What to Expect from Surrogate Motherhood
Step 1. Fill out an intake form and have a phone interview.
When you are ready to begin your surrogacy journey, just fill out our intake form. Someone from our staff will call you to ask you some questions and tell you more about our program. Then we’ll ask you to fill out a longer questionnaire so that we can get to know you better and make sure you’re eligible to be a surrogate.
Step 2. Meet with NEW JERSEY Surrogacy Center, LLC.
Once we review your questionnaire and run a background check, we will invite you to one of our offices to interview with us in person. We will learn more about you, explain the surrogacy process, and take as much time as you need to answer all of your questions. Click here for answers to common surrogacy questions.
You are welcome to bring your children to the meeting, and if you are married or in a relationship, we would like to meet your spouse or partner as well.
Step 3. Gather documents and complete additional screening.
After your interview we will ask you to send us pictures of yourself and your family, and a copy of your health insurance policy, if you have one. We will help you request your medical records from your pregnancy and delivery. We may also ask you to schedule your psychological evaluation and apply for additional health insurance. Then we will create your profile, with your identifying information removed, to share with potential intended parents.
Step 4. Meet the intended parents.
When we have a potential match for you, we will share some information about the intended family with you to make sure you’re interested in them. We will also share your profile with them. When both sides are interested, you and the intended parents will meet in our office for a match meeting. International intended parents may conduct a first meeting by Skype, but usually travel to the United States to meet you before signing a contract with you.
We believe a great match is the key to an extraordinary surrogacy experience. We match surrogates with intended parents based on a variety of factors, especially on shared goals and expectations for the surrogacy. You always have the option of choosing not to work with a family if they don’t feel like the right match.
If you and the intended parents feel excited about each other after the match meeting, we will move on to the next step. If not, we will look for a different family for you.
Step 5. Undergo additional screening and sign a contract.
As we prepare a contract for you and the intended parents, you will undergo additional screening, including medical screening and a home visit. The intended parents may also be undergoing psychological and medical screenings at this time.
Your medical screening may include a “mock cycle” of IVF (in vitro fertilization) injections that usually lasts about two weeks and allows the fertility clinic to determine the specific effect of the medications on your body and what dosages you should receive in the full cycle. During the mock cycle you will be monitored with blood draws and ultrasounds to check your uterine lining. You and your partner will undergo blood work and STD screening, and you will meet with an obstetrician to receive clearance for pregnancy.
Around this time we will provide you with a draft surrogacy contract. You and the intended parents will review the document with separate attorneys, reach an agreement, and sign the contract. At this time you will begin receiving a $200 monthly allowance.
Step 6. Begin medication cycle.
Once the contract is signed and the intended parents have placed money for your compensation in a trust account with us, we will send a letter to the fertility clinic giving them clearance to begin preparing you for the embryo transfer. You will then begin your full IVF cycle, which involves taking medications starting about six weeks before the embryo transfer and continuing about eight weeks into the pregnancy.
If the intended parents are planning to use an egg donor, the fertility clinic will synchronize your cycle with the donor’s.
Step 7. Undergo embryo transfer.
The embryo transfer is an outpatient procedure that occurs at the fertility clinic. Some intended parents choose to attend this procedure, in person or by Skype. After the transfer you will be asked to go on bed rest for a few days.
Step 8. Pregnancy is confirmed.
About ten days after the embryo transfer, you will receive a blood test as an initial pregnancy test. If the pregnancy test results are positive, you will receive another blood test a few days later. About three to four weeks after the transfer you will receive an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy.
Once pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound, you will begin receiving installments of your base compensation.
In the event that pregnancy does not occur, you may begin another IVF cycle with the intended parents.
Step 9. Enjoy the pregnancy!
Relax and enjoy being pregnant! During your pregnancy, NJSC will be sending you your monthly payments and taking care of your pregnancy expenses. We will be available to you at all times in case you have questions, want us to help mediate issues with the intended parents, or just want someone to talk to. We’ll also be checking in with you regularly to make sure you have everything you need.
The fertility clinic will continue to provide your medical care for the first eight to ten weeks of your pregnancy, but then you can return to your own doctor for prenatal care.
Depending on the type of relationship you and the intended parents want, they may be attending appointments and spending time with you during your pregnancy, or communicating with you by phone, Skype, and email.
Step 10. Present the intended parents with their new baby!
The wait is over, and it’s time for you to give the intended parents a child who will change their lives forever.
If there are rooms available, most hospitals allow intended parents to stay in the hospital to have time alone with their baby. You may also wish to spend some time with the baby or have your children meet him or her, although many surrogates and intended parents prefer that the baby remain with the intended parents most of the time.
As soon as the baby is medically ready to be discharged from the hospital, the intended parents can take their new baby home, and you can return to your own family!
NJSC will continue to be there for you after the birth. You are welcome to contact us any time.