How much does a surrogate get compensated?
For their generous gift of time and effort, a first-time surrogate’s baseline fee starts at $40,000. Health Insurance benefits/exclusions may affect compensation. Details will be provided in your consultation. Learn more about our Surrogate Compensation Packages.
How do you choose a surrogate?
Surrogates must meet our minimal requirements, demonstrate good health, and pass a criminal background check and psychological evaluation. In addition, we look for women who want to be a surrogate to help another family achieve their dream of parenthood. To learn more about our minimum requirements, click here.
How do you match a surrogate with a couple?
We take matching very seriously. Some agencies supply databases where IPs can look at a picture and a short description of you online and make choices that way, but we take it much more personally – we look at each personality to see if they’re a good fit. Do you have similar goals, what is your communications style compared to the IPs’ – do they mesh? Will you selectively reduce if the situation warrants it? Not all of these things can be gleaned from just reading a profile and seeing a picture. When we think we have a good match, we present you with a profile of potential intended parents for you to review. We are committed to ensuring that your match feels like a perfect fit.
What if I don’t like the couple you match me with?
You will get to meet and learn about your couple before you ever start the surrogacy process. Both you and the intended parents must be completely comfortable with each other and approve the match before the process continues.
Why does a surrogate need to have their own child/children?
Having your own child/children shows us that you understand the physical, emotional, and spiritual requirements of carrying a pregnancy to term. Additionally, a successful pregnancy is a strong indicator that you can carry another healthy pregnancy to term. This requirement isn’t just physical. Having your own completed family can help you deal with the emotional components of surrogacy, especially when it comes time for the baby to go home with his or her parents.
How involved will Dakota Surrogacy be during the surrogacy process?
We take great care of our surrogates at Dakota Surrogacy and help guide them through the entire surrogacy process. This starts with answering any and all questions, making the best match possible with intended parents, and listening carefully to any concerns that you have. If you decide to move forward with the surrogacy process, we will provide you with legal counsel to safeguard your rights, guide you through the IVF process, and be available to you at all times. We believe in maintaining strong communication with you to make sure you are comfortable and informed at all times.
How involved will the parents be during the surrogacy process?
The involvement of intended parents will vary depending on the couple or individual. Many parents, understandably, want to be very involved, and we encourage them to communicate with you regularly (normally on a weekly basis). If they are nearby, they may want to visit you or attend appointments. We always defer to you in how much involvement you feel comfortable with accepting from the parents. However, we will communicate with you regularly so that we can send updates to the parents. Many surrogates develop a very close relationship with the intended parents and remain close, even years after the child is born.
What if the IVF treatments don’t work?
When the surrogacy paperwork is signed, we help you begin IVF treatment with a well-regarded fertility clinic. All that you can do is follow the procedure as your doctor prescribes. If the IVF treatment does not work, the intended parents will be notified and will have to decide if they would like to pay for another cycle of IVF treatments. You too, will have the choice of whether or not you want to go through another cycle. Base compensation for surrogacy does not begin until a pregnancy is confirmed.
What if something goes wrong during the pregnancy?
Obviously, every pregnancy carries risks, but we will try to eliminate as much risk as possible. That is why we ask for surrogates to undergo a medical evaluation before starting the surrogacy process. We also provide you with health insurance if you do not already have a policy and cover all pregnancy-related costs so that you can feel comfortable visiting your obstetrician with any concerns. If something does go wrong, our contract does provide you with a level of compensation if you suffer certain adverse effects, and we also cover the cost of term life insurance so your family will always be financially protected just in case the worst happens. You will need to carefully weigh the risks versus the benefits of the surrogacy process before making your decision on whether surrogacy is right for you.
What if the parents decide not to take the child after it is born?
This is a reasonable worry for surrogates, but the chances of a parent refusing to take a baby are extremely slim. Remember, these couples have paid a large sum of money in order to become parents. Many couples have also been striving for years to become pregnant. However, if, for any reason, a parent refuses to take the baby, the legal documents your attorney created for you will protect you from any responsibility for the child’s care and upbringing. Our agency will work with you to address the situation and determine the best placement option for the baby.
What does the IVF treatments entail?
When you begin IVF treatments, you will be asked to take oral medications and inject a specific protocol of hormones, which will help increase your fertility rate. Your fertility doctor will schedule all of the treatment so that you will be at peak fertility when the fertilized embryos are implanted. The implantation process is quick and carries very little risk.
Is it better to choose an agency or to go independent?
We encourage you to carefully educate yourself on the benefits and drawbacks of working through a surrogacy agency or working directly with an individual or couple. Obviously, we believe that the agency model best protects the interests of the intended parents and the surrogate and drastically lowers the risk of any miscommunications, misunderstandings, or complications. When your work with an agency, like Dakota Surrogacy, we act as your trusted partner, provide you with legal counsel, refer you to trusted medical and psychological experts, mediate any disputes that arise (which are few and far between), and make sure you receive the compensation that you were promised. If you decide to work independently, you will have to handle all of these responsibilities on your own and may not make that much more money than if you had worked with an agency.
How long does it take to be matched?
This will vary depending on how many clients are working with us and your suitability for the clients we have. It is not unusual for us to have more clients than available surrogates, so you may be surprised at how quickly you are matched with a couple or individual. Generally, the longest it takes to match is two months, oftentimes it is as quick as one or two days. A lot depends upon where you live, your past pregnancy history, your insurance situation (and if we can get insurance for you), whether you will selectively reduce or terminate a pregnancy for abnormalities, etc. The one thing you can be sure of is that we will always be honest with you. If we don’t feel that we can match you quickly, we will let you know.
Will my eggs be used for the IVF?
No, your eggs will not be used for IVF. In many cases, the intended parents contribute eggs and/or sperm so that the child you carry is biologically matched to them.
How does the payment process work?
The base compensation is paid to you in monthly installments when pregnancy is confirmed by an ultrasound. The various other benefits and stipends may be paid on a monthly basis or based on specific needs. Your surrogate contract will lay out all the payment dates in greater detail.
What happens if something is wrong with the baby? Do I still get paid?
Unfortunately, not every pregnancy goes smoothly even if the surrogate does everything right. One of the most important services we provide is matching a surrogate to intended parents who share similar values and beliefs. At the end of the day, the baby a surrogate carries belongs to the intended parents. Therefore, the intended parents have the power to make the ultimate decision on how to proceed with the pregnancy if serious medical issues are discovered. If a surrogate loses a pregnancy, she will be able to keep all monthly payments she has received thus far. If the pregnancy is lost after 32 weeks the surrogate will receive full base compensation.