As intended parents, you’re probably eager to start your journey toward parenthood. You’ve been waiting for so long to have this child, and now the family of your dreams is within reach! If you’re new to the surrogacy process, you might not know where to start.
If you have questions about how to start the surrogacy process, you can reach out to a surrogacy professional today to get the answers you need.
If you’re curious about how to start the surrogacy process, there are a handful of actions you can take to kick-start your journey:
- Start researching surrogacy online
- Think about how you want your surrogacy journey to go
- Find a surrogacy agency to work with
- Complete your surrogacy screening
- Start your surrogacy journey with the help of a surrogacy professional
. Keep reading to learn more about how to start the surrogacy process.
Start Researching Surrogacy Online
One of the best and easiest ways to start your surrogacy journey is by researching surrogacy online before you decide to work with a specific agency.
The following articles can help you get your journey started:
- The Six Steps of the Surrogacy Process: This article explains how to get started with surrogacy.
- Surrogacy Agencies Near Me: This article details 11 important questions to ask a surrogacy agency before you choose to work with them.
- Surrogacy Laws By State: Although you should always talk to an attorney who thoroughly understands your state’s surrogacy laws, you can find a lot of helpful information about what type of surrogacy is allowed in your state here.
Think About How You Want Your Surrogacy Journey to go
Although you may not be ready to start your surrogacy journey, you can still think about how you’d like your experience to go. When thinking about how to start the surrogacy process, you can think about the following:
- Independent surrogacy vs. working with a surrogacy agency: Some people choose to complete their surrogacy on their own instead of working with a surrogacy agency. Although this is possible, you’ll better understand how to start the process of surrogacy if you work with an agency.
- Determining which gametes you’ll use: The answer to this question is determined by a lot of different factors, including the partnership you’re in, if you’re single, and if you or your partner (or you both) are experiencing infertility.
- Thinking about how you’ll find a surrogate: Some people know the surrogate they choose to work with (identified surrogacy). But, more often, intended parents work with a surrogacy agency to help in the match-making process.
Find a Surrogacy Agency to Work With
Take the list you made after conducting your first round of research and start calling surrogacy agencies.
Before you call, you can prepare a list of questions to ask the surrogacy professional. Some great questions concerning how to start the surrogacy process include:
- How long does it typically take to complete a surrogacy journey with your agency?
- How will you protect my and my baby’s interests and rights during and after the surrogacy process?
- Will you support me through the medical process?
- Can you give me donor bank recommendations?
- How much does surrogacy cost, and what do these fees cover?
- Will my finances be protected?
If you’d like to be connected with a trusted surrogacy agency, you can click here.
Complete Your Surrogacy Screening
Similar to how a surrogacy agency requires surrogate mothers to undergo surrogacy screening, you will, too.
Try not to worry too much about the intended parent screening process. Your surrogacy agency will pair you with a surrogacy professional that will support you, explain how to get started with surrogacy, and help you throughout the surrogacy screenings. They and your agency are on your side.
Some common surrogacy checks and screenings for intended parents include:
- An application and questionnaire to determine the kind of surrogacy you’re interested in
- Background checks
- In-home visits
- Your agency’s screening requirements (this varies by agency)
How to Start the Process of Surrogacy With a Surrogate?
It’s quite an accomplishment to transition from thinking about how to start the surrogacy process to starting your surrogacy journey!
Once you’ve completed your screening, your surrogacy professional will help you match with a surrogate. After you and the surrogate determine you’re a good match, the medical surrogacy process will start. When a pregnancy is confirmed, you and the surrogate will share the pregnancy, and you’ll get to watch your baby grow.
After the surrogate delivers your baby, you’ll take your child home and start a new journey: Parenthood.
How to Start the Surrogacy Process Today
Now that you know how to start the surrogacy process, it’s time to take action! Surrogacy professionals at surrogacy agencies want to help you start your journey to parenthood. Connect with a surrogacy professional today.