Gestational Surrogate FAQs

We offer a comprehensive and flexible Compensation Package to all of our Surrogates, and you get to customize just how much you will get compensated. Things that will figure into the compensation amount will be based on your health insurance, state of residence and of course experience.

Working with an agency is an advantage to all of the parties involved, (especially the Surrogate), since we provide the support, guidance, experience and care from start to finish. We will help and advocate for your needs, bridge communication for topics that may be harder to discuss, offer assistance with the legal aspects and of course handle all of your payments so you can focus on the joy of being pregnant.

Health insurance does play a big part in this journey.

If you already have health insurance, you will need to supply a link or a current copy of the EOC (Evidence of Coverage) booklet and we will have an insurance specialist review your plan to determine if surrogacy is covered.

Don’t assume that surrogacy is not covered based on the language – it can be tricky. An insurance expert will make the final determination.

If surrogacy is covered under your current health insurance plan, you will be entitled to a higher base fee.

If your insurance excludes surrogacy or you do not have health insurance, it will not be a problem. Once you become a Surrogate in our program, we  will find a plan that offers surrogacy coverage specific to your needs (location, preferred hospital, and so on).

The best part is, your Intended Parents will pay for all the costs associated with the review and the new insurance if needed.

We've found most of our Surrogates surround themselves with generous and amazing friends, just like themselves! And they often want to share this great experience with others. If you have a friend that might be interested in becoming or learning more about surrogacy, please don’t hesitate to connect us with them. We love getting Surrogate candidate referrals from our current and past Surrogates. After all, no one knows better than you how truly rewarding it is to be a Gestational Surrogate.

And of course we offer a referral fee for each friend you connect to us. Reach out and find out more.

Yes, you can still be a Surrogate if your tubes are tied. To be a Surrogate you physically only need a healthy uterus. You do not need your ovaries or tubes, since the egg will be coming from the Intended Mother or an Egg Donor.

While we understand that everyone’s situation is different, one of our requirements is that you are not enrolled in certain government programs. Not all government assistance programs are restricted, but you should know that reimbursements received while you are a Gestational Surrogate could possibly make you ineligible for certain government benefits.

Reach out to discuss this with one of our GS Coordinators.

Great! We are excited to get to know you.  On your end, you just sit back and relax.

On our end, a Surrogate Coordinator (they’re all successful former Surrogates) will reach out to you to schedule an informational phone call to answer your questions and go over what being a Surrogate involves. If the Surrogate Coordinator has any questions about your application, or you don’t fit the requirements, we will also reach out to you and let you know if there is anything you can do to improve your chances of becoming a Surrogate.

Each IVF clinic sets their own requirement for Surrogates including the desired BMI – your height and weight ratio. Some clinics won’t accept anyone over a BMI of 30, while others will accept up to 33. 

For women between 30 – 33 BMI you will be required to obtain documentation from your doctor (or nurse) to confirm your stated height and weight.  If you’re not at your ideal BMI (but you are close and working on it) you can still sign up and get started.

Reach out to one of our GS Coordinators to talk about this.

Everyone is entitled to their personal position on selective reduction.

Selective Reduction is when the Intended Parents and you may select to transfer more than one embryo and then one of them possibly splits. In that case, the risks are higher for you and the babies and the Intended Parents may want to reduce one of the fetuses so that it is healthier for all of you. 

This is something the agency can and will discuss with both you and your Intended Parent/s before a match is made.

Most Intended Parents do try to avoid this situation where there is a chromosomal abnormality with the fetus by doing genetic testing on the embryos when they are created. But even so, most Intended Parents want the option to terminate if there are serious issues with the fetus. 

Therefore, it is difficult to find a match for a Gestational Surrogate that will not leave this final decision to the Parent/s of the baby. Every now and then we do have a couple that might not want to terminate if something comes up. 

Please reach out to us if you have questions on this topic (or any other).

Yes, you can. Fill out a questionnaire, and begin the screening process. Then, once you are ready to stop breastfeeding you can be matched right away.

Reach out and we can discuss your plans.

You will need to discuss it and get clearance from your own Obstetrician, but in most cases you can get started 3 months after a vaginal birth and 6 months (for some doctors up to a year) after a C-section.

If you recently gave birth and are interested in surrogacy, feel free to contact us to discuss your timeline and get started with the initial screening process.

