FAQ's on Becoming a Gestational Surrogate
What expenses will be paid by the intended parents?
The intended parents will pay any and all reasonable and necessary expenses that you incur in connection with your surrogacy program, including, but not limited to, all uninsured medical expenses and co-pays, your legal fees for evaluating and negotiating the surrogacy agreement, any and all necessary counseling expenses, child care reimbursement, life insurance, and lost wages plus your agreed compensation.
May I choose the parents with whom I work with?
Yes. You will receive a brief biography from the intended parents for your review. You will then speak to them by phone with an agency program coordinator at The Center for Egg Options .
What happens after I select a couple to work with?
Once you are matched with a couple, a surrogacy agreement will be drafted and reviewed by all parties. The intended parents will pay for an attorney to review the Agreement with you. Once everyone has agreed to the terms of the agreement, it will be signed, and the program will then begin with medical testing.
Once the match is made, how long is it before the first embryo transfer?
It usually takes 2-3 months to match a surrogate and prepare for the transfer.
Will I have to travel?
You will have to travel if the clinic that the intended parents select is in a different city than the one in which you live. The length of stay is usually a few days for each visit.
May I bring my husband and/or children with me if I have to travel?
The intended parents pay for travel and accommodations for the surrogate and one companion. Your children may, however, travel with you at your own expense.
Will I have to take any medication?
When the medical testing requirements are completed and reviewed by the doctor, you will be ready to start your fertility treatment. You will receive specific instructions about your medications. You will take medications to help your cycle be synchronized with the egg donor's or intended mother's menstrual cycle and to help your uterine lining thicken in order to accept the transferred embryos. You will take medications both orally and through small injections under the skin that most women give themselves. Some women have their husband or friends help them with the injections.
Do I receive compensation?
As a gestational surrogate you will receive a base compensation of $23,000.00 to $25,000.00 for your services. You are not PAID for a baby, you are paid for the service of carrying and delivering a child for the intended parents.
If I get pregnant, where do I deliver the baby?
You will deliver the baby in your home state at the hospital of your choice or as agreed upon by all parties involved.
May I remain in contact with the parents and the baby if I wish to?
It depends on what you and the intended parents agree to. This can be discussed with the intended parents before you ever agree to work together, and we always try to match you with intended parents with similar expectations about post-birth contact.
