Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Many intended parents continue working with their own fertility doctor for IVF, egg retrieval, and embryo creation. The gestational surrogate usually has embryo transfer and monitoring at a clinic that is experienced in surrogacy and meets legal and medical requirements in her state. Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute (EDSI) coordinates closely with your clinic so your care feels consistent while your surrogate receives specialised support where she lives.

With modern reproductive medicine, many HIV positive intended fathers can safely use their sperm for IVF. Clinics use techniques such as sperm washing, viral load monitoring, and strict laboratory standards before fertilisation. These steps are designed to protect the gestational surrogate and the embryo so the risk of transmission is extremely low when guidelines are followed. EDSI partners with fertility and infectious disease specialists who focus on HIV positive paths to parenthood and can explain every safety measure in detail.

In some journeys, a surrogate may carry twins. This is only considered when she is medically cleared and comfortable with that plan, and when your fertility clinic agrees that a twin pregnancy is appropriate. The decision is made in advance, discussed during matching, and written into the surrogacy contract, including additional monitoring and adjusted compensation. Most clinics still recommend transferring 1 embryo at a time to reduce risk, but EDSI will explain how twin options are evaluated for safety and success.

Surrogacy involves medical treatment, so there is always a chance that an embryo transfer does not result in pregnancy or that a pregnancy is lost. Outcomes depend on factors such as embryo quality, age, health history, and clinic protocols. If a cycle fails, many intended parents try additional transfers or consider rematching with a new surrogate. EDSI prepares you for these possibilities from the beginning and offers structured rematching support so your path can continue even if the first attempt is not successful.

In an egg donation cycle, the donor first takes hormone medications to grow multiple mature eggs in a single cycle. When monitoring shows that the eggs are ready, a fertility doctor performs egg retrieval in an outpatient setting using light sedation. Under ultrasound guidance, a thin needle is used to gently collect the eggs from the ovaries. The procedure typically lasts about 20 minutes, and most donors return to normal routines within 1 day. EDSI works only with clinics that prioritise donor safety and follow evidence based standards of care.

Many intended parents match with a pre screened surrogate in about 1 to 3 months. Timelines vary based on your preferences for location, experience, age, and lifestyle. Having embryos ready, being flexible on geography, and completing your intake quickly can help shorten the wait. EDSI keeps you updated with clear communication so you always know how your search is progressing and what the next step will be.

The process begins with a consultation and intake so our team can understand your medical history, embryos, budget, and family goals. Next, you complete screening and work with us on matching criteria. Once you match with a surrogate, everyone completes legal agreements with experienced reproductive attorneys. Your clinic then prepares the surrogate for embryo transfer. During pregnancy, you stay informed through regular updates, appointments, and calls. After birth, legal steps confirm your parental rights so you can take your baby home with peace of mind.

From first consultation to birth, most journeys take about 15 to 24 months. This includes time for intake, medical and psychological screening, matching, legal contracts, embryo transfer preparation, and a 9 month pregnancy. Timelines can be shorter or longer depending on how quickly you complete each step, how many cycles are needed, and the laws in your chosen state. EDSI provides a personalised timeline so you can plan emotionally, financially, and logistically for each phase.

To begin, you schedule a consultation with EDSI, share basic background information, and tell us about your goals. After the call, you complete intake documents, send clinic records, and confirm your budget range. We help you choose a legal venue and coordinate with your fertility clinic. From there, we move into matching, legal agreements, and medical preparation. Our team guides you step by step so you are never left wondering what comes next or who is handling each task.

It is very common for egg donors and surrogates to live in a different city, state, or even country than the intended parents. EDSI manages travel plans, clinic visits, online meetings, and legal coordination so the journey still feels connected and personal. The surrogate usually attends routine prenatal appointments near her home and travels to your chosen fertility clinic for major procedures. With thoughtful planning, distance rarely prevents a strong relationship or a successful outcome.

Surrogacy contracts are enforceable in many surrogacy friendly states that recognise gestational surrogacy. Enforceability depends on the laws where the surrogate lives and where the baby will be born. Some states clearly support compensated surrogacy with strong parentage orders, while others are more limited. EDSI works with reproductive law attorneys who know each state landscape so your contract and court orders provide the highest level of protection allowed by law.

