How I found myself in The Surrogate’s Corner The apple never falls too far from the tree. I grew up in a family of lawyers: both my parents have been practicing fertility attorneys since 1978; my uncle went to law school and decided to pursue a career in insurance; my older brother also went to…
If you are considering becoming a Gestational Surrogate, then congratulations. You are already in a small subset of incredible women willing to endure pregnancy for someone else. What a truly incredible gift that is! When it comes to picking the type of journey to go on, there are two main paths to choose from: an…
So you have looked around at a bunch of surrogacy agencies, researched and investigated their benefit packages, and talked with other Gestational Surrogates about their experiences. Now you are ready to pick the agency of your choice. Awesome! You are one step closer to getting matched and bringing about the most miraculous gift of life…
More Is Not Always Better Your first thought might just be to choose the one with the highest base pregnancy compensation. In advertisements and recruiting brochures, this is usually the headline number agencies use to attract you to them. While that can be a good place to start, you also want to see what other…
The IP(s) Baby, Not Your Baby! I know it seems obvious at first glance. If you are thinking of being a Surrogate, then clearly you are intending to get pregnant with someone else’s child, and not your own. After all, getting pregnant on your own would make this very hard to do. When you sign…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…