Whether this is a friend or family member, or someone you have found through a matching platform, the Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia is happy to support Intended Parents that have already identified their own gestational carrier. We offer a discounted, milestone-based agency fee ($18,000) while fully screening your chosen surrogate and managing your journey the rest of the way.
Your Gestational Carrier Agreement will be drafted by attorneys well versed in the legal complexities of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Unlike other agencies, we pay for the attorneys. We have strong, personal relationships with clinics throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region. We believe that a third-party, licensed, bonded and insured professional escrow firm should keep your funds secure and only work with the industry’s leading escrow agency that is familiar with disbursing funds
There are a lot of appointments during the surrogacy process. We will work with your gestational carrier and the clinic to manage your cycle calendar. If your gestational carrier needs to travel, we will make all travel arrangements on your behalf.
We will coordinate transferring care from the fertility clinic to the obstetrician who will be managing the pregnancy. Your dedicated case manager will keep you updated on critical milestones. We will help manage your insurance needs throughout the pregnancy. From maternity claims to putting specialty term life insurance policies or bedrest insurance in place, we will complete applications at the right times and provide all documentation to underwriting for approval.
The surrogacy process can be divided into ten steps. On average, the process takes fifteen months.
We meet with Intended Parents and their chosen Gestational Carrier, individually and as a group. We want to answer all your questions about the surrogacy process, discuss timelines and expectations, and next steps.
Gestational carriers and their partners undergo background checks. We will gather all original medical records directly from providers and obtain obstetrical clearance from both the OBGYN & maternal fetal medicine specialist. Psychological testing and evaluation will be conducted on the carrier and her partner. Finally, we will review her insurance coverage to determine if maternity care during a gestational surrogacy is covered (and identify appropriate insurance options if it is not).
An initial deposit of $2,000.00 will be placed in escrow to pay for your identified surrogate’s compensation (and travel reimbursements) during final medical clearance. We work with a licensed, bonded and insured independent escrow agency to ensure your money is well protected. All transactions are visible to you online.
We work closely with your chosen fertility clinic to coordinate the medical clearance process. Your clinic will schedule additional medical evaluations to prepare for the transfer, including, but not limited to: FDA testing, saline ultrasounds, a hysteroscopy, and/or a mock cycle.
Once your gestational carrier passes medical clearance, you’ll enter into the contract phase. Your Gestational Carrier Agreement outlines expectations of each party in this process, as well as financial obligations. We will pay for independent attorneys to work with you and your gestational carrier to review the terms of the contract.
Once the contract is signed, you will deposit a percentage of your carrier’s compensation into your secure, journey escrow account. Dedicated escrow agents will assist your case manager in disbursing any reimbursements in a timely fashion. We will make sure your gestational carrier receives her compensation by direct deposit, on time.
The clinic will work closely with your gestational carrier, giving her a medical protocol to follow. The cycle will be monitored via blood work and ultrasounds. We will coordinate all appointments, including setting up diagnostic work close to where your gestational carrier resides (this is called outside monitoring). Embryo transfers usually occur between 4-6 weeks after starting medications.
Our goal is for the first embryo transfer to result in a successful pregnancy. The clinic will perform at least two blood tests to confirm pregnancy. At four to six weeks gestation, a fetal heart rate is confirmed via ultrasound.
We will coordinate transferring care from the fertility clinic to the obstetrician who will be managing the pregnancy. We will help manage your insurance needs throughout the pregnancy. From maternity claims to putting specialty term life insurance policies or bedrest insurance in place, we will complete applications at the right times and provide all documentation to underwriting for approval.
During the fifth month of your pregnancy, an attorney will work with you to complete the necessary paperwork to affirm your parental rights. The attorney will file the paperwork with the family court to have a pre-birth order issued. After the baby is born, the birth certificate will show your names on your child’s birth certificate.
We will help you create a birth plan that clearly outlines expectations for all parties involved in the delivery. We will also work with your delivery hospital and provide any legal documentation, insurance and financial information that they require.
We will conduct follow ups with your gestational carrier and you in the weeks following birth. We can even facilitate transportation of expressed breast milk. We will make sure insurance properly pays for claims and return your funds to you in a timely manner from the escrow account (typically 90 days after delivery).
If you have identified a potential surrogate and would like to learn more about how we can provide comprehensive screening and case management services for your journey, please fill out the form below so we can connect with you.
