Frequently Asked Questions Parents Ask About Surrogacy
Below we’ve compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions that parents ask about our surrogacy program. We hope that this will help you to better understand the surrogacy process, but please feel free to contact us with any additional questions. Make sure you’ve registered in our secure database in order to view our available surrogates. Once registered, your surrogacy coordinator can give you more detailed information for your surrogacy journey.
Extraordinary Conceptions accepts egg donor applications from women around the world. Applicants must meet ASRM guidelines and have healthy medical and family histories to be considered.
Most women choose to donate their eggs because they are motivated to help others become parents. We find that many egg donors know someone who struggled with infertility.
You only reimburse the surrogate for her time while she is pregnant. If you wish to proceed with an additional transfer there are some monthly payments that will still be required to be paid. For example; insurance premiums, the surrogates’ monthly allowance, etc.
The agency fee is not increased if you wish to have twins. However, the costs for other aspects of the surrogacy do increase accordingly. For example; the surrogate’s living expenses, clothing allowance and monthly allowance just to name a few. Your main concern should be the medical bills associated with a twin pregnancy and birth. Pregnancies with more than one baby are considered “high risk” and preterm delivery is often the result. Babies born prematurely are typically placed in the NICU for monitoring which becomes extremely expensive. The newborn babies are NEVER placed on the surrogate’s insurance and thus baby insurance must be purchased by the parents, which is another cost to take into consideration.
Our extensive database offers numerous search options to help find a donor with the ethnicity and physical features that you are looking for. Our applications also ask a variety of questions that give you insight into her lifestyle and personality. We are always here to help you find the right donor for your family, so feel free to ask your donor coordinator if you’re looking for something specific.
This amount varies as we get such a large amount of surrogate applications monthly. For most of our parents there is no real benefit in having a surrogate located in CA versus a different state.
It’s best to discuss this with your IVF clinic as they are a big determining factor. Success rates are dependent on many factors including embryo quality. Please contact your IVF clinic to better understand. If you need a referral to the best IVF clinics in the field, please let us know and we’d be happy to make some recommendations for your family.
Donors are required to provide personal and family history when they complete their application. This information is provided to the parents along with current and childhood photographs.
Payments are typically made via secure wire transfers to your trust account. On some rare occasions we can accept payments to your trust account via your credit card. (This pertains to surrogacy cycles only.)
A repeat surrogate is not necessarily better than a first time surrogate. Every surrogate goes through a very thorough screening process which includes a medical and psychological screening. These screenings confirm whether or not she is a good candidate for surrogacy.
Donors complete an extensive profile that includes personal, medical, education, and trait/characteristic information. If she has donated in the past, we also collect their cycle history as well as those particular cycle records. Donors are briefed about the egg retrieval process and any risks or complication that could occur. Upon completion and understanding of the donor process, their profiles are searchable for future parents to view.
To be considered a “repeat surrogate” a woman must have given birth to a live surrogate baby in the past. “First-time” surrogates are typically going through this process for the first time. All surrogates must have had at least one child for themselves in order to qualify for our program.
If you are unable to come to the U.S. due to problems with your visa, you MUST contact our agency and the legal office at least 6 weeks prior to the estimated delivery date. Once notified we will work together to ensure you have an appointed family member here in the U.S. in time to get your baby.
If you would like to gain access to these scores, then we will request the records from the potential egg donor. The scores can take a few weeks to process.
No she cannot take your baby home. The baby will stay in the hospital until you arrive.
Please contact your surrogacy coordinator first and then your attorney if you feel your surrogate is in breach of the contract.
Family medical records are not verified, as there are too many records to sort through and the process can be too extensive. However, we are able to gather the information we need from the donor’s personal records
You will need to arrive in the U.S at least one to 1-2 weeks prior to your baby’s birth and you will stay in the states at least 4 to 8 weeks after. It can take up to 4 to 8 weeks to obtain the documents needed to go back home.
As soon as you have embryo’s created and/or a donor secured in place, is the best time to start looking for a surrogate.
The time frame for a cycle to complete varies with the IVF clinic you are working with, as each IVF clinic has its own policies and protocols to follow. Typically, a cycle takes 8-12 weeks to complete, including medical screening/clearance, finalized legal contracts, and the donor’s egg retrieval.
No additional fees will occur for working with an out of state surrogate.
Working with a surrogate outside of CA can be the same as working with a surrogate that lives in CA. We thoroughly research each state’s current laws to ensure that we can proceed with your match prior to moving forward. Thankfully, there are only a few states that do not allow surrogacy.
Your IVF physician will conduct a thorough physical exam including ultrasounds and genetic testing. They will also run blood tests to screen for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the presence of drugs. All donors must also undergo psychological evaluations to ensure they are mentally competent to proceed with a donation.
You only reimburse the surrogate for her time while she is pregnant. If you wish to proceed with an additional transfer there are some monthly payments that will still be required to be paid. For example; insurance premiums, the surrogates’ monthly allowance, etc.
Yes! In fact we specialize in this type of virtual communication. Everything can be done via email, telephone call, Skype, WeChat and in-person if you desire. Parents are required to be at the birth of their baby and must stay for a short time after the birth before taking them home. We pride ourselves on having good communication with you and your surrogate throughout the process. Your IVF physician may have additional travel requirements for their services.
Your IVF physician will use the medical screening and its results to gauge if a donor will be a good candidate to donate.
