Surrogacy and adoption are both beautiful ways to create or add to your family.

There are many reasons people may choose surrogacy instead of adoption. We hope this information will help you determine the best route for you.

One of the major benefits of surrogacy is that, in most cases, at least one of the parents has the opportunity to be biologically related to their future child.

With gestational surrogacy, the intended mother may use her eggs, and the intended father may use his sperm. Thus the baby created is the genetic offspring of both parents. Even when an egg donor or sperm donor is used, at least one of the parents will pass on their genetics to the child conceived.

Even if both donor eggs AND donor sperm are used, the advantage of surrogacy is that intended parents can choose the genetic material they are passing along to their potential children. With adoption, there is no choice.

For many Intended Parents, it is desirable to have a genetic link, and surrogacy provides them with this opportunity.

Children conceived via surrogacy are done so with intent. Women who choose to become Surrogates are fertile—they have their own children and can have more if they so choose. They have made a conscious and well-thought-out decision to become Surrogates. They have endured doctor appointments, medications, poking and prodding, and probably some personal inconveniences because they want to help someone else achieve their family-building dream.

On the other hand, in adoption, it is not unusual for the birth mother to change her mind—even when she has already agreed to give up her baby to the adoptive parents. While this is entirely understandable, it can be devastating to potential adoptive parents.

Finally, in a surrogacy arrangement, the intended parents may have the opportunity to be fully involved in the pregnancy and birth experience, depending on their relationship with their surrogate.

Of course, what matters most of all is the child, not the pregnancy; however, for some women, especially those who have had their fertility taken away from them, or for some men, who truly are interested in “going through a pregnancy” from beginning to end, this is certainly an added bonus.

We are grateful that we live in a world today where we have so many choices! Domestic adoption, international adoption, surrogacy, egg donation, sperm donation, embryo donation, and embryo adoption are all potential options.

We encourage you to explore all of your options to determine the one with which you are most comfortable.

This is a decision Intended Parents will need to make depending on your own level of comfort. Some Intended Parents prefer a lot of contact throughout the pregnancy; i.e., regular updates via e-mail and/or phone, and the expectation to attend many of the doctor appointments (RE and OB) with their Surrogate. It may be highly important to the Intended Parents to be “included” in the pregnancy. Similarly, Surrogates may also like the prospect of a close relationship with their Intended Parents. Surrogates and Intended Parents oftentimes have a life-long friendship—even after the birth of the baby/ies—and in many cases, this is a completely realistic notion.

A percentage of Intended Parents and Surrogates commit to a fairly low level of contact—perhaps occasional updates or phone calls—but do not necessarily want or need a close relationship throughout the pregnancy and post delivery. This may be viewed by some as a “business relationship” of sorts. The Intended Parent/s may not be able to (or may choose not to) attend doctor appointments and may not meet the Surrogate throughout the pregnancy until time of delivery. Surrogates may be comfortable with this type of relationship because, although they are fulfilled in helping someone else have children, it isn’t crucial to them that they develop a strong relationship with their Intended Parent/s. Of course there are many degrees of what constitutes a “close” relationship, and there are many scenarios that are somewhere in between the different ends of the spectrum mentioned above. Family Source believes that it is most important that, regardless of the expectations you have of your Intended Parent-Surrogate relationship, you agree during the matching process and when entering into a contract together to make every effort to follow through with expectations.

This can vary on all different aspects. The reproductive endocrinologist will guide you in making a well-informed decision, based on several factors, one of which is embryo quality. Typically, if the embryos are considered to be of very good or excellent quality, the reproductive endocrinologist will recommend that one embryo is transferred. The Intended Parents and Surrogate will need to agree (and this will be in the contract) how many embryos the Surrogate is willing to transfer.

* We are not medical professionals and do not claim to have the medical knowledge you need to make the important decisions you will make throughout the process. When working with our agency, you will be referred to a reputable infertility clinic (reproductive endocrinologist) that will provide you with professional medical advice.

A Gestational Surrogate has no genetic link to the child/ren she is carrying. A Gestational Surrogate becomes pregnant through the IVF procedure, in which the eggs of the Intended Mother (or Egg Donor) and the sperm of the Intended Father (or a Sperm Donor) are combined to create embryos, which are then implanted into the womb of the Surrogate.

Family Source only accepts Surrogates into our program who reside in the United States. There currently is not a nationwide law regarding surrogacy in the United States; rather, each state has its’ own surrogacy laws. Fortunately, our agency has offices in the MOST surrogacy-friendly states in the United States. Keep in mind, even if Intended Parents live in a state or country where surrogacy or “paid surrogacy” is considered illegal (or the laws are undefined) this does not mean they cannot pursue surrogacy to build their family. It simply means that Intended Parents will be matched with a Surrogate who lives and will deliver in a “surrogacy-friendly” state. Surrogacy laws in the United States and around the world are ever-changing; Family Source is happy to recommend Intended Parents to a reputable collaborative reproduction attorney who can provide them with professional legal counsel.

* Family Source can help you determine what the surrogacy laws are in your particular state; however, because we are not attorneys, we cannot advise you legally. When working with our agency, you will be referred to a reputable collaborative reproduction attorney who can provide you with professional legal counsel.