Common Questions for Intended Parents

What’s the difference between gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy?

In a gestational surrogacy, embryos—consisting of eggs and sperm from the intended parents and/or from donors—are transferred to a surrogate via IVF (in vitro fertilization). The intended parents usually establish parental rights before the baby is born. NWSC works exclusively with gestational surrogacy.

In a traditional surrogacy, the surrogate’s own eggs are fertilized via artificial insemination with the sperm of a donor or an intended parent. The baby shares genetic material with the surrogate mother as well as with an intended parent or donor.

How much does surrogacy cost?

The costs of surrogacy vary based on a number of factors, including whether you need the assistance of an egg donor and your surrogate’s fees and individual situation.

NWSC is aware of the financial stress that intended parents may have experienced before deciding to pursue surrogacy. We are continually striving to keep expenses down and have designed our program to minimize the surrogacy costs. Our fees are lower than those at many other surrogacy agencies. We also do not have any of the hidden fees that are common in other agencies’ estimates; our listed agency fees cover all of our work, and we aim to make our estimates of the surrogacy and medical expenses as realistic and comprehensive as possible. Please see surrogacy prices for more information.

Why should we choose Northwest Surrogacy Center?

• We have short wait times and new surrogates constantly signing up. Almost all of our intended parents are matched within three months. Many other agencies require families to wait six months or more before they even meet potential surrogates.



• We are a boutique office offering intimate, personalized services. Don't worry about high staff turnover or "coordinators" who don't know your name—you'll connect with the same people every time you call.



• We are a professional organization started by lawyers nearly 20 years ago, and have the resources, network, and experience of a large operation. .



• In the past 35 years we have helped hundreds of gay and straight clients build families through surrogacy and adoption. In that time we have never had difficulty establishing parentage for any of our clients.



• We work with prestigious IVF clinics that have some of the highest success rates in the United States.



• All of our surrogates live in the Pacific Northwest. This allows us to get to know them in depth and in person before we introduce them to you.



• In addition to our surrogates, our medical clinics and usually even egg donors are all located in the Pacific Northwest. Traveling to just one region means greater convenience for you, and allows you to spend your money on what's really important. It also ensures that all of our surrogacies are completely legal under the Pacific Northwest's progressive laws.



• We are located in the vibrant city of Portland, Oregon. Portland is known for its fine food and drink, active arts and music scene, and social and political progressiveness—and it's only a stone's throw from the majestic natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It's the perfect place to spend some time while you wait for the birth of your child.



• While some agencies disappear between the transfer and the birth, we support you every step of the way. We are prepared to manage any issues that come up during or after the pregnancy, and are always available to assist you with your relationship with your surrogate.



• When it's time for you to take your new baby home, we and the attorneys who represent you will assist with anything you need to complete your surrogacy, whether that's establishing parentage or returning your child to your own country.

What does NWSC's fee include?

NWSC matches you with a surrogate, obtains criminal background checks on her and her partner, and conducts introductory meetings. We arrange for the surrogate’s medical and psychological screenings. We prepare a contract between you and the surrogate, which you will review with separate attorneys. We assist in coordinating medical care; manage the financial relationship between you and the surrogate; and pay other professionals involved in the surrogacy process. We will also actively help to resolve any concerns or issues you have before, during, and after the pregnancy.

Is surrogacy legal in the Pacific Northwest?

Surrogacy is legal in the Pacific Northwest, and state law provides that a surrogate can be compensated for her services.

Do you work with intended parents outside of the Pacific Northwest?

Yes, NWSC works with many intended parents throughout the United States and abroad. Out-of-state families have the choice between using their own clinic or a Portland clinic for their IVF procedures.

Even if you live elsewhere in the United States or abroad, we encourage you to attend as many of your surrogate’s medical appointments as you are interested in and able to, and to attend the birth of your child. You are welcome to spend as much time in Oregon with your surrogate as you wish, and you may choose to connect with her by phone and Skype when you are not able to be present.

Do you work with surrogates outside of Oregon and Idaho?

No, currently we only work with surrogogates who live in Oregon or Idaho.

What fertility clinics does NWSC work with?

We work with several prestigious medical clinics, including:

• Oregon Reproductive Medicine
• Oregon Health Sciences University

We encourage you to arrange a consultation with the clinic of your choice at the same time that you begin the process with Northwest Surrogacy Center.

Why do women choose to be surrogate mothers?

Our surrogates genuinely want to help other people have children. Most of them love being pregnant and have easy pregnancies. They may know that they are done having children for themselves but want to continue to experience being pregnant. And the compensation they receive may allow them to stay home with their children, go back to school, or fulfill a lifelong dream.

What is the typical surrogate like?

We rigorously recruit the best candidates for surrogacy. We seek out women who are mature, stable, and enjoy being pregnant. Our surrogates range in age, experience, and personality type, but all of them want to help people have children.

Surrogates in our program have previously given birth to a healthy child and are actively parenting their child. Many are married and employed. A surrogate must be at least 21 years old, but most are between the ages of 25 and 37. We do not accept smokers, and surrogates are required to abstain from drugs and alcohol. They must be willing and able to go through the demands of medical procedures, pregnancy, and placement. Potential surrogates must pass a background check, a psychological evaluation performed by a clinical psychologist, a home visit, and medical examinations.

