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Benefits of Surrogacy For Everyone Interested

Want to learn more about the features and benefits of surrogacy? Is it something you’ve considered for starting your own family? Or perhaps you would like to know more about helping someone else by becoming a surrogate? Read on to learn more about how surrogacy works.

Surrogacy is an agreement that includes a woman (the surrogate) that decides to carry and give birth in place of another person or a couple (the intended parents).

Surrogate mothers also receive many benefits on their surrogacy journey, and if you decide to become a surrogate, you will not only help other people to become parents but you will also be paid and get different benefits to support you on your surrogacy journey. Surrogate moms are of much value to couples that can’t conceive on their own or would choose this option for some other reason maybe, but it is never a simple decision to make.

What is Surrogacy?

As mentioned in the beginning, surrogacy is an agreement, but it also involves complex medical procedures from start to finish. Yet, it is a process that brings tremendous joy to the intended parents and puts a surrogate mother on the amazing journey of a lifetime that can benefit her and intended parents alike. Life is being created as a result and this is a great result of the surrogacy journey.

The Definition of Surrogacy

Surrogacy is a process where a person agrees to carry a child for another couple. Usually it happens because the couple can’t have children, but they may also opt for a surrogacy solution because of some other aspect of their lives that is affecting them.

Surrogacy agreement, should one be initiated, is supported by a legal action to make it valid in law terms. It is because of the importance and complexity of the surrogacy process that it is covered by rules and regulations that help to define relations of all the parties involved.

Surrogacy Controversy

Some controversy about using a surrogate to have a baby still exists, and everyone should be aware of this. The legal requirements can be complex and they can be vastly different from country to country and from state to state (if you are from the US).

Nevertheless, whether it’s because of health problems or other highly important factors, surrogacy could still be the best option for you and your loved partner depending on your life situation.

Benefits of Surrogacy

Depending on the particular life situation of both surrogate and intended parents, there are different benefits for everyone involved. Some of the common ones are:

- High success rates. Modern surrogacy process ensures that the surrogacy journey is healthy and secure for everyone involved.
- Intended parents keep genetic connection to their child. There are intended parents that feel the need to have a biological connection to their children, and gestational surrogacy can make it happen.
- Since it is a common practice for the surrogate and the intended parents to make a legal agreement, everyone’s responsibilities and obligations are known in advance which secures clear conscience for everyone.
- Surrogate’s experience of pregnancy. While pregnancy is certainly a burden on the body, it also presents an amazing journey of bringing a new life into the world.
- Compensation and other financial benefits. Surrogates also get compensated for being surrogates and they usually receive numerous financial benefits such as medical procedures fees, monthly allowances, pregnancy clothes reimbursements and possibly many others depending on the agreement.

How Much Do Surrogate Mothers Get Paid?

How much a surrogate mother gets paid will vary greatly depending on where in the world you live. Of course in some parts of the world surrogacy is not even allowed, so it is better to gather as much valuable info on it as possible before you decide to opt-in.

For the US locations, a rough estimate of base payment is from $30,000 to $60,000 and on top, you can add remuneration for other costs and expenses a surrogate mom has. All of this will depend on many aspects of your particular surrogate journey, so if you are interested it is better to contact an actual agency where you can get a more precise estimate.

Do You Need to Hire a Surrogacy Agency?

The surrogacy process is a complex process from biological, psychological, medical, and legal points of view.

Usually, it is better to hire a certified agency that can help everyone involved through each stage of the surrogacy process. Agency personnel will consist of professionals from different backgrounds, who will readily assist all surrogacy activities from start to finish.

They can help through every aspect, from medicinal and psychological to legal, and prepare for surrogates a benefits package that will almost always include various forms of compensation and other important help.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many valuable benefits that both surrogates and intended parents can have from going through the surrogacy process. For surrogates that includes a life changing experience of carrying a child and also different benefits, including financial compensation. For intended parents, the birth of their child may very well be the most precious thing that they could have ever imagined.

