Choosing the right surrogacy professional is a big decision. Your agency will work intimately with throughout the year (or more) that you spend helping to change someone else’s life.
While there are surrogates who find benefits with completing an independent surrogacy, many feel there are more advantages to working with a surrogacy agency. Why exactly do surrogates choose to use an agency, and why could it be the best choice for you?
You can always contact a surrogacy professional today to get more free information about surrogacy agencies and everything they offer.
This article outlines some of the most common reasons why you could benefit from working with a surrogacy agency. Find out what these reasons are below:
1. Surrogacy is complicated.
Surrogacy is a detailed process, with many complicated aspects that can easily go wrong without an intimate knowledge of how it all works. When you choose to become a surrogate on your own, there is a higher chance of risks and liabilities occurring at some point in the process.
Because surrogacy is so complicated, many women choose to work with someone who has the knowledge they don’t to make it go as smoothly as possible.
2. A surrogacy agency can provide support for every aspect of your surrogacy process.
Surrogacy agencies are known as “one-stop shops” because they can provide support for every step that you may need to successfully become a surrogate and change someone’s life.
A surrogacy agency can guide you through every step of the process, from beginning to end, providing all of the support and services you need to feel comfortable and protected during your surrogacy.
Working with a surrogacy agency ensures every part of your surrogacy journey is handled efficiently and professionally.
3. You know you’re working with an experienced surrogacy professional who will guide you through.
While there are no licensing programs for surrogacy agencies, only the most experienced will have a lengthy history of helping surrogates and intended parents.
When you work with an agency, you’ll know that you have the professional guidance from someone who’s been through this journey many times before and knows exactly what must be completed for a successful surrogacy.
4. A surrogacy agency will provide education and support whenever you need to help ensure this is the right path for you.
Before you even commit to a surrogacy agency’s program, a surrogacy specialist will speak at length with you about your surrogacy goals and preferences. This specialist will want to make sure that you are ready for the challenges and rewards of the surrogacy process.
They will be there for you 24/7 to provide all the answers to the questions you have and any other information you need to make the best decision for you. Many agencies have trained social workers serving as surrogacy specialists, meaning they are able to provide any emotional counseling you may need during the challenges of the surrogacy process.
They can also provide case management services every step of the way, from finding a proper surrogacy attorney to helping you communicate with the intended parents and more.
5. Your specialist will create a personalized surrogacy plan that meets your goals and preferences.
When you choose to be a surrogate on your own, you may need to make compromises with your desires and needs, as no one will be there to protect your interests.
Surrogacy agencies equally represent both intended parents and surrogates, and they want to make sure each party is comfortable and happy with the surrogacy process they’re involved in. To do so, the agency will create a plan for your surrogacy from the beginning that addresses your goals and preferences.
They will take all necessary steps to make sure those are met and will not require you to change them so they can meet their bottom line. The best surrogacy agencies will stay true to your interests and work to protect them.
6. You will be connected with experienced surrogacy attorneys and medical professionals.
A surrogacy agency isn’t the only professional you’ll need during your surrogacy, as you’ll also need to work with a surrogacy lawyer and a fertility clinic.
When you complete an independent surrogacy, you’ll need to find these professionals on your own. By working with an agency, your specialist will find only the best and most trusted legal and medical professionals for your surrogacy.
Often, these are professionals an agency has worked with for a long time and who have proven their ability to effectively complete all necessary steps of the process. Therefore, you will not be required to do research and pick a professional on your own.
7. Your agency will work closely with your lawyer to make sure all surrogacy laws are followed.
Because surrogacy is a complicated process, it’s important that all of your professionals work together to make sure all necessary steps are addressed. A surrogacy agency will work closely with your lawyer to ensure that all surrogacy laws are followed and that your legal rights as a surrogate are protected from start to finish.
Most surrogacy agencies will be well-versed in your local surrogacy laws, which means you will have multiple professionals looking out for your legal rights.
8. Your agency will coordinate with your fertility clinic to help you get to all your appointments and receive all of your medications.
Your surrogacy agency will also work closely with your medical professional to help you complete any necessary medical screening and support you throughout the embryo transfer process and your pregnancy.
There will be a lot of new experiences during your surrogacy when it’s your first one, so having your surrogacy specialist working with your medical professional means you will have double the support that you would in an independent surrogacy.
9. A surrogacy agency is completely free to you as a surrogate.
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons that women choose to work with a surrogacy agency is because the extra services and support this professional provides are completely free to surrogates. For many women, it just makes more sense to work with a surrogacy agency when there is no financial hurdle.
10. You will be sure you’re mentally and physically ready for the process before you even begin.
It’s important that you understand whether surrogacy is for you before committing to a process that will take a year or longer to complete.
A surrogacy agency helps avoid unnecessary delays or disappointments by ensuring that you are medically and psychologically ready for the surrogacy process before you even start. This is a huge advantage for your personal safety.
11. You will have a larger selection of intended parents to help ensure you find the right ones.
Surrogacy agencies have large marketing and outreach programs to attract more intended parents than you could find on your own.
Surrogates often have particular characteristics they’re looking for in intended parents, and an agency’s larger pool of intended parents means it’s more likely that you’ll find the right ones for you more quickly.
12. All intended parents must meet certain requirements before beginning the surrogacy process.
All intended parents must be cleared before they can begin the surrogacy process, just like every prospective surrogate. Surrogacy agencies often require this clearance before the parents are matched with a prospective surrogate.
Working with a surrogacy agency helps ensure that the parents you are matched with are ready for the surrogacy process and that there will be no unnecessary delays or disappointments.
13. Your surrogacy specialist will manage any insurance complications to ensure you are not financially burdened by your surrogacy decision.
Whether or not your personal insurance covers your surrogacy can be an important part of the surrogacy process. If your insurance doesn’t cover your surrogacy, your surrogacy specialist will help the intended parents purchase a plan that can help provide any financial assistance you need to cover your medical bills.
14. You will have a professional to mediate contact between you and the intended parents.
Throughout the course of the surrogacy process, there may be some sensitive topics that need to be discussed, such as selective termination or contact expectations.
When you work with a surrogacy agency, your specialist will be available to mediate these more serious conversations, allowing you and the intended parents to focus on getting to know each other and building a genuine friendship.
15. An agency will also support the intended parents throughout your pregnancy.
As a surrogate, you will likely grow to truly care for the intended parents as you create a relationship with them.
When you work with a surrogacy agency, you can know that they will receive just as much individualized support as you do. This will allow them to focus on the important aspects of their surrogacy and prevent the likelihood of any complications that might arise between the parties involved.
16. You will get a say in the surrogacy process.
Surrogacy is as much your journey as that of the intended parents, and it’s important that your rights and interests are protected through every step of the process.
If you don’t work with a surrogacy agency, you run the risk that the professionals you do work with are more focused on making the intended parents’ dreams come true than protecting your rights as a surrogate. The best way to ensure that you have a say in your surrogacy journey is by working with a surrogacy agency from before being matched, so that you can create the surrogacy journey of your dreams.
These are just a few reasons that women choose to work with a surrogacy agency to become a surrogate. If you’re interested in learning more about the advantages offered by this kind of surrogacy professional, contact a surrogacy agency today.