How will we select a surrogate?

NWSC begins by identifying a surrogate or surrogates we believe will be a good match for you based on a number of factors, especially shared expectations and goals for the surrogacy process. We then provide you with detailed information on these potential surrogates. You receive a profile with information including the surrogate’s biographical information, medical and social history, personal interests, criminal background check, and photos of her and her family. We also provide information on the surrogate’s spouse or partner, if she has one. Most importantly, you have the opportunity to meet and get to know your surrogate. You may continue to review profiles and meet candidates until we find a surrogate you feel comfortable with.

What is the relationship between surrogate and intended parents like?

The nature of the relationship between you and your surrogate is up to you and her. However, NWSC encourages you to spend time with your surrogate beyond the introductory meetings in our office. We believe that a relationship between a surrogate and intended parents creates trust and serves as an important foundation for the surrogacy process.

Some intended parents prefer to be involved only for major medical events, such as the embryo transfer and the birth. Many others want to be intimately involved in the pregnancy and attend many of their surrogate’s appointments and procedures, or spend time with their surrogate socially. Surrogates and intended parents sometimes develop an intense and lifelong bond.

Whatever kind of relationship you are looking for, NWSC is careful to match intended parents and surrogates who have similar goals and expectations.

As gay intended parents, will we be able to find a surrogate willing to work with us?

The Pacific Northwest is a uniquely welcoming and progressive region of the United States. Many of our surrogates are eager to work with LGBT couples or individuals, and wish to help you grow your family. A large percentage of our intended parents are gay.

Can I choose surrogacy even if I am medically able to carry my own child?

While some surrogacy agencies accept intended parents who are medically able to experience pregnancy, NWSC works only with intended parents who are physically unable to conceive or carry a pregnancy.

How long will it take to match us with a surrogate?

Depending on your particular needs and expectations, finding the right surrogate for you might happen immediately or might take a few months. We have new surrogates entering our program all the time and there is rarely a long wait.

How quickly can our surrogate become pregnant after we meet her?

It typically takes at least three months from the initial meeting to the first IVF attempt. We have to conduct additional screenings and draw up contracts, and your surrogate will have to undergo six weeks of medications to prepare for the embryo transfer. If you are using an egg donor it may take longer, as the donor will have to synchronize her cycle with the surrogate’s cycle. However, many of our clients are welcoming a new baby to the world about a year after they meet their surrogate for the first time.

What if our surrogate doesn’t have health insurance?

Some of our surrogates do have health insurance of their own. If yours does not, you will provide her with health insurance for the duration of the surrogacy.

Who will provide medical services for our surrogate?

Portland is home to two superior IVF clinics with renowned and highly qualified reproductive endocrinologists. They are experienced with surrogacy and egg donation, and have assisted NWSC in achieving many healthy and successful pregnancies. They will perform your surrogate's medical screenings and your IVF procedures and will coordinate with your medical clinic if you live outside the Portland metropolitan area.

If the first attempt at pregnancy fails, can we try again? What fees will we owe?

Most surrogates agree to undergo up to three rounds of IVF. While a surrogate is never required to undergo an IVF procedure if she does not want to, most wish to continue trying until a pregnancy is achieved.

If your surrogate does not become pregnant, you will not recover any fees and expenses you have paid up until that point. You will need to continue paying the embryo transfer fee and your surrogate’s monthly allowance through additional attempts. Your surrogate does not start receiving her base fee until confirmation of pregnancy by ultrasound.

Your last fee to NWSC is only due upon confirmation of pregnancy by ultrasound. NWSC will continue to work with you and your surrogate through multiple transfers, and will help you find a different surrogate if a failure was related to your chosen surrogate.

Has a surrogate ever decided she wants custody of the baby?

In our nearly 20 years of experience, we have never had a surrogate want to keep an intended parent’s baby. Surrogates are aware from the beginning that the baby is not theirs, genetically or practically, and report that they do not experience the same level of bonding as they did with their own children.

Even in the extremely unlikely event that your surrogate decided she wanted to keep your baby, legal precedent is on your side. No court in Oregon has ever granted custody to a gestational surrogate. In addition, it is likely that you will establish your parental rights before the birth of your child.

How will we become the legal parents of our child?

There are well-established procedures in Oregon to create the intended parents' legal rights. Both parties enter into a contract before the surrogacy begins. If the surrogate is married, her spouse must also be a party to the contract. The contract includes the terms required for the parties prior to conception, during the pregnancy, and after the birth.

There must also be a legal proceeding to create the intended parents' legal relationship with the child, terminate the surrogate's relationship with the child, and grant the intended parents the right to make medical decisions for the baby after he or she is born. The particular proceedings used depend on the intended parents’ specific circumstances and preferences.

Should we tell people that we’re working with a surrogate?

This is a very personal decision, and one that you must make for yourself and your family. Most people who have children by surrogacy are open about their experience throughout the process, but some prefer to keep it private.

Surrogacy has become increasingly mainstream in recent years. NWSC believes that it is an amazing opportunity for parents and surrogates alike, and we encourage them to celebrate it openly. More importantly, however, we encourage you to discuss this decision with other parents who have had children through surrogacy, as well as with a therapist specializing in assisted reproduction.