Surrogacy for intended parents is a profound way to build a family, and it can also feel overwhelming. That is why we support our intended parents at every step. The Surrogacy Center of Philadelphia serves families across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and beyond, and as a full-service surrogacy agency with over 15 years of experience, we guide you the whole way.
What does comprehensive service at a great value look like? It is more than matching you with a healthy gestational carrier. We provide all the following services for you, and it is all covered by our agency fee.
The surrogacy process can be divided into ten steps. On average, the process takes fifteen months from match.
The surrogacy process begins with a comprehensive consultation either in person, over the phone or by online conferencing. Together we discuss the surrogacy process in detail and answer any questions you have. You will fill out our intake forms and complete a matching profile to find out what type of gestational carrier you are looking for (ex. first time vs experienced carrier, views on abortion/selective reduction, amount of contact).
You will receive gestational carrier profiles based on your preferences. If you would like to get to know a candidate further, we will facilitate a meeting with all parties so you can get to know your prospective surrogate better.
Once you have met with your surrogate and everyone expresses mutual interest in matching, we will make it official by sending you our agency agreement.
All gestational carriers in our program have already undergone medical records approval, obstetrical clearance, and psychological evaluations. Your clinic will now schedule additional medical evaluations to prepare for the transfer, including, but not limited to: FDA testing, saline ultrasounds, a hysteroscopy, and/or a mock cycle.
You will enter into a contract with your gestational carrier. The contract clearly outlines expectations of each party throughout this process, as well as financial obligations. We will arrange for independent attorneys to work with you and your gestational carrier to review the terms of the contract. Attorney fees are covered by our agency fees.
When your contract is signed, you must deposit a certain amount of your gestational carrier’s compensation into an escrow account. We work closely with an independent, licensed and insured escrow agency to make sure that your money is well-protected and your gestational carrier receives her compensation on time.
The clinic will provide the gestational carrier a embryo transfer cycle protocol to follow. She will be taking hormones and other medications orally, as well as by injection. The cycle will be monitored via blood work and ultrasounds. Embryo transfers usually occur between 4-6 weeks after starting medications.
Hopefully the first embryo transfer will result in a successful pregnancy! The clinic performs two blood tests to confirm your pregnancy. At six weeks gestation, a fetal heart rate is confirmed via ultrasound. Care then transfers from the fertility clinic to the obstetrician who manages the pregnancy. Throughout the pregnancy, we help manage your insurance needs. From maternity claims to putting specialty term life insurance policies or bedrest insurance in place, we will complete applications at the right times and provide all documentation to underwriting for approval.
During the fifth month of your pregnancy, the attorney will work with you to complete the necessary paperwork to affirm your parental rights. The attorney will file the paperwork with the family court to have a pre-birth order issued. After the baby is born, the birth certificate will show your names on your child’s birth certificate.
Together we create a birth plan that outlines expectations for everyone involved in the delivery. Our team also works with your delivery hospital to provide the legal, insurance, and financial documentation they require. We will follow up with your gestational carrier and you in the weeks following birth. We can even facilitate transportation of expressed breast milk. Finally, we make sure insurance properly pays for claims and will return your funds to you in a timely manner from the escrow account (typically 120 days after delivery).
* Please note that our waitlist is currently closed due to extended wait times for matching with a surrogate. *
We want to provide the best service to all Intended Parents. Hence, we limit the total number of cases we take on. You are welcome to request information about our services using the form below. We are also happy to provide a full consultation and refer you to resources to financially prepare for your journey ahead.
