As you’re researching how to become parents through surrogacy, you’ve probably stumbled upon surrogacy agencies as an option for your professional. However, knowing that you technically only need a lawyer and fertility clinic to complete a surrogacy, you may wonder why you should consider working with a surrogacy agency in the first place.
It’s important to know that a surrogacy agency can provide you many benefits you won’t receive from working with a surrogacy lawyer and a fertility clinic alone. The services provided by surrogacy agencies are well worth not only the extra cost that you may pay but your piece of mind when your surrogacy process is handled with experience.
To learn more about the specific services that American Surrogacy provides for intended parents, please contact our surrogacy specialists at 1-800-875-2229. For more details about why you may want to choose a surrogacy agency, check out our list of benefits below.
1. Every step of your surrogacy journey will be handled by a surrogacy agency.
Surrogacies agencies are sort of a “one-stop shop” professional in the surrogacy field. This means that they can provide all of the services you need and will make sure every step of your process is properly taken care of. When you work with only a lawyer and a fertility clinic, you will likely still be responsible for the majority of your surrogacy process, like finding a prospective surrogate and acting as her counselor. When you work with a surrogacy agency, however, all of this will be taken care of by your surrogacy specialist.
2. Your surrogacy specialist is there for you when you need them and will protect your interests in the surrogacy process.
When you work with an agency, your surrogacy specialist becomes not only your point-of-contact but also the person who will support you throughout your parenthood journey. They will always be there to answer your questions and refer you to the proper resources. Surrogacy specialists are genuinely invested in your case, rather than lawyers and fertility clinics who take on many cases and clients at the same time. Like many surrogacy agencies, American Surrogacy’s surrogacy specialists will keep you in mind the whole time.
3. You can be sure you’re ready for the surrogacy process.
Part of what surrogacy agencies do is thoroughly prepare intended parents for the surrogacy process ahead. This means explaining the surrogacy process in detail, as well as providing medical screening to make sure you can complete a healthy embryo for transfer to a surrogate. For intended parents who are new to the surrogacy process, this can be an invaluable service; completing the surrogacy process on their own may lead them to make decisions before they’re ready and not fully understand what they’re committing to.
4. You will work with experienced, trusted surrogacy lawyers and medical professionals.
When you complete a surrogacy on your own, you will need to find appropriate medical professionals and surrogacy lawyers for you and your surrogate. Finding someone who works best for both of you can be difficult. But, when you work with a surrogacy agency, your surrogacy specialist will likely have a list of trusted professionals that the agency commonly works with. This way, you can be sure that you are working with professionals who will make the process easier, not harder. Your surrogacy specialist will also coordinate with them to handle your case effectively.
5. You can trust that your surrogate is truly prepared for the surrogacy process.
Surrogacy agencies play a large role in the matching process by making sure that both intended parents and surrogates are truly ready to embark on this journey. When you find a surrogate on your own through advertising or online methods, you may not be 100 percent confident that she is medically capable of a surrogate pregnancy and entering into this process for the right reasons. But, when you are matched with a surrogate through a surrogacy agency, you can know she has been fully screened and tested to make sure she is prepared to be a surrogate.
6. You will be able to find a surrogate faster.
Not only will a surrogate with a surrogacy agency be more thoroughly screened, but you’ll also likely have a shorter wait time when it comes to your matching period. Finding a surrogate on your own budget and with limited advertising methods is difficult but, when you work with an agency, you will be tapping into an existing network of surrogacy professionals and an expanded advertising ability. This way, you will be presented with more options for potential surrogates in a shorter amount of time.
7. You know you’re working with an experienced, established professional.
While surrogacy agencies cannot be certified or licensed by states like professionals in other fields (for example, adoption), you can be sure that American Surrogacy and other surrogacy agencies have a history of success. It takes time to establish an organization that provides all of the services necessary in the surrogacy process, not to mention the relationships with lawyers and medical professionals for an effective coordination process. Many agencies, including American Surrogacy, have taken their time to make their services as beneficial as possible to intended parents, and you can know that they’ve had success with past surrogacies.
8. You will be supported in case of a failed pregnancy or match.
While surrogacy professionals do all they can to ensure a successful pregnancy and match from the start, there is always the possibility of a miscarriage or similar event. If you were working on your own and this were to occur, you would be dealing with wasted funds and having to find a new surrogate for a second attempt. American Surrogacy is one of the surrogacy professionals who protect you in this case. If a match fails, you won’t have to pay another fee to find a new match; many surrogacy agencies will cover the cost of finding another surrogate if a first match were to fail.
9. Your surrogacy costs will be set at a flat rate in your agency fees.
While the overall cost of an agency-assisted surrogacy may seem larger at the start, it actually comes at an advantage to you. When you work with a surrogacy lawyer and medical professional separately, you’ll usually be charged their hourly fee — and, as hours start to add up and unexpected setbacks occur, you’ll likely end up spending a lot more through an independent surrogacy than with an agency-assisted surrogacy. Most agencies set their fees at a flat rate and even receive a discount from partnering lawyers due to pre-existing relationships.
10. Surrogacy agencies can provide contact mediation, if needed.
When you complete an independent surrogacy, any contact between you and your surrogate (before, during and after the surrogacy process is complete) will need to be direct. However, when you work with a surrogacy agency, your specialist will mediate contact, if needed. While most surrogates don’t desire any post-surrogacy contact with the baby they carried, some might — and this mediation helps to ensure the proper boundaries stay intact and both parties are comfortable for years to come.
Clearly, working with a surrogacy agency has many advantages for intended parents like you. If you’re trying to decide which professional to use for your surrogacy, it’s important to fully research all of your options’ pros and cons before making a decision about what’s best for you — a decision that will shape the rest of your surrogacy process.
To learn more about why a surrogacy agency might be right for you, or to start your surrogacy process with a trusted surrogacy agency, please contact American Surrogacy today.