Choosing to start a family can, for some couples, be complex, challenging dream. While most couples around the world can simply allow a pregnancy to happen, then deliver a newborn nine months later, not everyone has this option. Some couples, for medical reasons, may be advised not to have a child, to protect the health and safety of the mother, the child or both. Other couples may find it medically impossible to undertake natural childbirth, due to being a same-sex male couple, or having a uterus surgically removed for life-saving, medical purposes.

For these people, surrogacy is one solution to this challenge. Surrogacy is when hopeful parents find a healthy woman and, after negotiation, arrive at a legally binding agreement. The woman will allow her uterus to be used to gestate a baby, and when that baby is born, she will hand the newborn over to the intended parents so that they can start their new life as a family.

Of course, finding a surrogate mother is one of the most important steps in the surrogacy process. This should not be taken lightly, or impulsively. It’s not enough to find a woman with the right medical evaluation, she must have the proper mindset, and lifestyle to ensure a safe nine months for the baby.

What is the difference an agency makes in surrogacy?

Choosing a surrogacy agency can significantly save time, expense, and research for hopeful parents. While managing the surrogacy process independently is possible, it demands substantial effort. An experienced surrogacy agency, however, offers a broad range of support services, guiding couples through every step and streamlining the journey.

What types of surrogacy options affect agency choice?

The type of surrogacy you choose significantly affects your agency options. The two main types are compassionate (altruistic) surrogacy, where the surrogate mother bears a child for 'free' beyond living and medical expenses, and compensated surrogacy, where the surrogate receives financial recognition for her contribution. These distinct financial outcomes mean different agencies typically handle each type, making this an important initial decision.

One surrogacy option is known as the compassionate or altruistic surrogacy. This means that surrogate mother you work with is willing to bear a child for “free.” Free, in this sense means that the hopeful family is expected to pay for living expenses and medical support as the pregnancy progresses, but in all other financial aspects, the mother is “on her own.”

The other surrogacy option is known as a compensated surrogacy. Here, the surrogate mother’s considerable contribution is recognized financially. In other words, she is getting paid for this. So in addition to the living expenses and medical support, the surrogate mother will issue a “bill” for services rendered and make a profit from the surrogacy.

Because of the very different financial outcomes, these two groups of surrogate mothers are usually handled by different agencies. So this first choice matters a lot.

How does legal status and location affect surrogacy agency choice?

Another thing that may affect the choice of a surrogacy agency is the legality of different types of surrogacy. While the majority of countries around the world now accept surrogacy, not all of them do it in the same way. The United States, for example, has differing laws on surrogacy depending on which state you live in. So while California legally recognizes both altruistic/compassionate and compensated surrogacy, in Michigan, compensated surrogacy is illegal, and only compassionate options exist.

This means that couples who wish to choose a surrogacy agency within their own area of residence must make do with whatever the laws allow. Unfortunately, in some countries, such as France and Germany, surrogacy of any kind is illegal, which means that citizens of these countries can’t have a surrogate child at all, at least, not in their country of residence.

Location

The level of support you desire is a final factor in choosing a surrogacy agency, as agencies offer varying levels of assistance, from comprehensive to more 'hands-off' approaches. For instance, if you need help with legal status for a baby born abroad, you'd seek an agency offering such services, whereas if you have your own legal counsel, you might choose an agency without this specific offering. Other services like cryogenic retrieval or IVF procedures also influence this choice.

What level of support should you expect from a surrogacy agency?

A final factor in finding a surrogacy agency is just what level of support the hopeful parents want to receive. If the hopeful family wants. Surrogacy agencies will offer varying levels of assistance, some more comprehensive, while others are more “hands-off” in certain aspects.

For example, if you would rather have your own lawyers help with establishing the legal status of a surrogate baby born outside the country of residence, then you will choose an agency that doesn’t offer this type of service. On the other hand, if you have no lawyer to handle this delicate legal matter, you would find an agency that offers this to ensure your newborn isn’t “stateless.” Other services, like cryogenic retrieval of sperm/egg samples, or In Vitro Fertilization procedures would also make this list.