Author Bio

Andrea is the Founder and Director of the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia. She entered the world of assisted reproduction over twenty years ago as a three-time egg donor. The experience profoundly impacted her, and she maintains contact with her recipient families to this day. Andrea started the Hawaii Surrogacy Center, which is the leading provider of surrogacy services in her home state. Upon relocating to Pennsylvania, she sought to provide the same warm and highly personalized service to families in the Greater Philadelphia region.

IVF Surrogacy: What Is It and How Does It Work?

IVF surrogacy is becoming a common option for people who cannot carry a pregnancy but wish to share a genetic connection with their babies. Every year, thousands of children are born in the US through the surrogacy process. But what exactly is IVF surrogacy, how and how does it work, and who needs it? Let’s find the answers to these questions.

What is IVF surrogacy?

IVF surrogacy is an arrangement in which the surrogate mother agrees to carry and deliver a pregnancy for a couple or individual who cannot do so on their own. The process is an inseparable part of gestational surrogacy. In the IVF process, eggs and sperm from the intended parents or donors are “mixed” in the lab to create the embryo. The embryo is then transferred into the womb of the gestational surrogate, who carries the baby to term.

Who uses IVF surrogacy?

People who often take this rewarding path to parenthood include:

- Heterosexual couples who are struggling to get pregnant
- LGBTQ+ couples and individuals
- Single parents
- Intended mothers who cannot carry a pregnancy
- Intended parents who don’t want to pass a hereditary condition to their babies

Steps involved in IVF surrogacy

Step I: Meet with your physician

The first step in the IVF surrogacy process is to schedule a consultation with a fertility specialist. This will allow you to discuss your surrogacy goals, preferences, as well as your personal and family medical history.

Step II: Look for an egg or sperm donor

The next step is to find someone who will provide the egg or sperm for IVF (if you are not using your own genetic materials).

Step III: Embryo Creation

The IVF egg retrieval and fertilization are performed in the lab to create embryos. The embryo is frozen until the surrogate is ready for the transfer procedure.

Step IV: Find a surrogate mother

You will look for a surrogate mother that suits your needs and circumstances and according to surrogate mother cost. Once you have found the right surrogate, your surrogacy agency will complete all the necessary paperwork to ensure the rights of both parties are protected during the process.

Step V: Complete embryo transfer

The embryo will be placed in the surrogate mother’s womb to achieve a pregnancy. Two weeks after the embryo transfer, a blood test is conducted to check if conception has occurred successfully.

Step VI: Take the baby home

Once the gestational carrier gives birth to the baby, she will hand him/her to the intended parents, who would finalize the legal paperwork for parenthood and go home with the new baby.

IVF surrogacy costs

Couples and individuals pursuing IVF surrogacy can expect to pay between $100,000 and $150,000. However, the cost may vary based on certain factors, such as the surrogate’s state, the fertility clinic you choose to work with, services required during the surrogacy, etc.

The costs of IVF surrogacy can be divided into surrogate compensation, fertility clinic fees, legal fees, and agency fees. The agency fees usually cover all the services needed to ensure a successful surrogacy journey, including background checks, screenings, advertising, matching, support, and counseling.

Conclusion

IVF surrogacy is an exciting way to build a family. It gives intended parents the chance to have biological children, regardless of their age, sexual orientation, or background. People who may consider IVF surrogacy include infertile couples, single individuals, LGBTQ people, etc.

Author Bio

Natalie Bowes, B.A. (Integrative Physiology with focus on Endocrinology, Immunology, and Microbiology) Intended Parents Coordinator and Educator at fertile.com.

Natalie looks after the hopeful parents walking through the doors of RSMC and makes sure their parenthood journey progresses smoothly and successfully. Her past patient care experience and academic feats allow her to help intended parents understand every aspect of IVF journey. She loves staying active and enjoys hiking, yoga, and reading.

The Surrogacy Process Isn’t Right For Everyone, But Is It Right For You?

The surrogacy process can be life changing. If you are struggling with conceiving a baby on your own, this could be an option worth considering. Or, you may be interested in helping someone else begin a family of their own.

