Intended parents use their own embryos and the surrogate carries the child for them. The embryos can be created in several ways. Parents can donor ovum or the mother’s own ovum. They can use donor sperm or the father’s own sperm. It’s important to understand that the surrogate does not have any genetic relationship with the baby in a gestational surrogacy. She simply carries the precious cargo until it’s ready to enter the world through the miracle of birth.
Of course. As a surrogate, you will be able to look through detailed profiles of families that could be potential matches for you. If you feel like connecting with them, our team will set up a meeting that we facilitate. After the meeting, and follow up conversations, you will be matched if all parties are in agreement with the decision.
We are unique in that we offer exceptionally personalized support during the surrogacy process along with competitive, fair compensation packages. Our case managers promptly answer emails, texts, and phone calls, and act as advocates for you along the way. 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.
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.
No. Intended parents cover all costs related to your surrogacy. Some of these items include childcare expenses, co-payments for medical services, insurance premiums, and more. These represent totally separate payments that are in addition to the compensation you get for being pregnant and carrying their baby.
You won’t have to travel far. That’s because the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia, unlike most surrogacy agencies, works with local clinics. In fact, it’s rare for any of our surrogates to have to travel a long distance. We understand that travel can be a challenge. It’s even more of a burden when you have to take care of your own family at the same time. In the rare event that you do have to travel, all of your expenses are covered.
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.
Part of the compensation package for surrogates is 100% medical coverage for surrogacy. Some insurance companies provide coverage for surrogacy, and some don’t. We will evaluate your policy fully so that there are no surprise insurance bills. It is the responsibility of the intended parents to cover all of the surrogate’s costs. If you do not have medical insurance or don’t have surrogacy-friendly insurance, a policy will be obtained for you and paid for by the parents.
The Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia is a professional, friendly, and experienced center for those who wish to be gestational surrogates. We offer highly competitive compensation packages that include base compensation plus many other benefits: wellness bonuses, 100% medical insurance coverage, maternity clothing allowances, lost wages, childcare and housekeeping, and much more. We also provide every surrogate with nutritional, and psychological support, and assign a personal case manager who is with the surrogate from the beginning to the end of her journey.
Yes, you can still be a surrogate even though you’ve had your tubes tied. Tubal ligation prevents eggs from traveling to the uterus to prevent future pregnancy. However, it doesn’t stop a woman from carrying a baby. During the surrogacy process, the intended parent’s embryo is transferred into the gestational carrier’s uterus. The ovaries and fallopian tubes of the gestational carrier or surrogate are not needed.
When a woman breastfeeds, it naturally delays ovulation and menstruation. Even if your menstrual cycle has resumed, you must take a variety of medications and hormones for the embryo transfer that are not safe for breastfeeding. Therefore, we want surrogates to have weaned and have at least one menstrual cycle before we begin the medical portion of your surrogacy journey.
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.
