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What Happens if You're Put on Bed Rest During Your Surrogate Pregnancy?
As a surrogate, your doctor may order you on bed rest at some point during your pregnancy. Being on bed rest can be a difficult time for many people, and it's important to know what to expect so that you can feel better prepared. This blog post will cover what happens if a surrogate is put on bed rest during her pregnancy, how she should prepare herself for being on bed rest, and the realities of day-to-day living when you cannot move much.
What would cause a surrogate to be put on bed rest?
Bed rest is typical during pregnancy and is generally ordered by a doctor when there are concerns about the health of either the surrogate or the baby.
Your doctor may recommend bed rest if you have high blood pressure, an infection such as chlamydia, gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy), or other issues that could affect your ability to carry a healthy child.
Other causes may include:
- Preeclampsia
- Twins or multiples
- Heavy vaginal bleeding
- Premature labor
- Poor growth of the fetus
- Placenta complications
- Previous pregnancy loss or stillbirth
It’s nothing to be concerned about and helps ensure the safety of the surrogate and baby. However, it’s important to follow doctor’s orders precisely when on bed rest or risk worsening your condition.
Why is bed rest so important?
Being bedridden for a few weeks can actually be good news! It means that your body will have time to regulate itself and take care of you during the pregnancy. Pregnant women are more susceptible to stress and elevated blood pressure, which can make conditions worse. Bed rest is an option that allows the body to recover without being stressed or experiencing high levels of adrenaline and glucagon—two hormones essential for childbirth.
In many cases where a surrogate has had bedrest as part of their treatment plan, they experience less pain in labor because it has allowed them time to prepare while also regulating hormone levels.
What does bed rest mean as a surrogate?
Bed rest means that the surrogate is not allowed to do any type of physical activity—which typically means she will be unable to work, care for her children, and clean her home. Doing so may harm a developing fetus and will most likely result in an early delivery, requiring additional medical attention for both mother and baby.
Therefore, as part of a surrogate's compensation agreement with GSHC Surrogacy Agency, you are entitled to lost wages, childcare, and housekeeping compensation.
The following bed rest benefits extend six weeks after a vaginal delivery and eight weeks after a C-section delivery:
- Lost wages: Surrogates must provide their two most recent paystubs to determine their net weekly salaries. After being put on bedrest with an accompanying physician's note, a surrogate must file for State Disability Insurance. In addition to the weekly disability benefits she received from the state, the surrogate can also receive an additional amount up to $250/week from her intended parents to meet her full net wages.
- Childcare: If the surrogate's physician or obstetrician confirms in writing that she will need to be on bed rest at any point during her pregnancy, childcare allowance will be reimbursed up to $50 per day, up to three days per week. The surrogate must provide receipts in order to receive a childcare reimbursement.
- Housekeeping: If the doctor confirms that your surrogacy prevents you from completing everyday chores at home, we’ll reimburse you up to $50 per week for any housekeeping services you may need. The surrogate must provide receipts in order to receive a housekeeping reimbursement.
Whether it’s for medical reasons or to allow your body to recover from stress, bed rest may be something that will help get you through your surrogacy journey with ease. We understand how difficult surrogacy can be for all parties involved.
With our knowledge and expertise, we’re here to ensure every step of this process goes smoothly—especially when it comes time for delivery day. If you have questions at any point along the way, please feel free to reach out so we can answer them as best as possible.