracts. We had them change it to me being able to use any pregnancy friendly oil and to follow my OBs directions. Doesn't seem like a big deal but if I want to get a prenatal massage, I would have to request that ONE oil and there are plenty of pregnancy safe oils so I didn't want to be restricted to this one and it end up not being an oil available and now that means no massage for me.

So, I submit my two changes and think that should be an easy approval and we can move on to signing the final draft! No. My intended parents decided to add in another stipulation on the medical care part (for privacy reasons, I will not disclose what) but anyway, both my attorney and my boss/ the agency owner said absolutely not and asked that it be removed. It's important I point out that it wasn't denied because I work for the agency, if it had been ANY surrogate, we would have said the same thing. When it comes to the health of a surrogate and the risks we put our bodies through to help someone else build their family, we have to be sure that we are covered at all costs if something were to go sideways medically. I was a little taken back and worried my IM would become one of those intended parents who becomes overbearing and micro manage the pregnancy. I have seen it with other parents and it's always so stressful for the surrogate to have to deal with all the unnecessary requests. Luckily, my parents were okay with removing the request and moving forward with the initial draft I agreed to (with those two small changes). So 6 weeks after medical clearance and I finally got my final draft! Kyle and I went to the notary yesterday and I will be mailing out the original on Monday since we are currently dealing with the tropical storms of Hurricane Ian. It's been a long process, I was getting a little discouraged but we are getting closer. I'm hoping it won't take us as long to get legal clearance which is when the attorneys both receive the original signatures from both us and the parents. I'm already bummed about likely being at the end of pregnancy during the summer, which I really didn't want but this goes to show you that not everything goes as planned.

Fingers crossed I'll have good news in the next week!!