Postpartum depression that is treated by anti-depressants (in most cases) is not seen as a deterrent for becoming a Gestational Surrogate, as long as the time you take the meds is short and you are able to go off of them without issue. You must be off of them for at least 6 -12 months in most cases before you can be matched.

We know that everyone hits bumps along the way, and taking anti-depressants does not disqualify you from being a Surrogate -- although you will need to have been off of them for 6 months to a year and we will need to know the circumstances which led you to take them and if you have taken steps to resolve it.

While being a Surrogate is a calling for many women, sometime others do not understand their desire.  We are not concerned if your mother-in-law or neighbor supports you, but if you have a significant other we do require s/he understands and supports your journey since this is a family affair! 

Learn more about our Surrogate support services.

While there are many factors that can determine your compensation base fee, for example:

• Where you live
• If you have health insurance
• If you’ve been a Surrogate before

You can still can customize a package that fits your needs. So, if you’d prefer to leave that question blank when filling out your profile, we are more than happy to talk to you about what fee is right for your circumstances. 

No matter what, we want you to get the amount you feel you deserve and we will match any other agency’s fees.

We are experts at finding the right match for both you and your Intended Parent/s. Using our TrueMatch™ system, we have a stellar 99% success rate on our matches. We take your desires and theirs into consideration in finding the right match for you using:

• Communication preferences before, during, and after the pregnancy
• Amount of embryos that will be  transferred
• Where the Intended Parent/s live
• Gender & marital status of the Intended Parent/s: married, heterosexual, same-sex, single, or a couple.

While you come into this as strangers, your relationship will grow and many even become lifelong friends.

We’d love to match you quickly but first we need you to fill out a short application, have an informational chat with a Surrogate Coordinator, fill out a more detailed application and finally send us all of your OB and birth records for each pregnancy along with pay stubs, insurance policy (if you have one) and an OB clearance note that says you are cleared for another pregnancy. That’s it!

Yes, we have many international Intended Parents. They come here because the laws in their own country do not support surrogacy and those in the US are very favorable. This makes them ever so grateful to their Surrogate since they can’t do it at home.

And yes! They all want to be here in the US by your side (or outside the room if you prefer that) when their baby is born! We encourage Intended Parents to come weeks (or sometimes longer) before the birth to ensure they don’t miss this very joyous event.

Our motto is: No Surrogate should ever be out any money when they are helping others create a family.

We promise that all of your expenses (including medical, legal, lost wages and more) will be paid for by the Intended Parents. Your expenses will be gone over with you by the agency before you are matched and will be included in your contract with the Intended Parents. We want to make sure you are always protected.

In most cases, you may have to abstain from sex 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the embryo transfer.

Some clinics require that you wait until the heartbeat is seen on ultrasound (about 5 weeks after the embryo transfer) before you are free to resume your normal sexual activities.

Unlike your other pregnancies, you will start taking hormones to prepare your body and “trick” it into thinking it is ready to get pregnant. After the embryo transfer, you will stay on the hormones (until about 10 weeks into the pregnancy) when your body starts producing those pregnancy hormones on its own.

So, the getting there part will be quite different, but  the being pregnant part will be the same once you reach the first trimester.

We want all of your needs and concerns to be addressed, and one of the ways is to make sure you have good legal representation when signing the contract with your Intended Parents. The agency will recommend an attorney in your home state that that specializes in surrogacy contracts to represent you. Your attorney fees will be paid for by the Intended Parents.

Nope. But even if they did, the contract protects you and you will have no legal or financial responsibilities for the baby. The agency is always there to take care of you and your needs.

Each person that works on The Fertility Agency team comes with their own personal experiences in creating families. In fact, 100% of our GS Coordinators have been a surrogate at least once, and every one of our Case Managers has had (or will need) help in creating their own family. Our hearts are invested in your journey.

We’re so excited to learn that you’re interested in applying to our program to become a Surrogate. Your first step is to make sure you meet all the requirements. Next, you will fill out a short online questionnaire, this takes about 5 minutes and you can do it from your phone! Then, one of our Surrogate Coordinators will contact you and if you qualify, we will send the paperwork to get started. Simple, right?

We’d love to match you quickly but first we need you to fill out a short application, have an informational chat with a Surrogate Coordinator, fill out a more detailed application and finally send us all of your OB and birth records for each pregnancy along with pay stubs, insurance policy (if you have one) and an OB clearance note that says you are cleared for another pregnancy. That’s it!