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Thank you for your interest in helping infertile couples by becoming a Surrogate Mother or Egg Donor. Surely there is a special pair of wings waiting for you in Heaven.
The following information will guide you through the steps of Gestational Surrogacy (no biological relation to you / host uterus), Traditional Surrogacy (your eggs and Intended Father’s or donor sperm) and Egg Donation.
Screening Process:
Each Surrogate and Egg Donor will go through a preliminary screening process to make sure she is an appropriate candidate. After you pass this first stage you will be given a questionnaire to complete and return to us. This will be the profile that prospective couples will see. Once you are chosen by a couple, you will be introduced by conference call and after all parties have agreed to work with one another, you will be required to submit to a medical and psychological evaluation. A criminal record check will be administered by a professional investigator as well.
Medical Protocol:
You will see a reproductive endocrinologist regularly to prepare your body for the surrogate pregnancy or the egg “retrieval”. To do this, it will be necessary to administer hormone injections (if you are a Gestational Surrogate or Egg Donor), and follow the doctors’ orders exactly. Each doctor follows his or her own medical protocol.
Embryo Transfer or Artificial Insemination:
Gestational Surrogates (GS) go through a procedure called an “embryo transfer”. This procedure allows the doctor to take the intended mother’s / donor eggs to be fertilized by the intended father’s / donor sperm in a petri dish. This is called In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). After the fertilized eggs become embryos, a certain number of embryos will be inserted into the uterus of the Surrogate. This procedure causes little or no pain, but does require up to a few days of bedrest to allow the embryos to implant into the uterine lining. The hope is that at least one will stick and grow into a beautiful baby. Artificial Insemination is a procedure Traditional (AI) Surrogates undergo. This involves the Surrogate inserting sperm into her vagina around the time of ovulation in hopes that she becomes pregnant. This can be done by a doctor or at home with a special kit used to prepare sperm.
Egg Donor’s Retrieval:
After four to six weeks of injections and monitoring by a reproductive endocrinologist, the egg donor will go through an egg “retrieval”. This is a short and minor surgical procedure where the donor is given anesthesia, and a needle connected to a vacuum is inserted through the vaginal wall to each ovary, where all the eggs are removed from each follicle. You may experience varying degrees of cramping or soreness. You are expected to be discharged from the medical center within about 4-5 hours. You are advised to rest or “take it easy”. Many are able to go back to work assuming they feel up to it and their job requires no strenuous activity.
Surrogate Mother Compensation:
$13,000 - $16,000
Fee for Carrying Multiples:
$5,000 (additional $3,000 for Triplets)
Invasive Procedures:
$500 per procedure (i.e. embryo transfer, selective reduction, termination, c-section, amniocentesis, CVS, etc.)
Insemination Fee:
For AI Surrogates, $100 each insemination
Non-Accountable, Monthly Expense Allowance:
$150 each month, for 12 months, for any expenses related to the surrogate pregnancy (e.g. over the counter medications, creams, phone calls, etc.)
Maternity Clothing Allowance:
$500
Psychological Support:
$100 for each visit to a psychologist or Surrogate support group meetings.
Term Life Insurance Policy:
In the amount of $200,000, payable to your family
Egg Donors:
Compensation: $3,000
Independent Legal Counsel
All surrogates and Egg Donors will be given the right to have her own attorney. Miracle Babies will refer a reputable attorney to you.
Individual Circumstances:
Miracle Babies understands that each woman has her own individual circumstances such as employment, childcare, etc. We will do our best to accommodate your situation. However the final result will be agreed upon by all parties in a contract.
Support:
Miracle Babies is here to provide you with emotional and moral support throughout your experience. I will help you understand and negotiate your contracts and facilitate your contact with the Intended Parents. I will make certain your compensation is paid in a timely manner through an escrow account, and otherwise work to insure you are as comfortable as possible throughout the process.
Other Agencies or Independent Arrangements:
Miracle Babies does not require that you work “exclusively” with us, but we ask that you avoid independent arrangements (unless you have informed your couple you have retained Miracle Babies), or signing with other agencies for at least six months to allow us to find a couple to work with. There is nothing more heartbreaking for a prospective couple to find their dream Surrogate in our program, only to find she is not available because she has been matched through other means.
Miracle Babies is here to provide excellent, caring service to you as well as the Intended Parents.