What to Know Before Choosing a Surrogate Pregnancy: A Guide for Intended Parents

How does surrogate pregnancy work? Using a surrogate for your pregnancy is a life-changing decision, and we know that you have a lot of questions. Let’s start at the beginning with the most basic (and foundational) question of all.

In this blog, we’ll break down the gestational surrogate process and costs, as well as the intended parents’ expected time and communication commitments.

Question 1: What is the basic surrogacy process?

Using a surrogate for pregnancy begins with finding the right surrogacy and infertility experts to help you along your journey. At Northwest Surrogacy Center, we begin with an initial meeting over Zoom – a form of communication that often makes anxious parents feel more at ease.

Once we determine that we are a good fit, you will pay the initial fees and the screening process begins. We will ask you to complete a questionnaire, write a short bio, and schedule a meeting to discuss your surrogacy preferences. It is important to be thoughtful and honest during this process, because one of the biggest commonalities we look for between a surrogate and intended parents is a shared philosophy on how the relationship will work, both during pregnancy and after.

The next step in the gestational surrogate process is to match you with a surrogate whose goals and philosophies align with yours. We have already done extensive background research on our potential surrogates before they are presented to you, so you can rest assured that each profile you see is qualified and willing.

If you connect with a surrogate who feels like a match for you, we will arrange a Zoom call for you to meet. Most intended parents choose this route, as well as an in-person meeting is possible, although the level of interaction is your decision.

When you have been successfully matched, you will sign a contract, pay the second agency fee, and set up an expense account for your surrogate. (Read more about costs here.) From here the fertilization process begins.

Your surrogate will undergo additional screenings and receive medical clearance from an obstetrician, then travel to your fertility clinic of choice to begin the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, which includes approximately four weeks of medication followed by a procedure to implant the embryo. If the transfer is successful, you will have a pregnancy confirmation within 10 days.

How the birth process works is up to you and your surrogate. Sometimes, hospitals provide additional rooms for the parents to be present and bond with their baby. Other times, the surrogate may introduce the baby to her other children. The level of interaction is up to you and determined at the beginning of the process.

Question 2: How much does it cost to use a surrogate?

One thing we pride ourselves on at Northwest Surrogacy Center is complete transparency about the cost of surrogate pregnancy. The decision to have a child has a huge financial impact on a family no matter how they conceive the child, and we want to eliminate the stress of the unknown from day one.

It is difficult to list the costs of surrogacy as black-and-white figures in a blog article, because each surrogate pregnancy cost is unique to the situation. Factors like whether you use an egg donor, how many IVF cycles it takes to confirm a pregnancy, whether you are expecting a single baby or twins, complications that may arise, and more can affect the bottom line.

That said, however, we are happy to share a list of typical expenses and fees, along with the average cost of surrogate pregnancy. As the intended parents, here is an estimate of some of what you would be responsible for:

• Agency fees: $34,000‒$35,000
• Non-medical screening fee: $7,500
• Legal and administrative fees: $8,000‒$10,000
• Surrogate compensation: $46,140‒$61,140

Your contract also includes a number of variable expenses, such as surrogate insurance and medical bills, surrogate lost wages, travel, and others. For further breakdowns and estimates, you can download our PDF.

If the costs seem insurmountable to you as intended parents, we recommend contacting RESOLVE, the national infertility association, for financial assistance options.

Question 3: How long does the process take?

There is no one answer to this question, but intended parents should be ready and willing to invest their time and efforts into the entire surrogate pregnancy process, from initial screenings to delivery day.

First, finding the perfect surrogate can take time, from both NW Surrogacy Center’s initial screenings to your review and final selections. In some situations, intended parents get well down the road to selecting a surrogate when something alters the process – a difference in goals or an unexpected medical issue, for example. At other times, there may be a waitlist for the matching process. 

From there, the length of the IVF process depends on a number of factors, including the use of an egg donor, the fertility medicinal cycle required of the surrogate, implantation, and the two-week wait to confirm a pregnancy. If all goes well, the typical time from initial meeting to implantation is about four months, and parents are welcoming their new baby in just over a year.

Question 4: What does communication between the agency, the surrogate, and the intended parents look like?

Northwest Surrogacy Center uses a lengthy process to determine which surrogate mothers are right for our agency and our intended parents. The qualifications for becoming a surrogate mother include (but are not limited to) age, physical and mental health, previous successful pregnancies, and the willingness to become pregnant, take medications by injection, travel if necessary, and abstain from drugs or alcohol.

It’s a rigorous process that ensures that any potential surrogates suggested for the intended parents are committed, healthy, and excited.

Once you’ve been matched with your surrogate, the level of communication is entirely up to you. Part of our screening process involves asking the potential surrogate their preferences for how and how often to be in touch with their intended parents. At NW Surrogacy Center, many surrogates and parents develop a deep and loving relationship with one another, and the surrogates remain in the babies’ lives in some capacity. 

For others, communication is on an as-needed basis and no bonds are formed. Understanding and matching expectations is an essential part of the matching process so that neither party is surprised at any point during the process.

Are you interested in learning more about the surrogacy process or ready to get started? Please contact us. We welcome both straight and gay couples and would love to meet you.