How does surrogate mother compensation work? There is usually an agreement between the surrogate mother and the intended parent or parents. First, there is a base fee. This fee is paid to the surrogate mother to cover her time though her pregnancy.

Carrying a child for nine months is literally a labor of love. So how does compensation for such a tall order work? There are medical and incidental costs to consider. There is a standard by which surrogate mother compensation adheres to.

When a couple and a surrogate mom sign a contract, they agree on all components of the compensation. The surrogate mother is carrying a baby to help someone receive one of the greatest gifts in life. Although it’s difficult to put a number on such a kind act, the base fees can be anywhere from $18,000 to $35,000.

The fees are paid out monthly to the surrogate mothers. The reason it is not done in one lump sum is in case something happens to the embryo or fetus. Even mothers who take good care of themselves and unborn babies can still experience miscarriages. In this way, surrogates are still compensated for the time they are pregnant.

Surrogate Mother Expenses

Surrogate mother expenses can be lumped into one large lump sum, which can be broken down into smaller expenses.

Time
Medical expenses
Transportation
Lost wages
Legal fees
Child care (for existing children)
Insurance
Agency fees
Miscellaneous fees

There are many small expenses that can be taken into account.

A special note about insurance.

Some surrogates have their own insurance which will help cover maternity costs. Surrogates without insurance must be insured by the intended parents. At the current time, insurance choices are very limited in the state of Texas. For this reason, surrogates who have their own insurance command higher compensation. Surrogates are not allowed to use Medicaid for their surrogacy journey.

There are many costs and expenses involved with surrogate mother compensation. The best thing to do is to research, talk to people, get on forums and connect with professionals. Getting a handle on expenses is one of the best ways to be prepared for the financial aspect of surrogacy.

If you really think about it, the actual process of surrogacy sounds is an amazing advance in reproductive technology. The act of creating an embryo and placing it into someone to carry for nine months, so that someone else can raise that baby sounds like it comes straight out of a science fiction novel. We are lucky to be living in a time where this can be done, usually successfully. As you also know, the technology does not take out the very emotional element that affects everyone – the parents-to-be, siblings, grandparents, etc. To find a surrogate mother is to find someone who can handle this complex combination of technology and emotion.

Finding a Surrogate Mother You Can Trust

Finding a surrogate mother you can trust first means that she must be completely informed as to what is going to happen throughout the entire process. It takes experience and the ability to be thorough in order to inform a potential surrogate on what is to come. It takes resources to dip into a pool of good potential surrogate mother. Also, qualifying the potential surrogate mother makes sure that she is up to the task physically as well as emotionally.

Things To Consider When Finding a Surrogate Mother

When finding a surrogate mother, think about your own assumptions and expectations.

What is required?

What would be nice to see, but not a deal breaker?

What would be an absolute deal breaker for you?

Always be evaluating your own standards, to be sure that they are realistic and fair. Always be researching and learning something new about the process.

Set intentions about how you want the pregnancy to go. Write them down and organize your thoughts. Then, sit down with a potential surrogate and ask her what she thinks, like communication, diet, exercise, etc.

Finding a surrogate mother is a big decision. You will want to make sure you consider all your options, like age, lifestyle, medical history and family medical history. Above all else, trust your heart, when you meet someone. Trusting your heart can be the single most effective way of finding the surrogate mother of your dreams.

Besides helping to create a family, any pregnancy including a surrogate pregnancy, brings about positive changes. Several of those changes are great benefits to your body. The following are some of the top benefits that you may not know.

