A friend wants to be a surrogate for her aunt and I'm trying to find her the best information. I am still farley new to this and I am working with an agency so I'm not really sure what direction to send her in. Thanks for any information!

Hi! That's wonderful your friend wants to help her aunt in this way. I'm thinking you don't really need an agency, unless the agency you're working with is helping them through the steps, but in my opinion, not needed.

I suggest that both her aunt and the surrogate get with a lawyer and have a legal agreement filed. Most all IVF clinics are going to require this, plus it's just a good idea to always have this done, even if they are related. Her aunt needs to choose a clinic & dr. and your friend can have a consultation with the IVF clinic and they can meet her surrogate. There are several things that they usually review for a surrogate (copying from a website:)

    •    A careful medical and family history
    •    A thorough physical examination
    •    A psychological evaluation
    •    Specific blood tests to exclude HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other diseases
    •    Cervical cultures for organisms such as chlamydia and urea plasma that might interfere with a successful outcome
    •    An evaluation of the uterus by hysteroscopy (in which a thin, telescope-like instrument is introduced into the uterus) to determine if anything might interfere with implantation
    •    Blood tests for prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone
    •    Blood testing of the surrogate's partner for HIV, hepatitis, and other transmittable diseases


  Once your friend gets the results of all of this, then they can start with the IVF details. Her aunt will have a medication schedule for her egg retrieval (unless using an egg donor or surrogate being the egg donor as in traditional surrogacy). The surrogate will have a calendar of medications (i.e. Lupron, steriod, etc.) and the IF will do his thing with a sperm retrieval, (or sperm donor). The clinic will then create & keep the best embryos & implant the amount that both the surrogate & intended parents agree on. Over the next couple of weeks the clinic will be requesting beta level tests to see if the number is doubling (positive pregnancy), and then will do an ultrasound. All clinics are a little different. Some request 2 ultrasounds (initial sac review, then heartbeat), and then the surrogate is released to her OB as a regular pregnancy for the rest of the way.

I hope this helped some! There are tons of details, if you have questions you can ask. I love to help! I hope everything goes really well for your friend and her aunt!! Very exciting!! 

what questions do you have? I have done a lot of research over the last 6 months. It's hard at first, so many questions. Once you get going, everything starts happening so fast. We just had our transfer 4 days ago!!

Where is she at in the process now? What kind of questions do you have? I can help!

How are things going? I'm here to answer any questions!

I'm not sure. She wants to know how to get started and basic information. I don't know anything as far as family goes because I am working with an agency for a totally random couple.