Do You Have Questions?
Well, Jbaby Has Answers!
Below You Will Find The Most Common Queries
Concerns And Misconceptions Surrounding Surrogacy
General FAQ’s
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Yes, absolutely, There can be no greater joy for both the surrogate and the IPs than for the IPs being able to witness live and in-person the birth of their baby. The logistics for this will be discussed well in advance of the actual baby’s birth. After it is deemed safe, the baby will then be handed over to the IPs and placed under their care. Whether you continue to have contact with the baby henceforward will be discussed and agreed upon well in advance of the baby’s birth. There may also have been an agreement in place for you to provide breast milk to the baby but, once again, this will be discussed and agreed upon well in advance of the baby’s birth.
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There are many reasons why an Intended Parent may require a surrogate. Frequently, a pre-existing condition may prevent the IP from carrying the baby. Same-sex male couples must obviously rely on the assistance of a third-party surrogate. Or maybe the IP is simply too old to safely carry the baby through pregnancy and birth.
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Yes, depending on what was agreed upon in advance of the baby’s birth. Such benefits as providing child care and time off from work are not uncommon.
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It generally lasts somewhere between 12 and 18 months from the moment an application is submitted until the intended parents are holding their newborn
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At Jbaby we always try to find a surrogate that lives within a 90-mile radius of the IVF clinic so that any travel time is kept to a minimum. Visits to the clinic are also kept to a minimum and much of the necessary lab work can be done at a lab local to the surrogate’s residence. If it is deemed to be beneficial to the surrogate’s comfort, an overnight hotel stay can be arranged.
Pregnancy FAQ’s
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Yes, but this is always at the discretion of your OB/gyn.
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The baby will be born at the hospital where your personal OB/GYN is registered. Most likely this will be the same hospital where the surrogate gave birth to her own child.
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No, this is open to discussion and agreement by each individual surrogate. Less and less, because of the increased risk of complications, is more than one embryo transferred into the surrogate. However, there is always the possibility that an embryo may “split” into two embryos, and the surrogate will then be carrying twins. Such a possibility, while unlikely, will be addressed and agreed upon by both the IP and surrogate prior to any transfer.
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Your IVF doctor is the final authority in approving you as a surrogate. The doctor arrives at this decision after evaluating the surrogate’s medical and psychological history and many other factors that comprise her or her protocols.
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Yes, depending on the circumstances, your OB/gyn may determine that is the most viable option for giving birth to the baby.
Medical FAQ’s
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No. If you don’t already have what is called “surrogacy-friendly” health insurance it will be purchased and paid for by the Intended Parent. In any case, all clinical costs associated with the birth of the baby will be paid for by the IP.
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No! Under the guidelines established by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (our industry trade group), the egg donor and the surrogate can not be the same person. This is to prevent the possibility that the surrogate may emotionally bond with the baby she is carrying, knowing that her eggs contributed to the creation of the embryo.
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Should the first transfer NOT result in a pregnancy, the doctor will evaluate and advise as to the viability of the surrogate undergoing a second transfer. Your willingness to participate in a second transfer will have been discussed and agreed upon by the surrogate prior to any transfer.
Surrogacy Requirement FAQ’s
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Yes, to some extent. The IVF doctor and clinic overseeing your initial care and the transfer of the embryo will have been pre-selected by your Intended Parent. Once the surrogate becomes pregnant the IVF doctor will transition the surrogate to the care of the surrogate’s personal OB/gyn.