Surrogacy laws are the rules that govern who can participate, whether compensation is allowed, how contracts must be structured, and how legal parentage is established. These laws vary from country to country and from one United States state to another. Some locations actively support gestational surrogacy and make it straightforward to secure parentage, while others restrict or prohibit it. Before you move forward, EDSI reviews your options and connects you with local legal professionals so you understand the path that fits your situation.

A surrogacy contract is a detailed legal agreement between intended parents and a gestational surrogate. It describes responsibilities, medical decisions, compensation structure, travel, communication, insurance, privacy, and what will happen during and after pregnancy. The contract also explains how parentage will be established and which court will handle orders. Clear, carefully drafted terms support trust, reduce misunderstandings, and protect both the surrogate and the intended parents throughout the journey.

Surrogacy friendly states are places where courts and lawmakers clearly support gestational surrogacy and provide reliable routes to secure parental rights. States such as California, Illinois, Connecticut, Washington, and Colorado are often chosen because they allow compensated surrogacy and offer strong protections for both surrogates and intended parents. EDSI helps you select a legal venue that matches your goals, embryos, and family structure so your parentage plan is as secure as possible.

The biological parent is the person whose egg or sperm is used to create the embryo. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate does not use her own eggs, so she has no genetic connection to the baby. Some families use both their own eggs and sperm, while others use donor eggs, donor sperm, or both. EDSI can help you understand how these choices affect biology, legal planning, and long term conversations with your child about their story.

In modern surrogacy, the intended parents are recognised as the legal parents through court orders or other legal processes. This is true even when donor eggs or donor sperm are used. The biological parent is the person who contributes genetic material, but legal parentage can include a partner who does not share DNA with the child. Your attorney and EDSI team work together so your names appear correctly on the birth certificate and your parental rights are fully established.

Some parts of surrogacy may be covered by insurance, but most families still rely on private funding. Certain health plans may cover prenatal care and delivery for the surrogate if the policy language allows it, while IVF procedures for the intended parents are often billed through separate fertility coverage or self pay programs. Intended parents sometimes purchase a special policy focused on surrogate pregnancy. EDSI works with insurance experts to review your options before you finalise a match.

Yes. Many intended parents combine savings, family support, employer benefits, grants, and specific fertility loans to cover costs. EDSI partners with financing companies that understand IVF and surrogacy expenses, and we can connect you with lenders who offer structured plans. During your consultation, you receive an overview of typical cost ranges and payment timing so you can design a financial strategy that feels realistic and organised.

Even in altruistic arrangements where a friend or family member carries without base compensation, surrogacy is rarely free. IVF treatment, medications, legal work, prenatal care, delivery, travel, and lost wages still create real costs that must be covered. In the United States, surrogacy is a carefully managed medical and legal process designed to protect everyone involved. EDSI helps you understand the full financial picture up front so there are no surprises later.

In the United Kingdom, surrogacy agreements are not legally binding, and commercial surrogacy is not allowed. Intended parents usually find surrogates through personal networks or non profit organisations, and surrogates can be reimbursed for expenses only. After birth, intended parents must apply for a parental order to be recognised as the legal parents. Because this framework can feel uncertain, many UK based families choose to work with United States agencies such as EDSI for clearer contracts and more secure parentage planning.

In South Africa, surrogacy is governed by the Children Act. The agreement must be approved by a High Court before any medical treatment begins. At least 1 intended parent must be genetically related to the child, and the arrangement is altruistic with reimbursement of expenses only. Once the court approves the agreement and the baby is born, the intended parents are recognised as the legal parents from birth. Some South African families still choose United States surrogacy through EDSI when they want more flexibility or shorter timelines.

Australia regulates surrogacy at the state level. Commercial surrogacy is not allowed, and surrogates can be reimbursed only for approved expenses. Intended parents must usually show a medical or social need for surrogacy, and surrogacy agreements often are not fully enforceable. After birth, parents apply for a parentage order to be recognised as the legal parents. Limited surrogate availability and differing rules between states lead many Australian intended parents to seek journeys in the United States with support from agencies like EDSI.

