Surrogacy continues to attract strong opinions, and much of the recent coverage has been emotive or polarised rather than balanced. Meghan Trainor’s experience of welcoming a child through surrogacy has once again brought the subject into the public eye, but it has also shown how quickly the positives can be overshadowed by controversy.

At its core, surrogacy is about choice, cooperation and trust. It exists because not everyone can carry a child safely or at all, and for many families it offers a practical, ethical and carefully considered route to parenthood. Surrogates are not passive participants in this process; they are informed adults who actively choose to help others build families, often with a strong sense of purpose and pride in the role they play.

The are often requirements or at the very least strong encouragement for all parties to a surrogacy journey to take legal advice at the outset and after the birth of a child. This ensures better informed decisions and avoids many of the complications that often make our headlines or law reports, particularly where the journey involves multiple jurisdictions.   This often helps individuals in managing with the emotional hurdles of surrogacy.

While Meghan Trainor has spoken honestly about the emotional complexity of surrogacy, that openness should not be mistaken for regret or criticism of the process itself. Surrogacy can be challenging and positive at the same time. What matters is the outcome: children who are planned for, wanted and loved, and families created with intention rather than chance.

Much of the criticism particularly from some religious or ideological groups rests on abstract moral arguments that overlook the lived realities of modern families. Surrogacy is not about replacing motherhood or commodifying children. It is about recognising that families are formed in different ways, and that ethical, well-regulated surrogacy arrangements can and do work well for everyone involved. 

Meghan Trainor also joins a growing list of public figures who have chosen surrogacy as their pathway to parenthood, including Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman, Elton John, Anderson Cooper, Sarah Jessica Parker and Tom Daley. While celebrity stories naturally attract attention, they also reflect a wider truth: surrogacy is no longer unusual or marginal, but a well-established option used by families from many different backgrounds.

That said, surrogacy is not straightforward. It is a legally complex process, and taking specialist advice before embarking on the journey is essential. The legal framework and the point at which parentage is formally recognised varies significantly between jurisdictions, particularly where international arrangements are involved. Understanding the process from the outset, including how and when legal parenthood is secured, is critical.

Legal advice alone is not enough. Financial planning, therapeutic or counselling support, and clear discussions about expectations, boundaries and long-term arrangements are all crucial agendas to have in mind from the start. When approached thoughtfully, with proper professional guidance and ethical safeguards in place, surrogacy can be navigated responsibly and positively protecting the interests of the child, the intended parents and the surrogate alike.

Rather than defaulting to fear or criticism, stories like Meghan Trainor’s invite a more measured and compassionate conversation. Surrogacy, when done properly, is not something to be stigmatised. It is one of many legitimate ways families are created in the modern world and one that deserves understanding rather than judgment.

JMW offers a holistic approach drawing together experts able to advice on the range of the above important factors that one should consider before embarking on a journey.