You’ve probably heard the term “surrogacy” in the news, or maybe you know a surrogate or raised their family through surrogacy. In recent years, surrogacy has become a common method of assisted reproduction. If you are looking for learn more about surrogacy or gestational surrogacy, you’ve come to the right place!
What is Surrogacy?
Surrogacy is when a woman carries a child for another person or couple. Depending on the type of surrogacy, a surrogate can become pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI).
What are the Types of Surrogacy?
Surrogacy can be divided into several categories:
- Traditional and gestational
- Compensated and altruistic
- Independent and agency
Let’s look at the differences between each of these options.
Gestational vs. Traditional Surrogacy
In traditional surrogacy, a surrogate becomes pregnant through intrauterine insemination, using her own eggs and having a genetic connection to the baby. Today, most surrogacy arrangements involve gestational surrogacy. All Circle surrogacy agreements are between pregnant surrogates and intended parents.
Compensated vs. Altruistic Surrogacy
When arranging a gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is paid for her role in the process. Intended parents are responsible for all payments for surrogacy. The surrogate—sometimes referred to as a gestational carrier—receives pay and benefits, including:
- All medical expenses are covered
- A basic salary
- A monthly stipend to spend on whatever he wants
- Benefits for his family such as life insurance
Most surrogacy arrangements, including all those through Circle Surrogacy, are compensated surrogacy.
Replacement Compensation
Surrogate compensation is based on a variety of factors, including the state the surrogate lives in, whether he has been a surrogate before, whether he has health insurance, and several other factors. You can calculate the estimated compensation of a substitute with our Surrogate Pay page!
Surrogates are compensated for the physical, mental, and emotional dedication to the surrogate pregnancy. A gestational surrogate is required to attend appointments, continue to manage her self-care and her nutrition, and sacrifice time with her own family to meet any surrogacy needs. His body will also go through physical changes as well as emotional and mental experiences.
Altruistic Surrogacy
Altruistic surrogacy refers to a surrogacy arrangement in which the surrogate is not paid a fee to carry the baby for the intended parents; it can also be referred to as uncompensated surrogacy. In altruistic surrogacy arrangements, the gestational carrier may be a friend or relative of the intended parents, and she receives no payment outside of reimbursement for medical expenses, and perhaps additional pregnancy needs.
Sometimes, if compensated surrogacy is not legal in a state, intended parents may decide to do altruistic surrogacy.
Independent vs. Agency Surrogacy
An independent surrogacy journey is when the intended parents and their surrogate begin their surrogacy without the help and support of a professional agency. This means that all parties involved will be responsible for managing all elements of the journey, including arranging appointments and travel to the clinic, finding two surrogacy lawyers (one for the intended parents and one for the surrogate), ensuring that medical bills are paid and the surrogate, arranging for preparations for delivery, including being responsible should they encounter any travel challenges.
While going on an independent surrogacy journey can save you money, it’s usually only the surrogacy agency fee that you’re saving, as all other fees and costs still apply.
What a Surrogacy Agency Can Do for You
Choosing to make a surrogacy journey with a surrogacy agency means that the intended parents will pay fee agency for services provided by the agency, which may include:
- Managing the entire journey, which includes liaising with the IVF clinic, the local monitoring clinic, and providing resources for parents at each milestone.
- Sourcing and screening surrogates who meet agency and clinical requirements, and matching intended parents with a surrogate who is the right legal, geographical, and personality fit.
- Providing an attorney or connecting intended parents and surrogates with an attorney.
- Addressing any issues that arise during travel.
- Help securing insurance for the surrogate.
Some intended parents find that paying an agency to manage complex surrogacy journeys is worth the money, as it can take longer and can be better handled by professionals. However, if you are looking to save some money and have the time and energy to manage your journey, independent surrogacy may be the right choice for you.
Who Can Benefit from Surrogacy?
The question is not only “what is surrogacy” but “who is surrogacy.” People turn to surrogacy to build their families for a variety of reasons. Intended parents include:
- Heterosexual couples who have had repeated miscarriages or several failed attempts at assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization or intrauterine insemination
- Intended mothers who are unable to bear children
- Intended parents with a genetic defect or health condition that they do not want to pass on to the child
- LGBTQIA+ parents who want to have a genetic link with the baby
Surrogacy Pregnancy
The process by which a surrogate becomes pregnant depends on the type of surrogacy. With gestational surrogacy, a gestational carrier becomes pregnant through IVF—the intended mother’s eggs or eggs from an egg donor are retrieved through a surgical procedure and placed with sperm in a petri dish. The resulting embryos are cultured in the laboratory for several days and one or more are transferred to the carrier’s uterus.
What Happens to Any Leftover Frozen Embryos?
Frozen embryos are stored at your IVF clinic. If your family is complete, you will be advised of your options for the future of your embryos. If you choose to transfer your embryos, your IVF center will assist you in that process. Of course, you can use cryopreserved embryos in future surrogacy if you choose.
Where is Surrogacy Legal?
Surrogacy is “legal” in the US in 47 states. Currently, surrogacy is not considered legal in Michigan, Nebraska and Louisiana. While surrogacy laws by state It can be different, but it’s important to work with an experienced attorney who can guide you through your surrogacy journey.
The United States has the most favorable surrogacy laws in the world, which is why so many intended parents living abroad choose to do surrogacy in the US And while surrogacy laws can not only vary by by state—but also by county—understanding the laws pertaining to your surrogacy journey is essential. In many cases, you will follow the laws of the state where the surrogate lives and serves. For international intended parents, when their child is born in the US through surrogacy, the baby is considered a United States citizen but must follow the laws of their home country upon returning home.
Surrogacy is more known and talked about than 5 years ago, however, laws continue to evolve. What hasn’t changed is how big a surrogacy journey is for all parties involved.
Interested in becoming a Circle surrogate? Apply now!
Interested in learning more about becoming a parent through surrogacy? Fill out our parent form.
what is surrogacy?
What is surrogacy?
