Part 2: Medical and Legal
The medical and legal processes can be a bit complicated. But remember, we are with you every step of the way! Shared Conception will guide you through the application process, medical and legal processes, and well through labor and delivery. We believe it is our duty to provide our surrogates with what they need to have a happy (and healthy) journey.
Medical Screening and Evaluation
Your medical records will need be thoroughly reviewed and approved by the intended parent’s IVF physician, who will want to meet you for a consultation and medical evaluation. Each clinic varies in the types of medical screening they perform, but they will often include infectious disease screening, vaginal ultrasound, etc. Your spouse or partner is also screened for infectious diseases. The intended parents do pay for all the expenses related to the medical screening and evaluation.
We encourage you to take this time to discuss all potential medical risks with the IVF physician, including the various medical procedures and medications involved in the process.
*Please note: You will have to be under the IVF clinic’s care for the first trimester of your surrogate pregnancy. Afterwards, barring any complications or concerns, you will be released to the OBGYN of your choice.
Legal Process
The actual surrogacy contract is drafted by the intended parents’ attorney. If you do not have an attorney, we will give you a list of qualified attorneys experienced in Reproductive Law to review your contract. Your attorney will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding the contract and advise you on any items that may need modifying. The intended parents will pay all fees associated with the legal process.
Once the contract is signed by all parties, your intended parents will deposit funds into an escrow account which will be used to cover your expenses and fees as agreed upon in the contract. At that point, you are able to start medications in preparation for the embryo transfer.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of our “How to Become a Surrogate with Shared Conception” blog series. If you don’t want to wait for our final blog of the series and are interested in becoming a surrogate today, feel free to give us a call! You can also visit us online at: https://sharedconception.com/deliver-a-dream/ to fill out an application request form! We would love to hear from you!