Surrogate Frequently Asked Questions
Heart and Soul Surrogacy's knowledgeable team will help you at every step on the journey. We assist you in scheduling all your medical visits, travel arrangements, referral to experienced specialty legal counsel, and general education and training. We offer competitive compensation packages, and our team is available 24/7 to support you throughout your entire pregnancy.
A Gestational Carrier is a woman who agrees to have a couple’s fertilized egg (embryo) implanted in her uterus. A gestational surrogate is not biologically related to the baby that she carries for the intended parents.
The intended parents contribute a sperm and egg that was created using IVF technology at a fertility clinic. The embryo is typically frozen for safe storage and then is transferred to the gestational surrogate to carry and deliver.
See Surrogate Requirements for a detailed list. Our criteria are based off the ASRM guidelines.
- US citizen residing in surrogate friendly state.
- 21-40 years old.
- At least one successful and uncomplicated vaginal delivery.
- BMI of 18-34.
- No felony convictions.
- No smoking or drug use.
- Not participating in any government or public financial aid programs.
Surrogate compensation rates vary from 40-70k+ depending on where the surrogate lives, if she is an experienced surrogate, and her current health insurance plan.
Additional benefits include health and life insurance, reimbursement for all expenses, a maternity clothing budget, and benefits packages.
Intended parents enter into a legal contract with you as the surrogate. The contract mandates that the intended parents fund an escrow account with your compensation fees. This escrow account ensures that a neutral third party is responsible for making your payments based on the terms in the legal contract. The escrow account ensures that all parties have their best interests protected.
Your payments are distributed from the escrow account based on the schedule defined in the legal contract. Typically, the contract specifies that payments are made to you monthly with additional payments upon reaching key milestones during the pregnancy.
You will need to travel if the IVF clinic that the intended parents that you are matched with do not live the same area as you. You will travel to the clinic for the initial medica screening and a second time for the embryo transfer. The intended parents pay for all of your travel expenses to the IVF clinic including airfare, lodging, food and expenses, etc.
IVF is a miracle of modern technology. It involves the monitoring of biological and hormone levels and the carefully timed use of various medicines. Your OBGYN and the intended parent's IVF clinic will provide you with a unique protocol just for you. The following is a non-exhaustive list of some of the most common medicines.
- Birth control pills.
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- The IVF clinic will try to synchronize your cycle to line up with the date of the embryo transfer.
- Lupron.
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- An injectable medicine that is used to suppress your ovaries from growing follicles in preparation for an embryo transfer.
- Estrogen pills.
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- They regulate the level of estrogen in your body to match the IVF doctor's protocol.
- Progesterone
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- A typically injectable medicine that prepares the uterine lining for implantation of the embryo.
- Baby aspirin
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- Small does aspirin is sometimes recommended in improve implementation success rates.
- Prenatal vitamins
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- Over the counter prenatal vitamins are commonly recommended by the IVF doctor and OBGYN.
Matching time with intended parents varies. We match surrogates with intended parents based on their mutual agreement. Both parties need to have matching values and want to work with each other. A few months waiting time is common. Matching time can be shorter depending on your matching requirements.
The intended parents are responsible for paying all of the medical expenses through surrogacy. The specifics of the arrangement are defined in the legal contract between the intended parents and the surrogate.
No. Our company only provides gestational surrogacy services. The egg and sperm both come from the intended parents [their own or donor] and the baby will not be biologically related to you in any way.
No. Gestational carriers are usually expected to stop sexual intercourse for a few weeks before and after the transfer. The intended parents' IVF clinic will provide you with their specific requirements.