Finding a surrogacy clinic is one of the most important decisions intended parents can make when first starting out the surrogacy process. Afterall, it’s the surrogacy clinic that will be guiding intended parents and oversee them during one of the most special times in their lives. A few tips can help to make the process of finding the right surrogacy clinic much easier.
Learn About Their Surrogacy Screening Process
It’s the surrogate mother who will be tasked with carrying and growing a couple’s embryo from implantation all the way until birth. It’s understandable that choosing a surrogate mother can be a stressful decision for any couple of intended parents. Learning more about the surrogacy screening process provides ample peace of mind.
Intended parents can ask what testing is done to ensure the physical health of surrogate mothers, as well as if any other testing is performed as well to ensure ideal candidates. These additional tests may include psychological screenings, background checks, interviews, and more. A thorough screening process can help intended parents to feel more confident about their choice in surrogacy clinic.
Inquire About How Many Potential Surrogates Work With The Agency
While intended parents may want a surrogacy clinic to be selective in the surrogates they work with, it’s also important to have a suitable pool of candidates. A larger pool of candidates makes it more likely that a couple will find a surrogate they match with in terms of personality, beliefs, values, and boundaries.
Seek Out Reviews And Testimonials
One of the most powerful tools a couple can use to find the right surrogacy clinic is reviews or testimonials. Afterall, reviews are a window into first-hand experiences, and they’re more likely to tell you what your experience will be like as well. This rings true for any service, but it’s doubly important for a decision as critical as choosing a surrogacy clinic.
Surrogacy clinics that have a pool of reviews or testimonials to read through can do wonders to put minds at ease. This shows that they have a history of leaving happy clients behind, and they’re far more likely to have successfully navigated different challenges, personalities, and clientele.
Investigate Included Surrogacy Services
Not all surrogacy clinics are created equal, and some will offer certain services that others do not. While one surrogacy clinic might solely be in charge of matching intended parents with the perfect surrogate, others may take on additional roles like coordinating appointments, facilitating any legal procedures necessary throughout the process, or handling surrogate check-ins throughout the pregnancy.
Before seeking out your desired surrogacy clinic, determine what you and your partner would like out of the surrogacy experience and what included services will make this happen. If you’re simply interested in being matched with a surrogate, there are clinics out there who specialize in just that. If you’re interested in additional services for a more streamlined and “handled” surrogacy experience, learning more about what surrogacy services may be included is crucial.
Learn More About Agency Costs
Every surrogacy agency will have their own pricing. Those who include additional services throughout the surrogacy process will usually be priced higher than those who simply pair intended parents with their desired surrogate. Inquiring about costs is something that couples should do early on in the process to ensure they don’t fall in love with a surrogacy clinic that may be out of their price range.
A prospective surrogacy agency should be happy to provide transparent pricing, all that is included in this pricing, and how payment is handled to couples interested in surrogacy services.
Find Out How Surrogacy Clinic Provides Support
The surrogacy experience is supposed to be a beautiful, joyful, and memorable one, but that doesn’t mean it’s always without complication. It’s recommended to ask any prospective surrogacy clinic what they may do in the event of a challenge, obstacle, or complication, and how intended parents as well as surrogate mothers are supported. Agencies should have resources available to clients to look after the physical and mental health of all parties involved.
Ask How Both Types Of Surrogacy Are Handled
While gestational surrogacy is the most common type, there are actually two different surrogacy processes a couple may choose from. In gestational surrogacy, eggs are taken from an intended mother, sperm from an intended father, and an embryo is created to be implanted into the surrogate mother. In traditional surrogacy, eggs are retrieved from the surrogate mother, fertilized by the sperm of the intended father, and then the embryo implanted into the surrogate mother to begin gestation. Traditional surrogacy is often chosen by couples who cannot provide healthy eggs to begin the surrogacy journey.
For couples looking to find a surrogacy clinic, asking how both types of surrogacy are handled ensure you’re prepared no matter which route is chosen.