A Day in the Life of… a Surrogate Coordinator

One of our beloved Surrogate Coordinators, Megan Haines, is about to move on to an exciting new chapter of her life pursuing her interest in research.

We are sad to see her leave, but excited for what’s coming down the road for her.

Before she goes, we wanted to take a moment to share with you more about Megan and the great work she’s been doing for us for the past two years, guiding women through the process from the first time they reach out to us until they are matched with a family. Here’s Megan in her own words:

Megan, what brought you to Northwest Surrogacy Center, LLC?

I have always been interested in women’s issues and experiences. I was a psychology major in college, and spent two years researching women’s mental health. After college, I worked at a women’s magazine for a year. My career went in a different direction for a while after I moved to Portland, but when I decided that it was time for me to change jobs two years ago, I knew that I wanted to return to my roots, so to speak. When I saw NWSC’s job posting, the idea of a job that would allow me to spend my time helping women while getting to learn about their lives seemed too good to be true! As a lesbian woman, I was also excited to work for a company that helped LGBT families have children.

What has been the most rewarding part of your job?

Getting to hear people’s stories! I love getting to know about what has brought people to surrogacy, and what their hopes are for their lives after this experience. Also, I am bit of a science nerd, and I really love that I am continually learning new things about the medical side of pregnancy.

What’s the most difficult part?

I root for every woman that I talk with to be able to become a surrogate. When I have to tell someone that we aren’t able to work with her, it can be really disappointing, particularly if she has gotten farther into the screening process. Also, because surrogate coordinators work with women all the way up to when they get matched with families, it takes a lot of attention to detail to keep track of where all of my surrogates are in the process, and to make sure they are getting what they need from me to move forward as quickly as possible.

Is there something about your job that you think most people would be surprised to learn?

The first thing most people assume when I tell them about my job is that all the women that are interested in surrogacy are only doing it for the money. That is absolutely not true! Almost every woman that I talk with has known someone in their lives that has been unable to have children, and really empathizes with the struggles our intended families have gone through to have kids.

How has your experience as a surrogate coordinator affected your life outside of the office, and how have your outside experiences affected your work?

When I started working here, I was on the fence about whether was interested in having children of my own, but I always assumed that if I wanted to have children, I would be able to (with some assistance from medical science, of course). Hearing so many women talk about the joy that their children have brought them and seeing the amazing lengths that our intended parents go through to have children makes me more sure every day that I would like to be pregnant with a child of my own someday.

Another more obvious way this job has affected me is that if I know you in my non-work life, and you have ever been pregnant, I will ask you a lot of questions about your pregnancy experience. I can’t help it!

What are three things that NWSC employees don’t know about you (including the Surrogate Recruitment Team, which knows you pretty well)?

1. I played bass clarinet in my middle school band very badly. I was so unenthusiastic about being in band that I “forgot” a vital piece of my instrument at home two concerts in a row. After that year, I decided to quit, much to the relief of my band instructor.
2. I am a descendant of Robert Dinwiddie, who is partially responsible for starting the French and Indian War.
3. I was almost named Elizabeth, but my parents changed their minds right before filling out my and my twin sister’s birth certificates.

In your totally unbiased opinion, what is the most awesome team at NWSC, and why?

The Surrogate Recruitment Team, of course! My counterpart, Devyn, and our supervisor, Amy, have been the best coworkers you could ask for! It is so wonderful to work in a department where we all share the same vision. We are united in making sure that our surrogates’ well-being is a factor in every decision that our agency makes. It would be impossible to believe in my job and our agency if I didn’t work with such thoughtful and ethical people.

Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share as you prepare to leave NWSC for a new chapter in your life?

I have had the pleasure of helping women become surrogates for almost two years. The surrogate screening process is fairly intimate, and requires sharing information about your life with someone you don’t know very well, but the payoff at the end (getting to watch a set of intended parents become actual parents when they hold their child for the first time) is incalculable! I know from working with the Surrogate Recruitment Team that they are all wonderful, compassionate people, but as a first-time surrogate I imagine it can be scary to have that first phone call and first meeting with us! I want to thank everyone who picked up the phone and was brave enough to share your stories with me. It was an honor to listen to why you wanted to do this amazing and generous thing, and to help you get matched with an intended family.

Whenever you change jobs, it is always interesting to realize how much you have learned, and how much of that you will carry with you as you move forward in your life. Being a part of the Surrogate Recruitment Team has taught me a lot about pregnancy complications, Excel spreadsheets, and insurance. But long after the memories of what insurance policies exclude surrogacy coverage fades, I know I will still remember all of the wonderful conversations I had with all of the surrogates that I was privileged to work with.

Thank you Megan for your two years of amazing work with our surrogates and our organization! We will miss you!

With Love, The Surrogate Recruitment Team