There are a lot of factors involved in this process, which makes it difficult to give exact timeframes. The matching process can be fairly quick (a few weeks) or take longer (a few months) depending on any preferences you have for your surrogate or anything your IVF physician has stipulated. Once you have matched with your surrogate, the medical screening process usually takes approximately 1 month to complete and then another month to complete the legal process. After the legal process is completed, the cycle can begin in accordance with your IVF physician’s protocol. Once pregnant, barring any unforeseen complications, you can expect a normal pregnancy time-frame.
No, the psychological test results are not available. Rest assured that all donors must meet the necessary criteria to pass the evaluation and move forward in the donation process.
If the parents wish to do so, they can have their surrogate sign a HIPAA with their OB physician’s office after they graduate from the IVF clinic. This will allow the parents to contact the OB directly for updates regarding the pregnancy. We also have the ability to have the surrogates undergo random drug screenings at the request of their IPs in accordance with their contract. Aside from her regular doctor’s appointments, our surrogates all meet with our in-house Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist once a month. Our surrogates not only work with their regular coordinators, but also have regular access to our Care Coordinators, which are a team of experienced surrogates who are available to answer any questions and concerns that only a prior surrogate can answer. Beginning in September 2017, we’re also offering Surrogate Virtual Meet Ups where our surrogates can join a private group of surrogates where they can support and encourage one another with the help of our LMFTs.
Although our rates of success are measured differently than those of IVF physicians, we have seen our delivery rates increase drastically in the last few years. In 2014 we had 67 babies born and that doubled in 2015 with 130 healthy babies born to happy parents . In 2016 we had 136 babies born, however the majority of those babies were singleton pregnancies, whereas there were more twins born in 2015. We always strive for healthy surrogates and babies, so quality is always preferred over quantity.
The contract that is created for your specific donor cycle clearly defines the donor’s rights and responsibilities. We are available for support, supervision, and communication throughout this process to help ensure the donor’s responsibilities are fulfilled.
On average, our Surrogacy Admissions team receives approximately 200 new surrogate applications each month. After our extensive screening process, about 25% of those go on to become surrogate mothers. This is in part due to ASRM guidelines and recommendations made by the physicians and attorneys that we work with. While many women may want to become surrogates, not all can meet the high standards required to help have a healthy pregnancy and ultimately, a healthy baby.
The complete cost varies. For a complete breakdown of the fees, please make sure you are registered as a Future Parent first, and then one of our coordinators will get in touch with you to review the entire process and fees. If you are already registered as a future parent, please contact Tracy, our Donor Department Director, at [email protected].
Extraordinary Conceptions acts on behalf of the future parents in establishing a trust account from which payments are made for psychological, medical and legal services for the donor in accordance with the donor contract. We accept payments in the following forms: All major credit cards (subject to 3.5% processing fee), U.S. checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, direct deposits and/or wire transfers. Trusts can be closed 90 days after the donor’s egg retrieval date.
Extraordinary Conceptions has an on-site travel specialist to provide all accommodations donors may require. This may include flights, hotels, car rentals, and ride-sharing transportation. All travel must be made through our travel specialist with our corporate accounts.
Extraordinary Conceptions acts on behalf of the future parents in purchasing a “primary complications insurance policy.” The policy covers the donor up to $500,000 for any cycle related complications due to medications or the egg retrieval, and is used in lieu of your or the donor’s own health insurance. The coverage period begins on the day the donor starts injectible medications and lasts for a total of four (4) months.
Donors can be placed on a temporary courtesy hold. (Please ask your coordinator for more information) If you’d like to reserve a specific donor for up to 90 days, a chariy fee will be requested. This fee is non-refundable and cannot be applied to your future donor trust. The funds collected are donated to one of the various charities that we donate to and sponsor. Please note Asian/Asian Mix donors are ineligible for a charity hold due to their high demand. If you’d like more information about the charities we work with, please contact Tracy at [email protected].
If you are not currently working with an IVF clinic, we can refer you to several different IVF doctors so you can find the best clinic that fits your needs.
There is no fee to register as a future parent and view our available donors and surrogates.You must complete the future parent application form in order to be granted access.
Yes, attorneys are required for both you and your donor to complete the egg donation process. A contract is needed to establish parental rights to the donated eggs, among other important variables. We offer legal referrals to reproductive attorneys to ensure that there is no conflict of interest.
COVID-19 Related FAQs
Yes, you can begin the legal and psychological screening process early. In the event your donor fails medical screening, legal and psych fees will be waived on your next donor.
We recommend choosing a local donor as this will not only prevent issues when it comes to travel, but your donor will be physically seen by your physician once they’re able to proceed with screening and retrievals.
We can certainly work with your clinic to see if they can accommodate saliva kits for genetic screening, as well as mobile phlebotomy for pre-screening and other blood labs.
Absolutely! This is a great time to take advantage of our database and your assigned coordinator. We add 15 new donors weekly and currently have 3,600+ donors (of all ethnicities) that are eager to be matched.
You can begin the legal and psychological screening process early. In the event your surrogate fails medical screening, legal and psych fees will be waived on your next surrogate.
We can certainly work with your clinic to see if they can accommodate mobile phlebotomy for pre-screening and other blood labs. Many clinics are also doing virtual or telemedicine appointments to see their patients.
Absolutely! This is a great time to take advantage of our database and your assigned coordinator. We have many surrogates who are available to match and start the process. There are many things that can be done remotely.