What is Surrogacy?

So you are ready to have children and are looking to pursue surrogacy as an intended parent. Or you have children of your own and are looking to become a surrogate to help others start their families. Or, you know a surrogate or someone about to start their family via surrogacy and you are curious to know more about how surrogacy works. Let’s start with the basics.

Surrogacy is defined by Yale Medicine as “a process in which a woman carries and delivers a child for a couple or individual.” Yale medicine continues to describe that surrogacy utilizes IVF (in-vitro fertilization) to impregnate the surrogate mother, and that a legal contract, signed by both parties, is required before the process begins. 

Below you will find the definitions of different types of surrogacy, reasons why intended parents may decide to pursue surrogacy, the surrogacy process from start to finish, the financial aspect, legalities, and more. Each surrogacy adventure is unique and brings new benefits and challenges. We recommend contacting a surrogacy agency to answer your more specific questions to be sure you receive accurate information that fits your situation.

Types of Surrogacy

Surrogacy agencies work with commercial surrogacy partnerships, because these partnerships involve compensation for the surrogate for their time, energy, and physical commitment to bearing a beautiful baby.

An altruistic surrogacy partnership does not pay the surrogate. This usually occurs when the surrogate is a family member or a friend of the intended parents.

Traditional surrogacy involves the utilization of the surrogate’s own egg. The sperm used can be from the intended father or a donor. Because of the biological relation between the child and the surrogate, these cases can be a bit more emotionally and legally complicated.

Gestational surrogacy occurs when the eggs of the intended mother (or a donor) and the sperm of the intended father (or a donor) are collected, combined to create an embryo, and transferred to the surrogate’s uterus for growth. The surrogate is not biologically related to the child at all because of this process. In this type of surrogacy, even if the intended mother is unable to or unwilling to use her own eggs, a donor’s eggs will be used – never the surrogate’s. Most surrogacy agencies today only partake in gestational surrogacy.

Why Choose Surrogacy to Grow Your Family?

Whether a person is unable to conceive or does not want to be pregnant, surrogacy provides a solution.

Medical

There are many medical conditions and other unique circumstances that may prevent a couple from being able to conceive. Surrogacy provides a solution to otherwise incurable reproductive health problems. 

LGBTQ+ Couples

Members of the LGBTQ+ community, including but not limited to same-sex couples and transgender individuals, may not be able to conceive. Surrogacy provides these intended parents the opportunity to have a biological child.

Single parents

You do not need to be in a relationship to have a child. Many single parents turn to surrogacy to fulfill their dreams of parenthood.

The Surrogacy Process

The surrogacy process can be a complex one, but it will be one of the most rewarding journeys of an intended parent’s life. Partnering with a surrogacy agency helps to alleviate any confusion along the way. When partnered with an agency, here is what the average surrogacy process from start to finish looks like:

The Initial Consultation

Both surrogates and intended parents have their unique reasons for wanting to pursue surrogacy. When the yearning for a child strikes, or the desire to help a couple start a family begins, the first step is to research which surrogacy agency is the best fit for you and contact them. During this initial consultation, you will be able to ask all of your questions and receive the answers and information you need. 

Screenings

After a prospective surrogate decides she truly wants to embark on this journey, she will see a doctor for both a physical and psychological evaluation. The physical examination will ensure that she is physically fit and capable of carrying a child. The psychological examination is needed to verify the surrogate is happy, healthy, and starting this journey on her own accord.

When an intended parent or pair of parents decide they are committed to pursuing a child via surrogacy, they too will be assessed. This assessment is usually one interview verifying they are ready and capable to care for a newborn child and are committed to caring for their baby for the rest of their lives.

Matching

This step is performed solely by the surrogacy agency. Once they are able to find a compatible match between surrogate and intended parents, the agency will bring them together to discuss a potential partnership. After meeting and discussing all of their wants and needs, they will decide if it’s a match.

Legal

At this stage, both parties will partner with separate attorneys to sign paperwork. Los Angeles Surrogacy pairs with one of the top legal firms specializing in surrogacy in California. The signing of these contracts makes the partnerships legally binding in the eyes of California and United States law.

Medical

The surrogate will go to a recommended fertility clinic where, utilizing IVF, the embryo will be transferred to her uterus. After a two-week wait, she will take a pregnancy test. If she is not pregnant, another embryo may be transferred to try the process again. If she is pregnant, the true excitement begins!

Pregnancy

The pregnancy will look different for every surrogate and for every partnership. More or less communication between surrogate and intended parents depends on the preferences of each party, as well as their proximity to each other.

The surrogate will have constant physical and emotional support throughout these nine months. Regular medical visits and healthcare guidance help the surrogate and the baby to stay healthy and happy.

Delivery

Intended parents and the agency case manager will be at the hospital at the time of delivery. Afterwards, any last legal paperwork is signed and the intended parents obtain any documentation for the child, such as his or her birth certificate and travel information. Once the baby is born, the intended parents get to hold their child and live happily ever after!

The Cost Of Surrogacy?

Because each individual and partnership is unique, and because each agency has different requirements, there is no way to give an accurate upfront number. The surrogacy fee encompasses:

• Legal fees: The fee for both intended parent’s attorney and surrogate’s attorney to finalize paperwork.
• Agency fees: The fee for a team of experienced individuals to screen, match, and guide surrogacy partnerships to success. Your case manager will hold your hand from start to finish – usually this is about a year and a half of work. This also covers surrogacy-friendly insurance.
• Medical fees: This will cover the collection of eggs and sperm from intended parents or donors, the transfer of the embryo to the surrogate’s uterus via IVF, and all medical appointments from the beginning of the pregnancy to the delivery.
• Surrogate compensation: This is the exchange for the surrogate’s sacrifice and the reimbursement for any pregnancy-related purchases and lost income.

In estimation, surrogacy ranges between $150,000-$250,000 in California. 

Conclusion 

Many medical professionals consider surrogacy a modern miracle because it provides people who were told they may never conceive with the opportunity to have a biological child. At Los Angeles Surrogacy, we streamline the intricacies of the process to ensure your safety and comfortability while awaiting your newborn. We partner with the best legal and medical teams in Los Angeles/Southern California, and the case manager assigned to you will be by your side throughout your entire journey to educate you, guide you, and advocate for you.

Interested in learning more about surrogacy? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us here.