Canada allows altruistic surrogacy under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. Surrogates can have pregnancy related expenses reimbursed but cannot receive separate compensation for carrying. Intended parents often connect with surrogates through personal networks or agencies that provide education and coordination rather than paid matching. Laws differ by province, especially around birth registration and parentage. Some Canadian intended parents choose United States surrogacy to access compensated arrangements, a larger surrogate pool, and clearer legal frameworks.

Surrogacy can support many different family stories. Intended parents may include couples with infertility, women who cannot safely carry a pregnancy, LGBTQIA+ families, single parents, and international parents seeking a supportive legal environment. EDSI reviews your medical history, embryos, legal needs, and support system to help you decide whether surrogacy is the right path and what options fit best for your situation.

Yes. EDSI proudly welcomes LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples, as well as single intended parents. We match you with surrogates who are fully supportive of your family structure and work with legal teams that understand parentage for same sex couples and solo parents. From intake through birth, our approach is inclusive, respectful, and focused on your long term family goals.

For many gay couples, surrogacy involves selecting an egg donor and deciding whether 1 or both partners will contribute sperm. Embryos are created through IVF and transferred to a gestational surrogate who has no genetic link to the baby. Legal planning addresses how both parents will be recognised in your home state or country. EDSI coordinates medical, legal, and logistical steps so your child story begins with clarity, safety, and pride.

In many programs, yes. EDSI offers anonymous, semi known, and fully known donation arrangements. Some donors prefer to remain private, while others are open to limited contact such as a video call or in person meeting. Any interaction must follow legal agreements, clinic policies, and comfort levels on both sides. We help you decide what level of openness feels right and how it may support your child understanding of their origins later in life.

EDSI provides detailed egg donor profiles with medical and family history, genetic screening results, education, interests, personality information, and photos when available. Some donors also write personal essays about their motivations and life experiences. You can filter for key traits and then review full profiles after secure registration. Our team supports you in balancing medical, emotional, and practical factors as you choose a donor who feels like the right match for your future child.

You can often view basic donor previews without creating an account, but full profiles with sensitive medical and personal information require private registration. Registration allows EDSI to protect donor confidentiality, comply with ethical guidelines, and tailor recommendations to your needs. Once registered, you receive guided access to top donors, suggestions from our team, and support while you compare profiles and make a final choice.

In gestational surrogacy, embryos are created in a fertility clinic using the eggs and sperm of the intended parents or donors. A carefully screened surrogate has an embryo transferred to her uterus and carries the pregnancy on behalf of the intended parents. She has no genetic link to the baby when donor eggs or the intended mother eggs are used. Legal agreements and court orders confirm that the intended parents are the legal parents so they can take their baby home after birth.

A surrogate is a woman who chooses to carry a baby for intended parents who cannot carry on their own. In gestational surrogacy, she does not use her own eggs, so she is not biologically related to the child. She passes medical, psychological, and background screening and receives careful support from the clinic and the agency throughout the pregnancy.

In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is not the biological or legal mother. The egg usually comes from the intended mother or an egg donor, and the sperm comes from the intended father or a sperm donor. Court orders and birth documents recognise the intended parents as the legal parents, which ensures that rights, responsibilities, and long term parenting are clearly assigned to the family raising the child.

If the embryo is created with your own egg and your partner sperm, the baby is biologically related to you even though a surrogate carries the pregnancy. Some journeys use donor eggs, donor sperm, or both, which means 1 or both parents will not be genetically related. Many families still feel a strong bond regardless of genetics. EDSI can help you explore these options and consider what they mean for your family story.

The term surrogate in pregnancy refers to a woman who agrees to carry a baby for someone else with the understanding that the intended parents will raise the child. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate has no genetic link to the baby and participates under a written agreement and medical guidance. The arrangement is planned carefully to support everyone emotional and physical well being throughout the journey.

Most surrogates are women who have already completed their own families, enjoyed pregnancy, and want to help others become parents. They must have a history of uncomplicated pregnancies, pass thorough medical and psychological screening, and have a stable support system at home. Agencies like EDSI also look for emotional maturity, clear motivation, and a cooperative mindset so that the experience is safe, respectful, and rewarding for everyone involved.