This post is about YOU, the Surrogate. It is not about my opinion on what the Supreme Court did, or didn’t do, with its recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Whichever side of the political spectrum, or abortion issue, you are on, will likely determine how you feel about the ruling. I…
If you have gotten through picking a surrogacy agency (or finding Intended Parents to work with on an independent journey) and you have been officially matched, then congratulations! You are now ready for your surrogacy contract (sometimes called a Surrogacy Agreement / Gestational Carrier Agreement / Gestational Surrogacy Contract). This is the legal contract between…
Thousands of incredible women who choose to become Egg Donors are opening up the doors to fertility options that many frustrated individuals and couples assumed were closed. The benefits and opportunities that egg donation provides to so many families today is remarkable. Regardless of whether you decide to engage in a fresh donation cycle, or…
Every Surrogate and Intended Parent desires and hopes that their first Embryo Transfer will be successful. And why wouldn’t that be the case; the whole purpose of these surrogacy arrangements is to get the Gestational Carrier pregnant. A successful pregnancy resulting from the IVF Procedures is not only an exciting moment for all parties involved,…
In our last blog we discussed the three types of egg donation arrangements available to donors and recipients: Unknown (Anonymous), Semi-Known, and Known (Open). These contracts all contain very similar provisions and use consistent language regarding the legal effect of the contract on parental rights, roles, and responsibilities of each party, but each varies dramatically…
In the world of IVF and fertility treatments, Donors are the “unsung heroes” for countless families going through the journey towards parenthood. (See a great recent post by my colleague, Richard Vaughn of IFLG, on the subject: EGG DONORS, SPERM DONORS ARE UNSUNG HEROES OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION). Donors who provide their genetic material (eggs/sperm/embryos) for…
Each surrogacy agency has their own specific surrogate benefit package (SBP) with unique terms and provisions. We have a entire separate post just on that topic alone and how to compare benefit packages across agencies. Within each benefit package, there is usually a base pregnancy compensation amount. This is also the number you usually see…
You have made the commitment to become a Gestational Surrogate for someone else. What an incredible gift of grace that is for your matched Intended Parents. The fact that you are willing to endure being pregnant again so another family can grow and thrive is truly remarkable. At this moment, the last thing you are…
Once you make the decision to sign-up with a surrogacy agency, your surrogacy journey will begin interacting with a number of other professionals. These professionals could include people like agency case managers, fertility doctors, psychologists, lawyers, and escrow account managers. All of these industry professionals will be involved by varying degrees at different stages of…
Just how many embryo transfers are you obligating yourself to when you sign-up with a surrogacy agency? Answer: It depends. As you will discover, every agency is different; most recruit Surrogates and market themselves to Intended Parents in a variety of ways. One item to be aware of is the number of embryo transfers the…