• Fewer Cramps: Your menstrual cycle will naturally resume after childbirth. Some women find that they may have fewer bothersome cramps or menstrual pain cease altogether. This pain reduction is a well-known phenomenon, but no one knows for sure why it occurs. One theory is that childbirth eliminates some of the prostaglandin receptor sites in the uterus. Prostaglandins; hormones that direct the uterus to contract during labor, also play a role in monthly menstrual pain. Fewer pain-receptor sites equal fewer cramps.
• Lower cancer risk: Pregnancy may be an effective protector against breast and ovarian cancers. The more pregnancies you go through, the greater the effect. In addition, some research has found that breastfeeding (or pumping if you’re a surrogate) for more than three months can also lower your risk of certain cancers.
• Greater Senses: Pregnancy seems to enhance your perception of taste and smell. Yes, that same smell that made morning sickness worse in early pregnancy can make foods taste especially delicious later on. Some experts credit this to high levels of estrogen.
• Healthy lifestyle: Pregnancy causes many women to institute various kinds of positive health changes and encourage women to drop bad habits, such as smoking. These new health habits become shifts to a healthier lifestyle.
• Confidence Boost: Labor and delivery are compared to a marathon for a reason. After giving birth or even while pregnant, women feel a sense of accomplishment. Carrying a child is the ultimate do-it-yourself project that is sure to make any woman proud; not to mention the joy of knowing that as a surrogate you helped complete a family!

In addition to happiness, these are just a few of the many joyous things having children can bring.

 

Some intended parents prefer that the surrogate not take a home pregnancy test and wait for the blood tests which is usually administered 10-14 days after a transfer. However, for those who just can’t wait until the blood tests, here’s the scoop on home pregnancy tests. How accurate are they? Which ones are the best?

Home pregnancy tests measure the presence of a pregnancy hormone that is produced by the placenta called hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine. Even though many tests claim to be “greater than 99 percent accurate”, a study published in 2011 in the journal Clinical Chemistry and laboratory medicine showed that this is misleading. Although the tests may be able to detect the hormone in your urine and give you a positive result, most aren’t sensitive enough to guarantee you an accurate result.

Test sensitivity is the lowest reported concentration of hCG that the test can detect. For example, a pregnancy test that claims to be able to detect hCG at 20 mIU/ml should theoretically be more sensitive than one that claims to detect it at 50 mIU/ml. The following tests are the best on the market.

• First Response Early Result (Est. $16) – It is actually the most sensitive on the market. This test is able to detect hCG in the urine BEFORE a missed period, which is almost unheard of for a home pregnancy test.
• The First Response Gold (Est. $20) – It gives you results up to five days before you miss your period. This test also offers an easy to read display. The “test is working” display feature shows women that they are using the test properly, and lets you know that the test is in good working order.
• ClearBlue Easy (Est. $14) – While this test from ClearBlue Easy is not as sensitive as the First Response Early Result test, its digital results make it easy to read and it turns pink when it is being used correctly.

Some surrogates start testing as early as five days post transfer but beware that the line may not show up that early or it may be extremely faint!

Whether you decide to wait for the blood test or whether you try one of these home pregnancy tests, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for you and hoping for a safe and happy surrogacy journey!

Prices provided by walgreens.com.

A failed IVF cycle takes a toll emotionally and physically. Dealing with these issues may come easier if the intended parents are fully aware of the risks and are prepared to deal with possible failure.

The first thing that should happen after a failed IVF attempt is to take a week or more if needed to cope with the news that your cycle did not succeed. Take it one-step at a time. Make sure the surrogate is dealing well with the news too. It’s not easy on her either. Then the IVF physician should review the cycle carefully. They may learn something from the results of the IVF ovarian stimulation process, possible issues with egg retrieval, egg quality and/or quantity, embryo development, or problems with the embryo transfer procedure.

According to the Time Magazine article, “Researchers Question When to Stop Trying With IVF” by Meredith Melnick, a team of researchers found that women’s success rates using in vitro fertilization (IVF) did not improve much after the first three cycles. About one in three women had a baby after their first attempt with IVF, and nearly half carried a child to term the second time. However by the third attempt, the success rate did not significantly increase.

Statistically speaking, a woman under 40 years of age, having selected a good IVF program is likely to have a better than 70% chance of having a baby within three completed attempts – provided that she has a normal and receptive uterus capable of developing an “adequate” uterine lining. Women 39-43 years of age, who meet the same criteria, will likely have about half that chance (35% – 40%).

Repeated IVF failures can become counterproductive and destructive on relationships. The comforting words of loved ones always help the intended parents through this difficult time. It’s wise to not start another cycle unless you’re ready. Seeking encouragement from a medical professional or spiritual advisor is also recommended.

