To be honest, you’re never really ready for it. The only way is to dive right in.
But in any case, you should be at a stable stage of your life, whether you’re in a relationship or as a single parent. If you truly feel like you want to be a parent, then go for it.
As far as being ready as a couple goes, I’ve seen couples who started the process after being together for a year and a half and others who made the decision after 12 years together. Some already knew at age 24 that they wanted to be parents, and others didn’t feel that way until they turned 50.
With regards to career, you know how it is - it’s never the right time: “I’m about to get a promotion...I’ve just started a huge project...we’ll wait for the post doctorate and then”...
Sometimes you postpone it because of various financial commitments “we’ve just bought an apartment… we’re in the middle of a renovation”, and more.
Usually, the longer you wait, the more likely you are to feel that you should have started sooner. But just feeling like you’re missing out isn’t a good enough reason to start the process. You have to know that you want to be a parent, to be a father, to start a family, with everything it entails.
The bottom line is to look deep within yourself and your relationship with your spouse. When you feel ready and agree to it, go for it! Somehow, as soon as you take the first step, things will magically seem to fall into place along the way. And if you choose to go the surrogacy route it’s obviously important to know what you are getting into financially and what the risks are. It’s also important to remember that it’s a challenging journey, and constantly remind yourself that at the end you’ll have the sweetest “prize” of all - a family of your own.
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