Can I take the baby home from the hospital?

One of the primary concerns is whether the baby goes home with the parents or the surrogate following the birth

One of the most frequent questions asked by intended parents is what happens to the baby after it is born through surrogacy in Canada. "Will I be able to take my baby home? Does the surrogate have to look after my baby until we get the birth certificate? How does this all work?"

The answer is simple: the baby is immediately released to the intended parent(s). As per the majority of surrogacy agreements, the baby is discharged from the hospital with the intended parent(s), and the surrogate has no further involvement with the baby.

Barring a very rare exception, such as a concern by the hospital about the child's safety that results in contacting Children's Aid Society, there would be no reason intended parents cannot bring their child home directly, even if the legal parentage process is not yet completed.

In short, after a baby is born via surrogacy in Canada, the baby goes home with the intended parent(s) and not the surrogate. This is to ensure that the intended parent(s) can begin their journey as parents as soon as possible, and that the surrogate is not burdened with any parental obligations or responsibilities.

Categories: Information for Intended Parents, Post Surrogacy