FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DOES SURROGACY WORK?
There are many parties involved in a surrogacy journey. That can be overwhelming. As an agency, our job is like an orchestra director, bringing together different players to create a harmonious journey.
Besides the Gestational Carrier and the Intended Parents, there is the fertility clinic that performs the medical cycle and many other professionals – attorneys that draw up contracts between all parties, psychologists that explore the motivations and mental state of everyone involved, and escrow companies that hold all the funds to be paid to the gestational carrier in a safe and secure account.
At the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia, our decade-plus of experience helps you confidently navigate this process.
INTERNATIONAL SURROGACY. HOW DOES IT WORK?
Not every agency is familiar with the complexities of international surrogacy. We are proud to have facilitated a number of journeys with Intended Parents that reside outside of the United States.
We provide online consultations and facilitated video conference matching sessions. We work closely with your home-country attorney to ensure all legal documents are properly recognized. We offer highly personal post-delivery support – from helping you get passports to go home, to providing you with baby supplies, making your family’s stay here as comfortable as possible.
WHAT DOES THE MEDICAL CYCLE INVOLVE?
A gestational carrier will carry embryos created through IVF. Prior to the embryo transfer, the gestational carrier will be on cycling medications. These medications are hormones that can control and suppress ovulation, as well as build up the uterine lining so the body is ready to receive the embryos. The hormones are taken in the form of injections.
The gestational carrier will have regular visits to the clinic to monitor her hormone levels and measure the thickness of her uterine lining. At the appropriate time, the doctor will transfer the embryos into the gestational carrier’s uterus via a tiny catheter. It is a short, painless procedure. The gestational carrier then goes home to rest for a day or two before resuming normal activities.
WHO IS INVOLVED IN SURROGACY?
Besides the gestational carrier and the Intended Parents, there is the fertility clinic that performs the medical cycle and many other professionals – attorneys that draw up contracts between all parties, psychologists that explore the motivations and mental state of everyone involved, escrow companies that hold all the funds to be paid to the gestational carrier in a safe and secure account, and finally, an agency that coordinates all the parties involved.
HOW DO I PICK A SURROGATE?
- Local, state and federal criminal background checks
- Credit and financial background check
- Medical records review
- Insurance evaluation
- Testing and evaluation by an independent psychologist who is familiar with the issues surrounding surrogacy
WILL I BE IN CONTACT WITH MY SURROGATE?
Good communication is key to a healthy relationship. We will never match you with a gestational carrier who has different values than your family or differing preferences on important issues like communication. We encourage Intended Parents and Surrogates to communicate directly. We also attend appointments and keep you updated throughout your pregnancy.
CAN I BECOME A PARENT IF I’M SINGLE?
HOW MUCH DOES SURROGACY COST?
We believe in financial transparency and affordability. Our agency will provide you with a detailed cost estimate based on your circumstances, in conjunction with the clinic of your choosing. Our agency fee is $21,000 and is divided into three reasonable payments.
On average, a complete surrogacy journey costs around $90,000. We have financial advisors to help clients fund their journeys through grants, scholarships, discount programs, and other options.
HOW DO I START THE PROCESS?
Please complete our inquiry form. We will provide you with an information packet on our program and set up a consultation. If our waitlist for matching is open, we will have you complete our intake forms and matching profile so we can find you a great surrogate. The Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia believes in giving our Intended Parents and Surrogates highly personalized care and consideration, therefore we limit the number of cases we take on each year.
WHAT IS GESTATIONAL SURROGACY?
WILL I BE ABLE TO SELECT MY INTENDED PARENTS?
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THE SURROGACY CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA?
We are unique in that we offer exceptionally personalized support during the surrogacy process along with competitive, fair compensation packages. Our coordinators attend critical appointments, promptly answer emails, texts, and phone calls, act as advocates for you along the way, and are present when you give birth. Additionally, we host social events like play-dates and fun lunches for surrogates and their families who are in our program. We differ from most national surrogacy agencies because we minimize your travel. The majority of Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia families live right in the Greater Philadelphia area and work closely with local clinics.
IF I CHOOSE TO BECOME A SURROGATE MOTHER, HOW DO I GET PAID?
WILL I HAVE TO COVER MEDICAL CO-PAYMENTS AND OTHER OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES?
DOES BECOMING A SURROGATE MEAN I’LL HAVE TO TRAVEL?
WHY IS BMI IMPORTANT?
Body mass index (BMI) is the measurement of body mass based on weight and height. For a woman who wants to become a gestational carrier, one of the surrogate requirements is that her BMI should be between 20-32. This is because the hormone medications that one takes during a surrogacy cycle cannot be managed as well once your BMI exceeds 32. Additionally, obesity increases the risk of pregnancy complications like premature labor, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and stillbirth.
DO I NEED TO HAVE INSURANCE THAT WILL COVER SURROGACY?
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE THE SURROGACY CENTER OF PHILADELPHIA?
I HAVE HAD A TUBAL LIGATION (HAD MY TUBES TIED). CAN I STILL BE A GESTATIONAL CARRIER?
I AM CURRENTLY BREASTFEEDING. CAN I APPLY TO BECOME A SURROGATE?
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL SURROGACY AND GESTATIONAL SURROGACY?
There are two kinds of surrogates – traditional or gestational. With a traditional surrogate, the surrogate is providing her eggs for fertilization, as well as carrying the child to term. Therefore, she is genetically related to the baby. In gestational surrogacy, the intended parents create an embryo either with their egg and sperm or a donated egg or sperm. The embryo is then transferred into the surrogate. Therefore, the surrogate mother and the baby share no genetic material. The Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia only provides gestational surrogacy services.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS?
