How to Find a Surrogate – A Five-Step Guide for Intended Parents
Learning how to find a surrogate is a lengthy process and requires careful planning to see it through to the end. Still, all the hard work you put forth will eventually pay off like you never imagined!
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Honestly, few moments of joy are greater than raising a happy, healthy newborn, so our job at SurrogateFirst is to guide you through the process of how to find a surrogate from start to finish.
But as you might expect, the main question we always hear from new intended parents is this: how do you even find a suitable surrogate in the first place?
The answers are more straightforward than you might think, so here's our quick five-step guide on how to find a surrogate and begin the journey of a lifetime.
1 – Research the top surrogate agencies
The fact of the matter is that not all surrogacy agencies offer comparable services – and certainly not similar pricing either.
Hence, the initial step to finding a suitable surrogate is to research the actual surrogacy agency that will be arranging all the details, especially the legal aspects.
The best surrogacy agencies in the U.S. typically pre-qualify surrogates ahead of time, which increases the likelihood of a good match. It simply shows that the agency has already put in the work to kick-start the selection process, which we'll now briefly outline.
2 – Understand the overall selection process of how to find a surrogate
Generally, the surrogacy process is longer than many intended parents anticipate, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. At SurrogateFirst, we want to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of everyone involved.
Besides, we've already touched upon the importance of pre-qualifying because it sets up everything that comes afterward, and health screenings are a vital part of the vetting process.
So after researching and choosing an agency, the next step is to fill out an intake form, and then the matching step comes next.
We offer "no match, no fee" services, but not every agency does the same.
Keep in mind that a quality surrogate agency should have about 15 to 20 potential surrogate mothers ready for matching.
That's why it's best to create a plan in case the agency you choose doesn't have many suitable surrogates.
3 – Create a search plan to find a surrogate
The plan you create to find a surrogate should mainly include contacting a few agencies to see what services they'll offer and at what price.
Some agencies are full-service establishments, while others play more of a broker role that facilitates the financial and medical sides of the equation.
Either way, the idea is to judge which surrogate agency is best for the quality of its services. For instance, we'll assign you a personal case manager who is available 24/7, yet many agencies won't do the same.
A good idea is to write down all the “extra” services an agency provides -- other than the surrogate’s base compensation -- and see which ones add value, such as medical insurance verification or acquisition.
Plan on having in-depth conversations with agency reps about their services, and why you need them.
4 – Find and meet a suitable surrogate in person
It may come as a surprise, but the steps to find a surrogate are reasonably straightforward once you decide on a quality agency. That's the benefit of pre-qualification because once you know what you need, it's far easier to find the right surrogate mother.
Besides that, it'll be easier to choose a great surrogate mother if you actually arrange a match meeting with her in person.
If an agency offers a more hands-on experience, such as meeting your future surrogate, that's a great sign.
In our experience, when intended parents meet surrogates – and form a bond with them – the whole process goes much smoother overall.
5 – Form a relationship with your surrogate
The last step is arguably the most difficult since there's no way to anticipate how well you'll bond with the surrogate you initially choose.
Meeting the intended parents often puts a surrogate at ease when forming a genuine relationship with them. It's all about working together to bring a healthy, happy bundle of joy into this world, and emotional bonds matter tremendously.
But if you ultimately decide that the surrogate you pick isn't the best fit, you can always fall back on the research and planning you did previously and start the search process again.
Keeping your options open is also a great way to get referrals from others who've had successful surrogacy.
Overall, those are the five steps you need to take to have a successful journey into surrogacy.
About SurrogateFirst
We’re a boutique surrogate agency specializing in quickly matching intended parents around the world with our fully-vetted, exceptional surrogates.
We help individuals and couples, regardless of race or sexual orientation, build their families through the miracle of surrogacy.
Every team member at SurrogateFirst is either a former intended parent or an experienced surrogate herself. We also have first-hand knowledge of what it takes to have an incredible, successful surrogate journey.
Ready to start your surrogacy journey. Contact us here with any questions.
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