FAQs

Surrogate - Frequently Asked Questions

What are the specific qualifications that I must meet to be considered to become a gestational surrogate in your program?

To become a surrogate with our agency you must:

Have given birth to at least 1 child and be raising your child
Be between the ages of 21-38 years
No history of serious medical problems during pregnancy or delivery
No history of pre-term deliveries before 36 weeks (unless multiple birth)

Be willing and able to provide us with previous delivery records
Have reliable transportation to get to all doctors appointments
Be willing to be medically tested/screened for sexually transmitted disease and submit to a drug screening
Must have a stable residence
Must agree to a background check and a psychological screening

Do I get to choose the family I want to surrogate for, or do they choose me?

After you complete your application process, we will review your information and your medical records. Considering this data and the personal choices you made during your application phase, we will begin the matching portion of our service.

We’ll present your information to intended parents and share with you, for your review, the profile of potential intended parents who have retained us to assist them in their search for a surrogate. It’s important to note that we have no waiting period that you must endure to match you with intended parents. We will always have choices of potential recipient parents for you to choose from.

The decision to work together must be mutual and the optional in-person match meeting will be guided by our experienced staff to make sure both parties are comfortable with each other. You will have time to just let yourself “feel” how the experience was for you and your spouse.

After you and the recipient have had some conversation with us, we’ll talk again. If you decide they were perfect for you, and that they represent the type of persons you were hoping to help start a family, we will consider you “matched” and we will remove you from the “available candidates” section on our website.

After I become pregnant, where will I receive ongoing medical care and where will I deliver the baby?

In most cases, you will deliver the baby and receive normal maternity care in your own local area. It’s important that the medical care be covered by the specialized surrogate maternity delivery insurance plan that will be used during your surrogacy pregnancy. Part of what we do for you is to handle issues like this.

We’ll work directly with the insurance company and your OB and the chosen hospital to supply them with the information and education they need regarding the surrogacy process. We deal directly with the social workers and labor and delivery team at the hospital to help ensure that your needs, as well as the needs of the recipients, are both respected to insure that the birthing process is a stress-free, joyful time for all.

Can you tell me more about the medical process involved with being a gestational surrogate?

Just as every recipient's journey is different, so is every situation as a gestational surrogate. Most often, a gestational surrogacy begins its medical aspect with screening. This usually involves the recipients’ choice of infertility specialist that they have been working with. Sometimes, the family will choose a physician near you, and then they will travel to you to join you on your appointments.

Blood tests are a routine place to start, followed by medications to synchronize your cycle to that of the ovum donor or the intended mother if she is using her own eggs. Further, the medications will cause your uterine lining to thicken to accept the transferred embryos. Central Coast Surrogacy, LLC is not a medical facility, and we prefer to have the physician explain his or her own program specifics to you, that way, you are free to ask questions that only a doctor should be answering.

Will there be travel involved once becoming a surrogate? Do I have the choice not to travel?

Central Coast Surrogacy, LLC is based in California, a state which has very favorable laws relating to gestational surrogacy. One area of the law here that recipients are excited about is the ability to have their names put on the birth certificate. This is able to be accomplished by the creation of a pre-birth order which becomes part of the surrogacy contract.

Therefore, for this and other reasons, California is a very popular location to give birth. Our recipients seek to come to California specifically to take advantage of this area of the law. However, there are situations that you may be asked to travel and depending on where you and the recipients live, travel may be a part of your surrogacy journey.

We also work with surrogate mothers through our office in Texas, which is also very surrogate-friendly and allows for intended parents to go straight on the birth certificate/ This is true also of a few other states.For this reason you will find we have many Surrogates from Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii, and a few other states. We do allow for Surrogates to apply from all 50 states as well as International Surrogate applicants to enter our program. Laws vary from state to state, so we will work along side our attorneys from your state to make sure you and your Intended Parents know what to expect during your journey.

Have you ever had a family not accept the baby after it is born? Is it possible that I would have to keep the baby?

Central Coast Surrogacy, LLC is very proud to say that we have never had a family not accept a baby after it was born. We believe part of this success is because we are very particular about the cases we agree to facilitate, and we are diligent in our processes.

It is because you would not have any genetic relationship to the child or children and you signed a legal contract stating you understand you have no legal rights in regards to the child or children born as a result of surrogacy that you would not have any obligations nor responsibilities towards the child(ren).

During the contract phase, the recipients are asked to make decisions regarding these and other issues, deciding matters of their estate and their wishes for any children that may be born should the unthinkable occur and both parents were unable to take custody of their child(ren) at birth.

Can you explain your residential program in California?

We are proud to offer surrogates residing in other states, not favorable to surrogacy, the opportunity to help another family by becoming a surrogate contracted in California. These surrogates are paid fees discussed in their contracts as well as have housing provided for them in California for either the entire pregnancy or the last trimester for delivery depending on your special situation. In this instance, some contracts will allow for children to travel with their mother to avoid a long separation.

Can you explain your program allowing for surrogates/donors to travel out of the country?

We are excited to be affiliated with Pacific Fertility Institute, with locations in Beijing and Hong Kong China, Saipan and Honolulu USA, and Macau. This provides a unique opportunity to travel to meet your intended parents and to learn about their culture.

The Pacific Fertility Institute is highly experienced and focuses on patient care with a multidisciplinary team of doctors, scientists, nurses, and administrative staff who strictly follow the USA FDA regulations when providing care that is the best in their field. Surrogates and egg donors who choose this program will be expected to apply for a passport and visa with the assistance of our agency and travel for periods of 7-14 days away from home, a minimum of 1 time, but possibly up to 3 times to achieve pregnancy. All expenses will be paid for this travel.

Still have questions?