Are you the crafty type? Have you ever thought of putting your skills to work for your surrogacy journey?
While many steps in the surrogacy process must be left to the professionals, there’s still plenty you can do on your own to make your experience easier. From handmade gifts to personalized organization systems, there is a long list of DIY projects that you take advantage of for your surrogacy journey.
We hopped on Pinterest to find some of the best DIY surrogacy projects out there. Check out a few of them below, or share some of your favorites in the comments!
1. Something to Organize Your Surrogacy Paperwork
Surrogacy involves a lot of moving parts — and a lot of paperwork. Whether or not you’re the naturally organized type, a little help won’t hurt!
Use your DIY skills to put together a filing system to keep all your medical, escrow, legal and other paperwork neatly organized. Your surrogacy partner and specialist will thank you; having all of your documents easily accessible will prevent delays in the process and keep your surrogacy on track.
2. Something for the Baby and Nursery
Nothing shows how much a child is loved like handmade gifts and nursery decorations. Whether you’re the intended parent prepping the nursery or the surrogate carrying the child, you can harness your creativity into the perfect nursery addition.
While there are plenty of general DIY nursery projects out there, you can always find surrogacy-specific ideas (or tweak adoption-specific ideas to fit your surrogacy situation). And don’t forget all the cute DIY baby gifts you can find!
3. Something to Commemorate the Journey
Surrogacy is a journey few people take, and it’s one to celebrate! If you have time to kill and the creative inclination, why not put together a special book commemorating the ups and downs of this process?
Having a surrogacy photo album or life book can serve a double purpose. It’s not just something intended parents and surrogates can look back on years later; it can also be a helpful tool in explaining a child’s surrogacy story as they grow up. If you want to commemorate your surrogacy journey with a book, start collecting documents and photos from the very start to include the whole story. Let your surrogacy partner know you’re working on a book, and see if they have anything specific they would like to add!
4. Something to Help You Raise Surrogacy Funds
It’s no secret that surrogacy is expensive. If you’ve gathered funds for your family-building journey through traditional methods, why not think a bit out of the box with different fundraising ideas? The tried-and-true garage or bake sale is always a good option, but consider harnessing any unique skills you have (like sewing or home improvement) and offer your services on your local Facebook Marketplace or Etsy.
5. Something for the Baby Shower
Baby showers are exciting for everyone involved in the surrogacy journey. Intended parents deserve to be showered just like those who are pregnant with their own children, and there are countless ways to make a baby shower unforgettable.
Before you go about making any of these baby shower crafts, check in with the intended parents or the loved one throwing the shower. They may have specific tasks they want help with, or you may find they’ve already added these DIY projects to their list!
Keep in mind that many traditional baby shower crafts and games reference the pregnancy of mom-to-be. That obviously doesn’t apply in surrogacy, so update those accordingly to avoid confusion and hurt feelings.
6. Something to Give Your Surrogacy Partner
If you’re a surrogate, you’re already giving your intended parents the greatest gift of all. But you may want to do a little something special to help them prepare for and enjoy their new lives as parents. Don’t feel like you “have” to give the intended parents anything but, if you want to, stick to something handmade and personal that they will love, like the ideas below:
If you’re an intended parent, you probably want to shower your surrogate with gifts for the amazing gift she’s giving you — your child! Your surrogate may have gotten pregnancy gifts from you the last few months, but don’t forget about a delivery and postpartum gift. Even though your surrogate won’t be caring for a child after birth, she’ll still have a recovery period. Why not put together a special postpartum recovery basket full of all her favorite things? Or gift a beautifully framed photo of the baby that she can cherish?
7. Something Just for You
Who said DIY surrogacy projects had to only be practical? Don’t be afraid to indulge in some DIY self-care, whether you’re carrying a child for intended parents or you’re the intended parent stressing out about your upcoming family addition.
Explore some DIY projects for your mental and physical well-being. Surrogacy can be an exhausting process, and it’s no surprise if you need some “me” time. Something as simple as a bullet journal to finish your to-do lists or a homemade spa basket to help you unwind and relax may be just what you’re looking for.
Have some more DIY surrogacy ideas? Drop them in the comments below!