For couples who are considering a surrogate, their future child’s health is very important. The mother’s health during the gestational period is directly connected to the child’s development. As such, people carefully screen candidates to find someone who they think is the optimal choice. It’s best for their baby’s future if the surrogate is also healthy.
This may mean that a surrogate is obligated to avoid certain foods or substances. It all depends on how the surrogacy contract is written. The prospective parents can create a contract stipulating what they want the surrogate to avoid, and the surrogate is bound to follow that once they’ve signed the document.
Some examples
Exactly what parents want a surrogate to avoid will differ from case to case. It’s very common to list hazardous substances such as alcohol or cigarettes. But some parents will even go a step further and ask that the surrogate doesn’t drink caffeine or eat excessive amounts of sugar.
Determining exactly what foods to add into the contract can take work. For instance, the Mayo Clinic advises those who are pregnant to avoid fish with a high level of mercury. Some examples include:
- Bigeye tuna
- Marlin
- King mackerel
- Orange roughy
- Shark
- Swordfish
- Tilefish
Fish are not the only example. The Mayo Clinic also says that women should try to avoid eating unwashed fruit, for example, because it could contain chemicals or pesticides on the outer surface.
Once parents have gone through this process and determined exactly what foods they want the surrogate to avoid, then it’s time to draft a contract to ensure there is proper focus on the child’s health from all involved parties. At this time, it can be helpful to work with an experienced law firm.