Starting the surrogacy process is an exciting time. Egg retrieval is a major part of the process and the intended mother should be prepared.

Before beginning the process of egg retrieval several screenings are required. These include:

• Ovarian reserve testing (blood tests to determine the quantity and quality of your eggs and how your ovaries will respond to fertility medication)
• Mock embryo transfer (determines the depth of your uterine cavity and the technique that is needed to most likely result in a successful embryo transfer)
• Infectious disease screening (HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C).

The intended mother undergoes a process very similar to in-vitro fertilization. The egg-retrieval process takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks to complete and includes: 2-to-4 weeks of self-administered hormone injections and birth control pills to temporarily turn off natural hormones and 10-to-14 days of hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries and ripen multiple eggs.

Once the eggs have matured, a needle under ultrasound guidance removes them while the intended mother is under sedation. After retrieval, the eggs are fertilized and transferred to the surrogate. Sometimes they are immediately frozen until the intended mother has found a surrogate and is ready to attempt pregnancy.

Afterwards, a series of medications are prescribed, which may include an antibiotic to prevent infection, a steroid to reduce any inflammation in the reproductive organs, and hormonal supplements to provide extra support to theendometrial lining. It is important to take these medications exactly as prescribed. Also, refraining from sexual intercourse for a period of time, avoiding submerging yourself in water (bubble baths), and using a pad instead of tampons are advised.

 

As an employer, asking questions to potential employees is essential. However, what if you are searching for a surrogate? The following are a few essential things you must ask before selecting anyone:

What made her want to be a surrogate? – This is a great way to get to know your surrogate and to see (besides money) what motivates her to want to give you this great gift.

• What were her other pregnancies (if any) like? – This would help you know if she had easy pregnancies or complications. Also it would provide great insight to see what could be included in a possible care package for her.
• What is her support system like? Are friends and/or family involved? – Pregnancy is physically and emotionally demanding. Make sure she has people who care about her and who appreciate what an amazing thing she’s doing. This is especially important for same- sex intended parents.
• Are you comfortable with me/us being in doctor’s appointments and the delivery room? Surrogates will expect your participation in the process. However, asking is OK for clarification.
• How many fetuses are you willing to carry? Are you willing to selectively reduce or terminate for an abnormality? – Some surrogates won’t reduce or terminate for religious reasons and some feel like it is the parents that are the ones ones that need to make those decisions because it is their baby. There is no right or wrong answer; everyone just needs to be in agreement with this extremely important point. 
• What kind of communication would you like to maintain after the birth? – There is no right answer to this either. Just make sure your views align so that there are no hurt feelings in the end.

The questions you can ask are endless. The most important thing is that you get to know each other and make sure your personalities mesh. What are some questions you would ask?

It is a critical to have a contract no matter how close or agreeable intended parents and surrogates are. The following six topics are essential for a smoother surrogacy journey:

• Outline local laws: Make sure there is at least an overview of the surrogacy laws in the state where the baby will be delivered. It also should include and overview of the laws of where the intended parents live.
• Financial Obligations: This should outline how much payment is and how often they are to be paid. In addition, it is great to consider whether or not the funds will be in an escrow account or directly to the surrogate.
• Medical Decisions: With any pregnancy there are risks. Intended parents and the surrogate should be on the same page in regards to selective reduction, the number of embryos transferred, how many transfers will take place if they are unsuccessful, and whether the intended parents will attend appointments and the birth.
• Medical Bills: Some surrogates have health insurance that can be used to cover maternity costs. Other times, intended parents purchase insurance for the surrogate . The contract should outline how these bills will be handled.
• Time and Travel: Intended parents and surrogates need to coordinate how many times intended parents will travel to see the surrogate and when.
• Privacy: The contract should outline what kind of relationship the intended parents will have with the surrogate after the birth. Also, it is a great idea to have the HIPPA medical privacy act briefed.

Every contract should be reviewed by an attorney well versed in surrogacy laws to make sure there are no loopholes and everything runs smoothly.