Ethical Surrogacy in the US

We are committed to an ethical, transparent, and fulfilling process for surrogates, intended families, and children born through our the program.

NW Surrogacy Center encourages all surrogates and families we work with to take an active, hands-on, empathetic approach to their surrogacy process. As one of the largest and most established surrogacy agencies in the US, we have worked with over 1,500 surrogates since 1994. Surrogates and intended families choose NWSC in part because of our long history of providing an ethical, moral, personalized and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

COMPREHENSIVE SURROGATE SUPPORT

We ensure our surrogates are at a healthy and appropriate point in their life to help another family grow.

Financial stability. Every woman who becomes a surrogate must demonstrate overall financial stability. We never want her monthly housing or grocery budget to be dependent on surrogacy compensation. Our surrogates include teachers, accountants, chefs, nurses, office workers, stay-at-home moms, and more! They often use their compensation for the betterment of their own families, including down payments on a home, financing their children’s college funds, traveling, or furthering their own education.
Medical screening and physical health. The safety of our surrogates and the babies they carry is always top of mind. To help lessen potential risks, every surrogate must pass a medical screening by an outside fertility clinic in order to be approved. They will also review all previous pregnancy records to ensure she has a history of healthy pregnancies and deliveries. These strict guidelines often mean that we cannot work with many of the women who contact us.
Emotional and social stability. We have multiple conversations to learn about a surrogate’s life, her family dynamics, motivations, lifestyle and what brings her to surrogacy. She will also speak with a licensed psychologist or social worker to ensure she is in a stable place in her life to pursue surrogacy.
The decision to help another family. Our surrogates genuinely want to help other people have children. Most of them love being pregnant and have had easy pregnancies. Some are done having children for themselves, but want to continue to experience the joy of pregnancy. And the compensation they receive may benefit them in many ways. Take a peek at the heart of a surrogate in this video as they describe the experience in just one word.
Daily life. Our surrogates maintain their normal lives throughout their surrogacy while following their doctor’s recommendations for a healthy pregnancy. Every NWSC surrogate has had at least one healthy pregnancy and delivery prior to the surrogacy – she knows what to expect and how to be safe and thoughtful during the pregnancy. We ensure that surrogates have a strong local support system; if she needs help with anything, it is never far away!

HEAR IT FROM THEM

Co-Founders Sandy Hodgson and John Chally share how and why they created Northwest Surrogacy Center. We are proud to be one of the largest and oldest agencies in the U.S. with a reputation for strong ethics, rewarding relationships, and overall excellence and professionalism.

Filmed at the NW Surrogacy Center Portland office, March 2023

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INTENDED FAMILY

We partner with intended parents who will support and respect their surrogate.

A cohesive, two-way matching process. We have multiple conversations with the surrogate and the intended family to help us make a strong, successful match based on common goals and communication styles. Both parties are involved throughout the matching process; they can ask questions at any point, have time to consider the match, and can ultimately pass on a match if it just doesn’t feel like the right one. Our matches are very transparent; both parties will agree to the contract terms, have full access to communication, and are encouraged to grow their relationship.
The importance of relationships. We frequently hear from our surrogates and intended families that these new relationships are one of the best aspects of their surrogacy. Many of our surrogates and intended families form bonds that last long past the delivery date. They maintain contact, share photos and stories, and even visit each other in the years following the pregnancy. The surrogate’s children and partners often become friends with the intended family, too. Of course, every relationship is unique and dependent on many factors and circumstances. Hear from intended families as they reflect on these fulfilling relationships in this short video.

KEEPING YOU & YOUR FINANCES SAFE

We ensure the legal and financial safety for both parties.

Separate legal representation. The surrogate and intended family are always represented by different attorneys, and each party has input on the legal contracts. These contracts fully outline all compensation figures, parentage/biological aspects, and other agreed upon expectations.
Financial safety for all parties. A surrogate’s compensation trust account must be fully funded prior to her starting IVF medications. All trust accounts are fully insured by NWSC against loss. Her payments are administered by a third party service and are paid based on her legal contract with the intended family. Intended parents will receive monthly statements from the trust accounts for their review.

CREATING COMFORT & PEACE OF MIND

We are committed to our surrogate’s health and wellbeing.

Single embryo transfers. NWSC is one of the first agencies to phase out double embryo transfers. This policy dramatically increases the probabilities that babies are born healthy through our program and decreases medical complications for our surrogates.
US-based fertility clinics. We do not send NWSC surrogates to fertility clinics in other countries – these often have different standards for surrogate care, medicine, ethics and quality control.
Local obstetrical care. At the end of her first trimester of pregnancy, the surrogate will switch her pre-natal care from the fertility clinic to her own personal OB in her hometown. She can choose to work with any OB within her surrogacy-friendly insurance network.
Local support/events/meetups. We host in-person events a few times a year in select cities where surrogates can share stories, swap experiences and build new friendships with other local surrogates. We also host on-line meet ups for those who want more support or unable to attend the in-person events. NWSC surrogates also have access to a private Facebook group where they can chat with 800+ other NWSC surrogates.
Agency support. Surrogates have support from our team before, during, and after pregnancy through one-on-one assistance and care from their dedicated screening coordinator, case manager, and account manager. We show our appreciation for our surrogates throughout the pregnancy with t-shirts, care packages, cards, flowers, and dinner after the delivery.
Counseling. Sometimes it’s just helpful to talk about the pregnancy with an experienced counselor. Every NWSC surrogate has access to $1000 for counseling. This is available during the pregnancy and for up to a year after the delivery.

Ready to see if you qualify?

If you are a healthy, nonsmoking woman between the ages of 21 and 41 years old and have had previous healthy, full-term pregnancies, we would love to hear from you!

Ready to take the first step to parenthood?

Schedule a free consultation with our team to answer your questions and discuss the surrogacy process, including matching times and costs.