For many people, the holidays come with a lot of free time — which means this is the perfect opportunity for you to check out some of the best reading resources for intended parents and surrogates.

We know that the wait can be tough, but there are plenty of things that you can do to take your mind off the surrogacy process. Take the time now to sit down with these books and informational resources.

Whether you’ve been thinking about starting the surrogacy process over the long break, or you’re already in the middle of a journey, we hope that you can find something helpful here.

Recommended Reading for Intended Parents

Becoming an intended parent is an exciting journey. Because surrogacy is still fairly new, there is a lot to learn about this process. While you’re enjoying your holiday break, here is some of the best reading resources for intended parents.

• Surrogacy: An Essential Guide to the Surrogacy Process, Surrogacy Costs, and Finding a Surrogate Mother: If you’re thinking about becoming an intended parent, you might be confused on how to get started. This book walks you through everything you need to know to determine if surrogacy is right for you.
• Successful Surrogacy: An Intended Parents Guide to a Rewarding Relationship with their Surrogate Mother: The relationship you’ll have with your gestational surrogate is unlike any other. But, like many intended parents, you might be unsure of how to create a lasting, fulfilling bond. This book walks you through that process step-by-step.

Recommended Reading for Infertility

Coping with the loss of infertility is one of the hardest parts about starting the surrogacy journey and moving toward parenthood. If you’re looking for books about the infertility journey and blogs written by couples in your situation, start here:

• Beyond Infertility: The New Paths to Parenthood: Written by two infertility counselors, Beyond Infertility: The New Paths to Parenthood explores everything from IVF to surrogacy.
• “Infertility and Our Journey to a Forever Family”: Stephanie and Terry became parents through gestational surrogacy. Like many couples, they struggled with infertility. You can read their incredible journey to becoming a family on their blog.
• Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility: For hopeful parents struggling with infertility, the holidays can be especially difficult. If you’re looking for tools to cope, this book is a must-read.
• The Long-Awaited Stork: Becoming a parent after infertility is harder than many new parents think. Although this book mainly discusses adoption as an alternative family-building method, it may still be worth checking out for those becoming parents through surrogacy.

Books for Explaining Surrogacy to Your Child

Surrogacy should be talked about openly and honestly. If you’re looking for ways to explain the process to your child or for books that you can read together during the holiday break, here are some great options to get started.

• The Kangaroo Pouch: A Story About Surrogacy for Young Children: The Kangaroo Pouch is a simple, beautiful book that all families touched by surrogacy will love reading together. Told from the prospective of a young child, this story presents a step-by-step look of one family’s decision to grow through surrogacy and what life is like during the pregnancy and after.
• I LoVe My Family: I LoVe My Family is a great way to explain surrogacy and assisted conception to young children. Filled with diverse pictures and inclusive language, this is the perfect tool to answer any of your child’s questions.
• Grown in Another Garden: Grown in another Garden introduces the idea of surrogacy to young children. Told from the perspective of a surro-born child, this story helps explain why some couples choose surrogacy to grow their family.

Recommended Reading for Surrogates

There’s no such thing as too much information when it comes to surrogacy. Whether you’re in the middle of your surrogacy journey or thinking about becoming a surrogate, here are some informational books you should check out.

• Everything Conceivable: This book has great information for intended parents and surrogates. It includes personal stories from everyone involved in surrogacy, along with an in-depth look at the entire surrogacy process.
• Birthing a Mother: The Surrogate Body and the Pregnant Self: If you’re looking for a book that explores how intended mothers and surrogates relate to once another throughout the process, this is what you want.
• Labor of Love: Gestational Surrogacy and the Work of Making Babies: This book includes a series of interviews from intended parents, gestational surrogates, and their family and friends. If you’re looking for a book that covers multiple perspectives, along with an in-depth look at the history of surrogacy, this is one to check out.
• My Mom is a Surrogate: If you’re a surrogate, your children are going to be naturally curious about the process. This book follows a pair of siblings as they watch their mother become a surrogate. If you’re looking for a helpful way to explain the surrogacy process to your child, this book is a great way to get started.

Find Your New Favorite Book

The holidays are one of the best times of the year. It’s the perfect chance to look back and appreciate how far we’ve come, make our favorite resolutions for the new year and just unwind.

Whether it’s a book or a blog post, there always something to read during the holidays. Take the time to read something new as you get ready for the next part of your surrogacy journey.

Is there anything that you’re reading for your surrogacy and parenting journey? Let us know in the comments!