Author's
note:
Excellent reading on the subject is "In Vitro Fertilization, The A.R.T. of Making Babies" by Geoffrey Sher.
Doctors/Clinics:
The most important choice is the right doctor/clinic. You may have the most wonderful surrogate in the world, but her chances of getting pregnant depend heavily on the expertise of the doctor. Obtain the report from SART. Learn what all the statistics mean...good reading on this subject can be found in Chapter 11 of Sher's book. There is an excellent list of questions in Chapter 11 under "Preliminary Info can be obtained over the Phone". Ilearned the hard way...went first to a doctor who appeared to have good success rates, but I didn't factor in that he had fewer patients overall, thus elevating his percentages. My advice is to go with a doctor who has a lot of experience. My first doctor said IVF wouldn't ever work for me because of my elevated FSH levels. With the help of my second doctor, my surrogate is pregnant!!
Agencies:
Are they worth it? It probably depends on how much time and money you have. Although it was very expensive, we went with an agency because we wanted to concentrate our time on raising our toddler, rather than looking for a surrogate. I have heard of many successful stories of people finding their surrogates independently. If you do go with an agency, here are some questions to ask:
-How may families have you secured surrogates for?
-How many babies have been born?
-Must we use your predrafted contract or can our attorney draw up his/her own? (Some attorneys prefer drafting their own.)
-Do you recycle surrogates if that surrogate didn't get pregnant with a previous family? (I know of a situation where donated eggs from the same donor were used in two different surrogates -- one was successful, the other twice unsuccessful. The agency put the unsucessful surrogate back in their pool of surrogates to choose from! I'd hate to spend $10,000 on a cycle with someone with that poor a history.)
Insurance:
Have an attorney who is familiar with surrogacy laws review your surrogate's insurance policy. Don't necessarily accept what your agency (if you are using one) tells you about her coverage.
October 1996
Copyright 1996. The American Surrogacy Center, Inc.(TASC), Marietta, GA.
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