BECOMING A SURROGATE

Congratulations!  If you have made the decision to become a Surrogate or are thinking about becoming a Surrogate, you have the opportunity to help in a way that only few women can! Infertility affects many people, not just the woman who can’t conceive a child. Her spouse, family and friends, although supportive of her, sometimes feel completely helpless to her struggles. Many of these women have spent years trying to conceive and have undergone many expensive infertility treatments before making the sometimes painful decision to choose surrogacy. The decision does not come easy, mostly because they feel completely responsible or inadequate for the fact they cannot become pregnant. We know this is not their fault and they are definitely not alone. Statistics show the numbers of women affected by and/or undergoing infertility treatment rise every year. Yet, the choice of surrogacy is still difficult and in many cases this is a couple’s last resort. Maybe you even know someone who has had the same difficulties with becoming pregnant. The choice to help someone who has struggled with infertility realize their dream of having a child can be the most rewarding experience of your life. Being a surrogate not only allows you to have a chance to give such a precious gift but also gives you the opportunity to contribute financially to your own family, maybe fulfill your dreams for starting a new business or completing or starting your education or buying a home.

Surrogate Criteria - Women eligible to participate in our surrogacy program must be committed throughout the entire process. You will be required to maintain and attend regular appointments at the clinic/medical office (and OBGYN later), follow the medical protocol as directed by the physician, keep yourself healthy and limit any stress when possible.

Determining Surrogate Eligibility - Below are the criteria we use to determine eligibility to become a surrogate.

• Must Reside in Southern California
• Good Physical Health Including Reproductive Health (no major health issues or concerns)
• Good Age Range (Typically between 21-40 years of age)
• Non-Smoking/Non-Drug Using
• Must have had at least one child
• No previous complications with any pregnancy
• Healthy Weight Range (BMI need not to exceed 28)
• Financially Stable/Self Supporting (must not be receiving any government assistance)
• Emotionally Secure
• Good Support System
• Must have reliable transportation

Application Process - You will be required to complete an on-line application and accompanying agency forms which will be provided to you by email. Once this has been reviewed and approved by our staff, we will contact you to schedule your in-home interview. Psychological and Background screening must also be completed (see below for details). Once all these clearances are received, your profile will be made live on our system and you will be presented with profiles of prospective intended parents, we will schedule a day for you to meet with the intended parents of you choosing and depending how everyone feels upon the conclusion of this meeting, you may become matched and continue with the next step which would be medical screening with the prospective parents’ Fertility clinic. We will attend the screening appointments with you for additional support and assistance.

Psychological Screening - One very important requirement will be your psychological screening. You will undergo screening and/or testing with a licensed therapist/psychologist whose practical experience focuses in infertility. Your spouse and/or partner may also be interviewed by the therapist. The purpose of this screening is to ensure that you are of sound mind and emotionally stable to undergo the surrogacy process. There is nothing to be fearful of. The therapist conducting the screening process is also there to provide support to you and discuss any fears or concerns you may have with the process.

Background Screening - Both you and your spouse/partner will be required to submit to background screening which is intended to ensure that all surrogate candidates presented to our prospective parents are not putting a future child in harms way. While we understand things happen, we appreciate your honesty and being forthcoming with any past events.

Medical Screening - Once matched with a Recipient couple/Individual, you will be sent to the prospective parents’ reproductive physician for an in-depth physical exam, testing for both infectious disease screening (would also include your husband/partner) drug screening and any other testing deem necessary by the physician to determine your suitability and ability to conceive and safely carry a child. Any additional medical testing/screening can be performed at the request of our office, the prospective parents or the fertility physician.

Legal Contract Process- Upon receiving your medical clearance from the couple’s physician, the next step is the legal contract process. The couple’s attorney will draft a contract between you and the parents which is intended to address all the legal issues pursuant a surrogacy arrangement in California and cover any unforeseen situation that could arise. Everything that has been discussed and agreed upon between you and the couple will also be included. The Surrogacy Legal Contract is a binding and enforceable agreement under the laws of the State of California.  The contract establishes the responsibilities you will have to each other and protects each persons’ legal rights.  You will have your own attorney, at no cost to you, who will review the agreement with you and give you advisement regarding the terms of the agreement, your legal rights and obligations and lastly, go over the remaining steps for finalizing the couple’s parental rights prior to the birth.

Procedure - As a Gestational Surrogate, you will undergo an Embryo Transfer procedure using the Intended Mother’s eggs or donor eggs which have been combined with the Intended Father’s sperm or donor sperm. The transfer procedure could be based off a “fresh” cycle or a “frozen” cycle, either way the medical protocol is similar. The Intended Parent’s physician will evaluate the health of your uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes through tests administered by the physician’s office. Blood work, a routine physical exam may also be performed. The use of medications will begin once the physician has determined you are clear to proceed. Medications will include birth control pills to regulate your cycle and/or synchronize your cycle with the Intended Mother or Donor, Lupron, Estrogen and Progesterone may also be part of the protocol. Some of which will be required to be administered by injections given either subcutaneous or intramuscular. Regular monitoring of your lining and hormone levels will be performed during the medication cycle. Once ready, the embryo(s) will be transferred to your womb and you will be required to rest for two to four days after the procedure. Within ten to fourteen days following the transfer, blood test will be administered to measure your Beta-HCG, Estrogen and Progesterone levels. Optimally, a beta-hcg with a value of 50 or higher will determine if a pregnancy has occurred. It is imperative that you take all medications and injections exactly as indicated by the physician. You must attend and be on time for all appointments required of you. Over the course of the cycle which includes both before the embryo transfer has taken place and up to end of the first trimester, you will continue to be under the care of the fertility specialist, you can expect to attend approximately 12-18 appointments over the course of four months. At approximately 10-12 weeks of the pregnancy you will be released by the fertility physician to go to your OBGYN in which the remainder of the pregnancy will be comparable to the same routine of attending appointments with your previous pregnancy(ies) with your own children.

Compensation - First time Surrogates can expect to receive total compensation package ranging from $31,000-$38,000. Experienced Surrogates may receive total compensation ranging from $35,000-$45,000. Additionally, health and life insurance will be provided to you at no cost, assistance with child care and housekeeping, lost wages for working Surrogates, lost wages for spouses, travel expenses and other benefits such as gifts, pregnancy massages etc.

Continued Support: Once monthly we hold a support group led by a therapist experienced in infertility and surrogacy issues. You will attend with other surrogates from our center and generally each session will have a topic to discuss which could be anything from “what to expect during your surrogacy journey” to “multiple pregnancy” (twins or triplets). This is meant to provide you with added support and/or knowledge and understanding of the process to ensure a great experience. You will also have one-on-one support available to you prior to beginning the cycle, any time during the pregnancy and following the pregnancy. We have a full team of professionals to add to the success of your experience through birth support/coaching, nutritional counseling, acupuncture therapy and hypno-therapy (stress management and relaxation techniques), call us for more details regarding these services.

Family and Friendship: Above all, we want your experience to be positive and enjoyable. It’s important for us to provide our surrogates with the support of other surrogates in our program. We want to foster camaraderie and friendship through the encouragement of women who just as you have chosen to help someone deserving become a parent. We consider our surrogate mothers as family and we hope that each surrogate feels like they have been a part of something wonderful!