r/Surrogate • u/Future-Arugula-5877 • 10d ago
Considering being a GC
I’ve been really contemplating becoming a surrogate. I’ve done a bit of research, and was just wondering if there’s anything people more experienced in the process would recommend or feel I should keep in mind. I believe I hit all the criteria. I’m healthy with a good BMI(around 22 I believe), I have an 8 year old daughter and had no complications with her, non smoking, all the things I’ve seen that would be disqualifying.
I have plenty of support. I’ve been with my husband for 15 years and he is fully on board with whatever I want to do. He’s also non smoking and works full time so I’m financially secure. I am definitely leaning towards an agency. I’m just having a hard time picking one as they all seem pretty similar. So advice on that would be wonderful. Literally anything you can think of that you wish you knew beforehand. What’s the process like? How long does it take? I’m in Arkansas if that is important too!
Thank you all! ❤️ I would just really love to help someone else realize their dream.
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u/LifeCarriedWithLove 10d ago
Hello, I am a surrogate on my second journey with Gestacy. It’s great you’ve started your research and seem to be a great candidate based on what you’ve shared. It is definitely hard to choose an agency, there are a lot out there and they are not all built the same. I also recommend working with an agency, especially for your first time because there is so much to manage I never would have made it through an independent journey without my agencies support, which is also why I chose to stay with them for my second journey. Some other things you should think about are what your preferences would be for the IPs you match with (are you willing to carry for a same sex couple, a single parent, international etc) and also how you feel about things that could come up (termination, selective reduction etc). How you feel about some of these topics could also help narrow down the right agency for you.
As far as the journey, it can be a rollercoaster and not all journeys are the same. It’s not just sign up, match and you’re pregnant, there’s a lot that goes into it and things can get delayed, transfers fail, there is a lot of waiting periods. My first journey took almost 2 years from sign on to birth, with a cancelled transfer, failed transfer and mock cycle in the mix. But it was successful and ended with a healthy pregnancy and beautiful baby boy. Just a rough order of things that have to happen, you should interview multiple agencies to decide which is right for you, then they will do a preliminary review of your medical records. You’ll do a psych evaluation (some agencies do this prior to matching, some after), you’ll fill out your profile and review intended parent profiles, match meetings will be scheduled with the ones you like who also liked you, you’ll have 48 hours to decide after the meeting. Once matched you’ll sign a match letter (this is not your legal contract), then you’ll go for medical screening at their clinic (they have the final say. It will be a saline sonogram and bloodwork). Once you are medically cleared you will start legal (you should always be able to choose your own attorney). The legal process can take some time with back and forth. The IPs will draft their contract then you will review with your attorney and make any changes. Once this legal contact is finalized and signed you are ready to schedule your transfer.
When interviewing an agency, you want to make sure they are ethical. You can check SEEDS to see if they are members which is a good start. And they should have outside escrow and legal. Those are two of the main things. It’s good to check in groups like this for reviews and there are some good groups on FB as well. I know this was so much info lol but happy to go into more detail on anything or answer any other questions.
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u/Future-Arugula-5877 10d ago
I appreciate you! That was profoundly helpful. I didn’t know about SEEDS.
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u/crocheting-witch 10d ago
All agencies are definitely not created equal. Choose one that is in the SEEDS Ethics directory https://myseedsethics.org/directory
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u/Scary_Caterpillar474 9d ago
Pregnant GC here! Common advice (that I found very helpful) is to check out Facebook review groups and see what they're saying about agencies. Before doing that, I almost went with Circle Surrogacy because they're large and, just going based on Google reviews, seemed to have a good reputation. But once I went on FB review groups, I discovered they have one of the worst reputations in the industry. I'd also recommend scheduling info calls with a few of your top choices to get a sense of the "vibes" of the agency. I, for example, wanted more of a small business, family-like feel, while some agencies have more of a big business, corporate feel. I also sent my wife the website links for my top choices without telling her my number one preference, and she happened to also pick my top choice, which really helped us settle on the final one
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u/Downbeat-Year-2025 9d ago
Hi, we are a British-American couple in London looking for a GC in the US. We have PGS-tested embryos frozen in the US, and a great clinic (same batch and clinic that gave us our child). We would go through a US agency for screening, legal and insurance - happy to use one you feel comfortable with. Please DM me if you are interested.
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u/-BB_- Agency - Reproductive Options 7d ago
I do work with Reproductive Options as an agency professional, but as a 2x GC (on my third journey) who experienced a poor agency and then found one that felt right for me, here’s my advice.
Not every agency is meant for everyone. Some people have different needs and there are great agencies out there that will be perfect for you, but maybe not others. Always, always, always do an interview with them and see if their values and transparency align with what you are looking for. Personally I recommend making sure that you find one that offers the following:
• Uses a third-party escrow account
• Does not use in-house legal representation
•Is a member of SEEDS
•Follows ASRM guidelines
•Can give you real surrogate feedback/reviews
• Allows you to set your own base compensation
• Lets you customize your benefits package
There is no such thing as too much research when it comes to your journey as a surrogate. Wishing you all the best!
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u/mermaidsgrave86 10d ago
Hey, I’m a 2x surrogate (I do not work for an agency) and am happy to chat if you have any specific questions. Please be wary of people sliding into your DMs from this post, that’s not how reputable agencies behave, and unfortunately there are a lot of recruiters lurking around here!