Whether you are a hopeful intended parent, or a prospective surrogate considering this journey, you probably have many questions about how this process works. Let’s look at the surrogacy process in chronological order.

Prepare for surrogacy

Before embarking on the surrogacy process, it’s important to understand how does surrogacy work? That way, you can decide if it’s the right option for you and your family. You need to learn about the different surrogacy agreements available. Here is a brief overview:

Gestational Surrogacy: In this process, the eggs will be provided by the intended mother (or a donor) and fertilized with sperm from the intended father (or a donor). The surrogate’s eggs are not involved in any way, so the surrogate will not have a genetic link with the baby.

Traditional Surrogacy: Is when the surrogate uses her eggs and is artificially inseminated with sperm from the intended father or a donor. Because her eggs are used, she will be genetically connected to the baby. There are several legal and emotional concerns with this form of surrogacy, therefore, it is not commonly pursued.

Compensated Surrogacy: This is a surrogacy arrangement in which the surrogate is paid an agreed-upon amount for her services.

Altruistic Surrogacy: Is when the surrogate is only compensated for surrogacy-related expenses.

It’s also recommended that you think about your goals and start drafting your surrogacy plan. When working on your plan, you will need to think about the kind of intended parents or surrogate you would like to work with, the type of relationship would you like to have once the baby is born, and much more.

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Find a Match

Once ready, it’s time to find your ideal match. This phase is probably one of the most exciting parts of the whole journey. It’s important not to rush, to make sure you find your surrogacy soul mate, because you will have a very close relationship with your surrogate/intended parents for at least twelve months.

When looking for intended parents or a surrogate, it’s vital that you define your expectations for the journey, and make sure that the other party has the same expectations. A good surrogacy plan will be a boon during this phase.

Medical and Psychological Screening

After the matching, one of the less pleasant phases begins. The surrogate will need to undergo a medical screening and psychological evaluation to confirm that she is in good shape and is psychologically ready to pursue a surrogacy journey.

Complete the Surrogacy Contract

While surrogacy is an exciting journey, there are always ups and downs to navigate; the surrogacy contract will help to protect all parties.
This legal document sets out the rights and obligations of, both, the surrogate, and the intended parents. The agreement also outlines the parentage to be assigned to the child once it is born. Each party should have individual legal representation, so that they can receive personalized advice and protection of their rights. Once both parties agree, the contract is signed.

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Fertility Treatment and Pregnancy

Once the surrogate has been cleared by the fertility doctor, and the contract has been drafted and signed, a nurse at the IVF clinic will schedule the various phases of the IVF cycle. The treatment will vary depending on whether a fresh or frozen embryo transfer will be done.

Fresh Embryo Transfer

For a fresh embryo transfer, the egg donor and surrogate will have to synchronize their cycles. After the egg retrieval, the eggs will be fertilized, and then an embryo will be transferred to the surrogate.

Frozen Embryo Transfer

In a frozen embryo transfer, frozen fertilized eggs from a previous IVF are thawed and transferred to the surrogate. About ten days after the embryo transfer, the surrogate will be tested (via blood test) to confirm pregnancy.

If pregnancy is confirmed, an ultrasound will be done about six weeks later to confirm the heartbeat. Normally, after this ultrasound, the surrogate will be released to her OBGYN to continue with the typical prenatal care, checkups, and ultrasounds. However, if there are complications, a different approach might be recommended.

Welcoming the New Baby

The most exciting moment of the surrogacy journey, the birth is truly a life-changing experience for, both, the prospective parents, and the surrogate. Typically, the parents will accompany the surrogate to the hospital or meet her there, per their arrangement.

Author Bio

David Bull is the founder of MySurrogateMom, an online surrogacy community dedicated to everyone considering pursuing a surrogacy process in the US and Canada. He is a passionate advocate of surrogacy education and access for all seeking their third-party path to parenthood.

Website: MySurrogateMom.com is an independent surrogacy community designed to connect intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors. Finding the right match is an extremely personal process. We have created this space to help people connect with their surrogacy soulmate. Everything we do is meant to bring members together and help them in their search for this special person.

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