Surrogacy in Frederick [The Complete Guide]

Choosing surrogacy might sound like the easiest step of all. But there are a lot of things that you should consider before deciding that this journey is the right one for you.

Surrogacy is a fulfilling and incredible opportunity, but you should always take the time to understand the pros and cons, Frederick surrogacy laws, and potentially reach out to a professional to get more information. No matter what your final decision ends up being, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way.

There’s more than one type of surrogacy to choose from:

• Gestational vs. Traditional: Traditional surrogates use their own eggs in the process, gestational surrogates do not. The vast majority of surrogacy professionals today only complete gestational surrogacies due to the increased legal and emotional risks of traditional surrogacy.
• Compensated vs. Altruistic: Whether or not the surrogate receives base compensation in addition to reimbursement for the surrogacy-related medical and legal expenses. Not all states permit compensated surrogacy.
• Domestic vs. International: The intended parents and surrogate either both reside in the U.S., or the two parties are in different countries. Not all surrogacy professionals will complete international surrogacies.
• Agency vs. Independent: Surrogacy agencies screen your match, coordinate the process and provide support services from start to finish. In independent surrogacy, you’d handle all of this on your own.

Which type is right for you will depend on your unique circumstances and comfort levels. But to get a better idea of what might be best for you, don’t be afraid to reach out to one of us at Jennifer Fairfax, LLC. 

A thorough screening is a crucial part of the Frederick surrogacy process for both intended parents and surrogates, but it looks a little bit different for each party.

For intended parents: If you’re an intended parent working with a matching program, your screening experience will sometimes consist of an in-home visit, an interview and background checks. To learn more about what your surrogacy experience will be like, please reach out to your chosen professional to get more information.

For surrogates: After you’ve established that you meet the requirements to become a surrogate, you’ll start a Frederick surrogacy screening process of your own. This will normally consist of an in-home assessment with background checks, filling out a surrogate social medical history form, a psychological and medical evaluation and more.

Finding a match is one of the most exciting steps of the Frederick surrogacy process.

By now, you might have already located your surrogacy opportunity. In which case, you may only need to work with a Frederick surrogacy attorney who specializes in local assisted reproductive law, like the lawyers at Jennifer Fairfax, LLC. But if you don’t someone in mind already, you have two options:

You can find, screen and manage your match on your own (without an agency) in what’s called “independent surrogacy.” Or, you can work with a matching program (also called surrogacy agencies) to connect with pre-screened surrogates and intended parents who are waiting to find the right match.

No matter how you find your Frederick surrogacy match, we’ll be there to guide you through the necessary legal steps and to ensure your legal protection throughout. If both parties are comfortable and ready to move forwards, then it will be time to solidify the match through a legal contract.

Both the intended parents and the surrogate will have their own Frederick surrogacy attorney to help them complete the contract and to make sure both parties’ rights and interests are respected. If you don’t already have a second Frederick surrogacy lawyer, we can refer you to local representatives whom we trust.

Once each party agrees to the terms of the contract that have been laid out, and both attorneys have had a chance to review and approve it, the contract can be signed. After that, the embryo transfer process can begin.

Now that the legal contract is complete for your Frederick surrogacy process, it’s time to start the medical procedures to get ready for the embryo transfer.

At this point, if the intended parents don’t already have frozen embryos that they’ll be using, the intended mother or the egg donor will start taking medication to stimulate the production of multiple eggs and then prepare for the egg retrieval process. The embryo will then be fertilized in a laboratory and then transferred to the surrogate. If you’re a surrogate, you’ll undergo fertility treatments before the transfer and during the pregnancy.

Once a pregnancy has been confirmed and a heartbeat is heard, the surrogate will typically start receiving base compensation. The details of everything from medical decisions to compensation will be carefully outlined within the Frederick surrogacy contract we help you to establish and execute.

The hospital stay is a very exciting time for everyone involved. After a long and emotional surrogacy process, welcoming the birth of the child is an incredible and life-changing experience. After the baby is born and the surrogate is ready to be discharged, everyone will be able to leave the hospital with their lives forever changed.