WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE SURROGACY PROCESS
INTERVIEW AND SCREENING
After an application has been submitted to us we will call suitable candidates to come in for an in-person interview with our staff. This is a time where the surrogate mother can interview us, and we can also meet the surrogate mother. Surrogate mothers are encouraged to bring their spouse and children if they like for this meeting. At the meeting, we will go over the process of surrogacy, answer any questions, introduce the surrogate mother to the team, go over the program in detail, provide a surrogate packet, and process initial paperwork.
CRIMINAL AND BACKGROUND CHECK
Surrogate mothers must pass a criminal and background check by an independent company. The company checks for arrest records from both the state and federal systems in addition to other items standard for surrogacy programs in the state of Illinois.
MATCHING
After a potential surrogate mother has passed the interviewing and screening process and is accepted into our program, we will begin the matching process. After a surrogate candidate has been selected by intended parents, we will set up a Meet-and-greet meeting, where our staff will facilitate a casual meeting for the surrogate mother and the intended parents. In cases where the intended parents can not come to the United States a video interview will suffice. If both parties feel good about the match we will begin to coordinate the following steps.
MEDICAL SCREENING
Once a match is confirmed, we will send the surrogate mother to the fertility clinic to begin her medical screening. Medical screening involves infectious disease screening and any additional testing the fertility clinic recommends.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREENING
When the medical clearance has been obtained, the surrogate mother will be sent to a psychologist experienced in surrogacy for psychological consultation and testing. The psychologist will make his/her recommendation on whether he/she thinks the candidate is suitable to be a surrogate mother.
CONTRACT REVIEW
The intended parents will have an attorney experienced in third party reproduction draft a surrogacy contract. The surrogate mother will be provided with an independent attorney who will review the contract with the surrogate mother. The contract is to spell out the details of the agreement and to protect both parties involved in the surrogacy process.
MEDICAL PROCESS
The fertility clinic's medical staff and physician will go over the medical process involved with the surrogate mother. Usually a type of hormone replacement therapy is involved to prepare the uterine lining for the embryo made of intended parents' genetic material.
EMBRYO TRANSFER
The embryo transfer is an outpatient procedure in the fertility clinic. It usually takes about 15 minutes and no pain is involved. Surrogate mothers have expressed that it is similar to a pap smear. After the embryo transfer, the surrogate mother needs to have bedrest for 2-3 days.
PREGNANCY DELIVERY
The day we all look forward to.