Surrogate Q&A: What if I don’t live close to the fertility clinic?
Carla Johnson
Q. What if the parents’ fertility clinic is not close to me?
A. That’s really common! Most surrogates will have to travel to the intended parents’ fertility clinic.
Q. Where are the fertility clinics located?
A. All of the clinics we work with are in the U.S., and many are located in major cities along the West Coast.
Q. How many times will I have to go to the clinic?
A. Usually, a surrogate will travel to the fertility clinic twice: once for the in-person evaluation after a match meeting and once for the embryo transfer. Each clinic has its own process, and the number of trips can fluctuate, but two is the most common requirement.
Q. Aren’t there lots of blood tests and ultrasounds?
A. The other lab work and ultrasounds during the IVF cycle can be done at a clinic or lab close to you.
Q. Who pays for the travel expenses?
A. All travel expenses are covered by the intended family including lost wages and/or childcare – you get to bring a support person to the embryo transfer too!
NWSC surrogates talking about their experience traveling to the clinic:
“I have flown three times for this surrogacy. The first two were day trips and I was anxious the first time about actually making it to the appointment on time and back to the airport, LAX was a pain to navigate, but I managed to get everywhere I needed to be with enough time. The third trip was for the transfer and we did make a mini-trip out of it. My sister was my companion and she was flying in around the same time, and I asked them to make the flight in the morning rather than the evening since it didn’t change the price, and we had a whole day to run around and half a day the next morning before the transfer. It was a lot of fun and very relaxing in preparation for the transfer. Afterward, we just spent a little less than 24 hours at the hotel eating too much and being lazy until it was time to fly home.”
“Flying to the fertility clinic was amazing. Loved going to a different state/city. Travel was simple and not as difficult during covid. Just be early to the airport. Pros: nice to get away…even better when my husband can go with me. Cons: having to travel during covid and wearing masks. Definitely made my trip into a mini-vacation….enjoyed the vacation more when my husband arrived.”
“I always enjoyed traveling to the clinic and one time I did extend the day or made a mini-vacation out of it”
“All the travel has been easy. NWSC asked what worked best for us and made the accommodations as best as they could. It was a little odd flying with meds but I didn’t have any issues. I just packed everything I needed in its own little bag and had it in my carry-on. We have always made it a mini-vacation, especially with the transfer because we have needed to go a couple of days prior for labs and testing.”
When thinking about your matching preferences, we recommend staying open-minded about the location of the fertility clinic. This will give us the best chance to match you based on your communication and relationship expectations which are more important. At NWSC, matching is a two-way street. We will send you a profile of a family to review and include details about their clinic and embryos. If you like the profile, you will meet the family over Zoom before making a commitment. A rewarding match for you and your intended family is a priority for us!
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.