BUILDING YOUR FAMILY WITH A GESTATIONAL CARRIER (SURROGATE)

It is important that the intended parents and the surrogate share similar understandings and expectations of the relationship.

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine recommends surrogate carriers:

• Be at least 21 years of age and healthy
• Have a stable social environment
• Have had at least one pregnancy with no complications that resulted in the birth of a healthy child

A surrogate may be someone you know—like a family member or friend, which is known as “identified surrogacy”—or someone you do not know. A surrogacy agency can help match you with a potential surrogate, as well as coordinate services, mediate contact with your surrogate, and provide support throughout the surrogacy process.

Your surrogacy professional—either a surrogacy agency or a surrogacy attorney—will recommend screenings for the carrier. These may include:

• Medical, social, and drug history for the surrogate and her family
• Birth records from previous deliveries
• Medical workup to confirm reproductive health
• Drug tests for the gestational carrier
• Background checks to ensure no prior criminal activity that could impact safety
• In-home assessment to discuss motivation, concerns, and her partner’s commitment
• Counseling and support

For more information on the screening process for specific agencies, visit surrogate.com.

In surrogacy, steps must be taken to ensure fair treatment of the gestational carrier. Before the process begins, an attorney will become involved to educate and discuss financial compensation, escrow accounts, insurance, and parentage.

The attorney will also create a legal surrogacy contract, which is usually one of two types:

• Compensated contracts

The surrogate is paid for her time in addition to all incurred expenses.

• Compassionate contracts

The surrogate, typically a family member or friend, accepts no financial compensation, but intended parents pay medical and legal bills.

You can read more about other aspects to consider for surrogacy here.

Counseling is an important part of the surrogacy process for everyone involved. Typically, you and your surrogate (along with her partner if appropriate) will meet separately with a counselor for psychological assessment. Later, a group session is conducted to discuss roles, expectations, and potential outcomes.

If financial gain is the only motivation for your surrogate, this should be a concern.