If you’re an intended parent, you might consider altruistic surrogacy as an alternative to other more expensive types of surrogacy.

No matter what is holding you back from becoming an intended parent, we want to give you everything you need to make the right choice, especially if there are health concerns.

It’s perfectly okay to have plenty of questions how surrogacy works, surrogate payment or anything else. Ask a prior surrogate for advice here!

Of all of the questions we hear about altruistic surrogacy, these are the most common.

What is ‘altruistic surrogacy’?

The short answer is that altruistic surrogacy is an arrangement that doesn’t include monetary compensation for the surrogate, yet that doesn’t mean altruistic surrogacy is totally free of charge.

That’s simply not the case once you get into the fine details of a surrogacy contract. Typically, surrogacy comes with hefty compensation for the surrogate’s time and the physical and mental rigors of pregnancy. 

But an altruistic surrogate doesn’t charge for the pregnancy. With altruistic surrogacy, the main challenge is actually finding a surrogate who will carry a child to term without a base compensation.

How is altruistic surrogacy distinct from commercial surrogacy?

Indeed, commercial surrogacy isn’t the only option nowadays because altruistic surrogacy remains a popular choice; however, altruistic surrogacy doesn’t mean free surrogacy.

Essentially, an altruistic surrogate agrees to become pregnant on your behalf without the stipulation that she’ll be compensated financially for the pregnancy specifically. An altruistic surrogate does so out of an abundance of kindness, compassion, and bravery.

That’s why altruistic surrogates are usually family members or very close friends of the intended parents, but not always. 

It’s possible to find an altruistic surrogate through an agency, yet most intended parents come to us looking to find a suitable commercial surrogate. 

Our agency’s role is to explain the benefits and drawbacks of any type of surrogacy, particularly altruistic surrogacy because it’s such a monumental decision for the surrogate. 

What are the ‘pros and cons’ of altruistic surrogacy?

The only concern with altruistic surrogacy is that the surrogate may decide that she does want compensation as the process plays out. 

In our experience, the most successful altruistic surrogates have already given birth to one healthy child, but there’s always the risk of a complication with any pregnancy.

If something goes wrong, an altruistic surrogate may simply change her mind, so that’s why our screening process is so vigorous at SurrogateFirst.

Overall, those drawbacks are what we want our clients – both surrogates and the intended parents – to understand well ahead of time.

Of course, the main benefit of choosing an altruistic surrogate is that the cost of the surrogacy will significantly decrease without the need to pay out a base compensation of several thousand dollars.

Is altruistic surrogacy legal throughout the United States?

The United States is unique in that states create their own surrogacy laws since the federal government has neither outright banned nor approved surrogacy.

The medical science behind in vitro fertilization is so cutting edge that both state and federal regulations are only catching up to the trend.

The bottom about altruistic surrogacy in the U.S. is this: it’s legal as long as you follow the applicable requirements in each state.

For example, in some parts of the country, you can be an altruistic surrogate but still have to go through an extensive screening process like an ordinary adoption; the same process applies to the intended parents too.

The general rule of thumb is that you should always proceed with caution when it comes to surrogacy, no matter which state you call home – and whether or not you already have an altruistic surrogate in mind.

You could say that all surrogacy is altruistic in nature, but authentic altruistic arrangements are significantly more personal than commercial surrogacy contracts. It’s truly something special that we often see first-hand.

We understand if it’s hard for you to unpack what altruistic surrogacy really means, so we’re here to help you through the process step-by-step and prepare you for each stage.

About SurrogateFirst 

At 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. Join one of our surrogacy webinars today!