Surrogate moms and HPV

Surrogacy-Quote-96by Amy
(New Haven)

Hello

I am interested in becoming a surrogate mom but I have HPV. My question is, will that disqualify me as a potential surrogate mom?


Reply by Rayven

HPV is extremely common these days. HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact. What this means is if a woman is pregnant, and has an active case of HPV that the baby may come in contact with during delivery, she might opt to have a c-section to decrease the chance that the baby may come in contact with the virus.

With surrogacy, it is important to disclose the fact that you have HPV. If you are working with an agency, you need to let them know. You need to be clear and upfront with any potential intended parents and your clinic.

Having HPV may disqualify you from becoming a surrogate mother for some agencies, clinics and intended parents, but not from all. Keep in mind that many intended parents who are comfortable with the fact that you have HPV will only be comfortable if you commit to a c-section.

Best wishes!

How many embryo transfers are required for surrogacy?

Surrogacy-Quote-103by Mikah
(Austin, Texas)

Does the transfer of embryos usually take the first time around? If not how many times do it usually take from your experienced?

I am in the first stages of my surrogacy journey, and I have been reading a lot about the process. One thing that concerns me is the idea that I will probably have to go through the whole process and never end up pregnant.

I’d like to prepare myself for this, so I was wondering how many times the transfer of the embryos will be attempted and what factors determine how successful the process will be?


Reply by Rayven

Wow! That’s a difficult question! So many different factors contribute to the success of IVF.

I’ve known surrogates who have gone through 4 transfers with nothing, and others who have gone through only one. I’ve even known surrogates who have gone through 4 transfers unsuccessfully with one couple and have gone on with another couple and become pregnant with twins the first time around.

I’m not certain about your comments that you will “probably have to go through the whole process and never end up pregnant”. Actually, most surrogacies do result in pregnancy. Though, you are right that not all do.

The most important factor when determining the success of any IVF procedure is the quality of the eggs themselves. As a surrogate, you have absolutely no control over this. Factors such as the age of the intended mother, her health, and so on, affect the quality of the eggs. Eggs from a young intended mother, or an egg donor, will have more of a chance of sticking around.

Then there is your health and your body’s ability. As you are a surrogate, your health is not in question, making you more likely to succeed. As far as your body’s ability, you just simply will not know how your body will perform until it’s time to do it! Some women seem to easily get pregnant via IVF; others just don’t. Being a healthy surrogacy candidate in the first place, your body will probably (hopefully…think positive, that’s important) do just fine.

Then there are the number of embryos transfered. If the eggs are poor quality, the IVF doctor will want to put more in, as many as 4-5. But, if your body does great, then all 4-5 may take! So that is a concern.

Bottom line, you just have to follow the medical protocol, think positively, and trust the process.

As to how many transfers will be attempted, this is something you should go over with your intended parents during the contract phase. Most contracts specify 3-4 attempted transfers, in no more than 1-1.5 years.

Best wishes!

What Intended Parents Pay for in Surrogacy

Surrogacy-Quote-24Making the decision to find a surrogate mother to carry your child is a huge decision. And the expenses that go along with that decision can be just as substantial. So…what exactly do the intended parents pay during a surrogacy?

Of course, pregnancy itself is a big expense. Then you add in the IVF treatments and the bill begins to grow substantially. However, that is not the end of the expenses that intended parents must be responsible for. Read on for a list of the most common expenses that fall to the intended parents.

Insurance
If the surrogate mother has insurance that does not cover pregnancies due to surrogacy or if they do not have health insurance at all, the intended parents should purchase a policy that will cover their health needs during the surrogacy.

Medical Expenses
Any medical expenses not covered by health insurance should be taken care of by the intended parents.

Clinic Fees
Any fees (including medications and testing) accrued from the IVF clinic during gestational surrogacies fall to the intended parents.

Attorney Fees
The intended parents are responsible for paying both their attorney and that of the surrogate mother as well as cover the costs of any legal fees associated with the actual birth.

Agency Fees
If the intended parents work with a surrogacy agency (as opposed to finding a match on their own), they are responsible for paying those fees.

Surrogate Fees
The intended parents are, of course, responsible for compensating the surrogate mother as outlined in their contractual agreement.

Miscellaneous Fees
There are also miscellaneous fees that may fall to the surrogate parent. Some examples of this are travel expenses, childcare costs, lost wages, prenatal vitamins, and visits to the doctor’s office. If the surrogate mother has to pay these, she should be reimbursed by the intended parents.

As you can see, being an intended parent comes with large expenses. This should be taken into consideration if you are thinking about pursuing surrogacy as an option.

Although every situation is different, it is safe to assume that a surrogacy can cost you anywhere between $50,000- $100,000. However, many people are deciding that having a child is worth the investment.

Finding a lawyer in California

Surrogacy-Quote-49by chelsea
(sonora,ca)

Hi there,
I’m having trouble finding a lawyer in California that specializes in surrogacy contracts. Can you point me in the right direction. Also, have you heard anything good or bad about surrogenesisusa.com?


Reply by Rayven

At this time, the only surrogacy attorney I recommend practices in the southern part of the United States. Your best bet is to find more surrogates in your state and ask for recommendations.

As to the clinic, I have not had any personal experience with that particular clinic, but perhaps another viewer can comment.

The nice part about clinics is that one of the things they will do is assist you in finding a surrogacy lawyer in your area.

Best wishes!

How do you get started in surrogacy?

Surrogacy-Quote-53by ERICA E.
(MICHIGAN)
I AM INTERESTED IN BECOMING A SURROGATE MOTHER BUT I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START! DO YOU LOOK FOR PEOPLE AND HOW? OR DO THEY LOOK FOR YOU. WHAT ARE SOME GOOD WEBSITE THAT CAN HELP ME AND HELP SOMEONE FIND ME. HOW DID YOU FIND THE PEOPLE?


Reply by Rayven

Erica,

You’ve come to the right place! This site, Information on Surrogacy, will help you with all the questions you have.

See the “Matching” section for information on finding intended parents.

You can either match independently (on your own) or through an agency. I have done both.

But first, before you start looking for intended parents, be sure you read through this site completely. You need to know if you want to do traditional or gestational surrogacy, you need to know what the qualifications and procedures are, and you and your partner will need to discuss compensation, insurance, and legal matters well in advance of finding a match.

Best wishes!

Update

Please see our six step guide to getting started:

Simple Surrogacy Getting Started Guide