Category Archives: Ask the Surrogacy Experts…

I totally understand the struggle to afford a family. Ever since my children were born in India, I have been wracking my brain looking for affordable alternatives to $150K programs in the United States. There is some good news and bad news on that front.

Shipping eggs & embryos by courier instead of in-person donations has become popular during the recent travel restrictions. But bringing oocytes into the U.S. can be nightmarishly complicated — and in many cases it may not be possible at all.

Some states are friendlier to surrogacy than others. Some fully support your parental rights, while others may prosecute you. The most critical requirement is that the baby is born in a state that recognizes the Surrogacy Contract, because that will determine if you are the legal parents on the birth certificate are not.

If medical risks aren’t persuasive, there is also a financial argument against having twins. A twins pregnancy doesn’t mean you get an extra baby at no cost… You can expect to pay extra charges for the extra effort and risks.

Hello Mark: The typical IVF cycle conceives 5 to 6 high-quality embryos, and you will attempt embryo transfer multiple times. Each attempt has about 82% likelihood of a pregnancy (73% in Mexico, 60% overseas). So assuming the egg and sperm donors are both healthy, it’s unlikely that you would not eventually achieve a pregnancy.

Just like a surrogate mother, every Intended Parent needs to qualify before starting a surrogacy journey. Whether in Kiev or California, a reputable clinic will ask you to prove that you are Healthy, Fertile & Safe. Here’s what that means…

Surrogacy options suck for gay couples. There are only 2 or 3 destinations where surrogacy is explicitly supported for gay couples, which often leads couples to shady programs in developing countries like Kenya, or pretending to be straight to arrange a legally murky journey in Ukraine or Cyprus.

I have a clinic India that still likes to freeze embryos at Day 3. The rationale is that the embryos will develop better in their natural ‘in utero’ environment. I prefer Day 5 embryos, but I defer to the doctors on these types of issues– but there are exceptions, and PGS/PGD analysis is one of those exceptions.

If you don’t need a surrogate at all, then there are a multitude of affordable options for IVF. The better American IVF clinics are ranked on the CDC website. If you are looking for an even lower price, I would recommend an IVF program overseas. But you won’t be able to bring your embryos into the US without jumping some complex hurdles.

Setting the terms of your surrogacy agreement is a two-way conversation. You are not in a position to make demands; but it is absolutely your right to make requests. Do it NOW rather than later. Here are some things you may consider…